, 1881-11-20

pupil Of mine in the Klnzie. School, whom l
specially remember a. passing through 1ouf
OF these awful grades in Two years, ca!ltd
on me She Itp"rtsa tha1 ar,d sue entpred
the North Divisiun High Scllnol from the
Ogden School, in due time cnnlp!eted the two
years course. was then exalnned f"r a teactl,
ct, went back to lie High Scnool, stalG
cturse last June, and is now teaching Wltll-
out pay because SHE has not yet reached the
prescribed minimum age OF Chicago
teacher.
have no reason to believe that MI, expe7
rience in these matters is at all singular. l
have never, to my knowledge, lost caste "lth
tie .'teacllers and Snperilltendents - on ac-
count of educational heresy. My school, IN
occasional comparative tests, mas never
ranked lower u, account OF these pTacticeS
tia1 was compatible with the intellectual!
atmosphere OF tile district | believe that, III
reference to these matters, every principal
in the city can give similar testimony 1r9!'
| his own experience. Will leave YOU. ~
| maze the accusation made by froEresS
| and repeated by THE TRIBUNE that bright
| pnpjls are '"kept pack" in the Schools or
| this city.
Now as TO examinations for promotion. ''
| Your remarks concerning them are lnlSlead7
ing. 1t is true that. there are (n"t always .,.s
five or six'') stundnrtl Studies 1t Is nnt
| true that pupils are required to d" equally
we'll i'll ali Of then,. 1t IS exuectea ,S:';;ee.
! to the standard studies, day by day. and d"
| reasonably we'll Oh them in examination
| Many principals require pupils !" reacn a
minimum vi lifty ton Il scale "f loo) on tEese
or Kept back'' a publ whose general aver
| aee on all his studies gave reasonable assur-
/ ailce Of safe and profitable work III tile next
grade That is the light test, and permit me
to assure your readers that Is tile actual 1est
1Irur11t3F is ri lOtrlF,
and iii fart instructed, to use lllS discretion
in this matter ailu it Is part OF the "sys-
tenn 10 do ST. You will see that your oiie
positive ertcoEn,entatio1- -to-wlt: taat pupl1s
would make 10 serious alteration Of matters
il merely il1,racllcs the wisdom ot that corr
mon consent which has recognized certain
studies as sftt,atl.frI. There Is HOW power 10
excuse pupil from any S{nny LOT eI9Se ~ re.
suit in gratifying a few probably unreaSu'!- Sn1
abir whitl,s ot Il few untlisclptlned or othel-
wise sptiieI children. 5" it se.:l,'s TO me your
lament for the very renrHaoT oosH n one
session.'' s'S and the equally remarkable
seirIs who could 70 through tltiI i
English grammar III few 1nnhths,
and the really wonderful pupils Wig ca1' II
sufficiently study the history Of the unittd tt1
States in one Term" is wasted upon the
desert air when we remember that THIS APT,
nrss and ouickness enables them to- MAKE
| prpatpr brn0reSS III the remaining SlIAit>. u
| has ALREADY been shown. l trust enough
has been said OIL this topic to show una!
ynur Criticisms aid those OF " Progress
| fnnchinv it are baStd upon an erroneous ap
nrrhensiun If the facts. You have construct
| pd man of straw having no existence Ill tat :
schtml$, and lave amused yourselves ailu +: q.
| Intelligent readers BY treating MIN Will uls'
respect, contumely, and pEod1g'ous pusnac
In concluding this branch Of the sub]ect
will venture u,1e statement more, at"a iVps
( t.r,, viii not regard it as simply uenylne ~
or special pleading" II is maue III a. ann xna
| esty and after solnt study anu sellou> ien. ':',
| rju,. There is nt.w nO place Oh tN4s 1I., vl"a.
and beautiful earth where SO tl,;tns ~ ~, e,i
of all Glasses are 50 We'll ha1lt5xu lto' srhor.
ncarit,1,aI point ut view as IN Ch!caso. Anet;
se. ,'..v4r I'rt.,, Il, the worlds history as
haca t's rrad # Il city whose school system hae
s~ s vr..at proportion Of the imuoTtalt' eie
In.Gfs If uuplic-scno0l pcFtectlon as ut
ech1r, system which is now framing eset
~ in our midst upwards Ut ou.o1o cnlht!:' ~
Confidently challenge fair, huDest, a!i9 Ill
+.ii;eunt examination Of lutse proposll1ou
| on their merits. =.
IT, There is another. at least lmp'leo a.
o,sotion in YOUR articles, a1id I'll taat
:. ..Prngrrss.'' on which | feel provokeao u
min issue arose fro1n the perusal q !.io5 -
oor.i,.lrs freii,1g that the teachers OF Nnicae'
iii mt deserve the character therein . a.' ~
,."tnd n them, When, how, and where nay q.
ttne teachers Of this city resisted or WIS Iis
ct'nras.d professional improvements VIVA
! .i.fscfs in the. school SYSTEM are al
uj;td r;r,,+sd to them? Mr.. Editor,
hae tn assure your readers H1tu sAed