, 1881-11-20

gravity that the teachers u LUIS Wy ~
Very large proportion are worthy Of their
calling. They are students Of its needs and
interested in its every Improvement lhey
are capable of making great sacElhces Tor Tue
schools of this city when honest occasion
demands it. It may not be , utterly IT,, OUT M ol
irlvdiately after the great fire the city was Tor
4 time in 4 very uncertain and precarlUuS
financial condition. Instead Of lloIding back,
as one would suppose from t!e cnaraclel
Schnol building and without a dissenting
voice resolved to continue their, work ana
take for it whatever nay the city found itself
able to give thenl, and TO take it whenever
the city was abg to eiye II Aga, a; nt'e
t'en pensrs "a Of the S' Board Of Education within
its probable income, it was alleged
to be necessary to cut off some $1,000 from
the annual running expenses; :- u was SFlt- fl1r
the time being and to - break. up'' the system
by dis1nisstng certain special teachers. The
teachers PROMPTLY stepped into the bTeach,
and offered to donate weeks work eacn 70
the city i'll order ut once to save the Slo,9oo,
aud to preserve intact what they supposed to
br excellent and necessary features Of tie
schools OF course do not cite these things
to meet any very direct charge you lliakS
against the teachers and Super1ntende1!ls,'
but to show that they are Capable OF MAKING
o
selves vastly, more than YOU seem TO tlllk
in urder to save ar tn improve the scllnoiS.
Another fact that fairly Indicates very hlsn
standard of character among the teachers o1
this city is the absence of scandals Consld-
er,t>. tile weakness of human nature and the
fact that so lnany teachers (the nuutt?er IS
now not far from l,0oU) have been employed
fur years. and that no scandal among ttelu
has ever shocked the moral senSe OF our M
,}tnuIy, it is al infal1ibte indication Of Tie
prevalence of a very exalted and exemplary
moral character.
There is another thought that may be men,
toned with prupriety here. '.Pr0sress " and
yourself have left the Impression on uy mind
tnut YOU wished to convey to your reauers
the suggestion that the ':.teacnerS and Super
iutendtn1a' Of tile city were nut anxious to
improve tue sciluol5. Now, what is the tact :!
it is a part Of tie prescribed duty Of Ptincl,,
u;lI5 to make constant study OF eQucal1oh;tl
! questions and me!llt,dS. Il!ey ho'o i!ohtn!y
Speech prevails. Monthly meetings ut teach
rrs are held al the respective ST lluols largely
| i0r the sanle purpose. At the r!sk VI Incur
| ring suspicion uf bad taste, venture to
Most vi then. have done college or university
| wt,rk. They are experlenced, ooSetEant ill.,
t teiiiyent, perseveling, patient, syml!atllttlc
| experts o, educational Questions. ilielr every
Interest is turthered BY e"ou, and DESTROYED
| bv baI, work They graduate classes every
| wear numbering from twenty I" Ill., They
}ixe AMI expect to live i'll the sane conlulu.
ni1y with their members. What bupll Ut all
| tt,ost, now i'll this community VIII indorse
| v.1,r arcusatiou? What une of them d0rs
| it,L gratefully acknowledge the excellence vi
| itta cXrt. witt. which he WAS takell over tilt
| schooi course? What one Of theln will Ilo
| yri,uly smile at the idea that ne WAS rightly
| cnntined TO the textbook AMI that 1t was al
| ednra1ional crime to ~ outside Of ur beyulid
it?
The result OF this administration OF schoo
| affairs is that there is iltOrt universal alit
satisfied ualrunage Of the public scho"ls q
| iii, tity br all classes anu cteeus III llll:
| community than III any other CITY III lh'
| country There is no reasohaule complain
Of the schools Of Chicago by any one wi!t
u0ssesses specific knowledge Ut their actual
work. The pullctualitI. the attendance TIT
deu0rtment, anu the progress arr 50 tSeal
mary as IL convince every fali-lnlnded cr1tl'
who will condesctnd 70 make an actual %
seryation Of what is doing ln them
there and now venture upon the hazardous
experiment nf ST. gEestt1y comparison Oh TIL
topics between t1le "teacntrS aiu super1ntent
| rnfs y and their accuserS. Tie state Of thing
| ahtIve described enables the schuol adminiStra
tim to understand the needs Of the schools BIZ
unfortunately its recommendations are ofttl
nyrrruled or ignored by those {iuclu1ing TIL
rress} who should be influenced thereby
For instance, there is very plague-sp0t IL
| The eyeryda ysexptrlence aud life of this city
In the vicinity OF PERHAPS every schooi II
| Chicago there are from tlrto to tWent.
Young loafers who spend their time in tn
Streets. The necessary industry ALI
disciuline Ut the school are tou Erea
! for their feeble strength. and their f0nc