The Evening critic., 1882-09-27
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IMPORTANT MEETING YESTERDAY

tiOns for POsitions-A Large Mum.
bcr OF Transfers. Promotions, &c.
The School Board met yesterday afternoon at
the Franklin building with General Dlrnoy In
the chair, and all tho trustees present. The
important business which has accumulated
was rapidly disposed OF.
letter from tho Commissioners OF the Dis.
trct was read In regard TO the apportlonment
Of money for school purposes between the
whlto and colorod schools, and tho opinion of
the board was asked In regard to tho law gov
crning tho matter, and they were requested to
forward n statement as TO what they consid'
cred would be the effect upon tho educational
interests II the construction placed on this
subject by an incloscd decision OF the Treasury
Department should be regarded as binding
upon the board. After some discussion tho
whole subject was referred to n committee OF
three, composed of Messrs. Dlrney, LoveJoy
and Johnson, with Instructions to report TO the
board at an adjourned meeting, to be held on
Thursday afternoon next.
A communication from the Commissioners
inclosing the opinion OF First Comptroller
Lawrence In regard to turning over tho full
pay OF absent teachers to substitutes was also
read, and Mr.. Lovejoy offered the following
letter, to be forwaided to the honorable Com
missloners as the reply of the board:
A Lively Letter.
''The board Of trustees has tho honor TO ac'
knowledge the receipt OF your communication
OF the 21st instant, indorslng q promonitory
opinion OF tho First Comptroller Of the Treas.
ury Department, lndiceting on his part dis.
position TO Interfere with and control tho
Board OF School Trustees In the management
of system intrusted by law to that body.
The Rratuitous and unjust charge Of 'falslfca-
tion Of vouchers brought against the honor
able men who have hitherto managed the
In
upon TO repel out OF respect
For the Living and the Dead,
whose successors we are. The term 'falsifca.
ton necessarily implies wlllful deceit aud In
tent TO cheat or defraud, and tho letter OF the
First Comptroller contains paragraph which
contradicts this insinuatlon and condemns tho
use OF such language In the promises. We al
lude TO his reference to rule 12 OF the rules OF
the School Board, which Is printed In the re-
ports published during the last decade, 80 that
there has been no concealmcnt and no ground
or excuse Afforded for the use OF this objection
able language by the Comptroller. We beg,
now, to lay before your honorable body state.
ment OF the rule and practice referred to, and
reasons upon which they are based. In the
first place, we would respectfully submit that
the Board of School Trustees are clothed by law
with Full and Necessary Powers
for the good management Of the public schools
Of this District; that they are quasi-judicial
BODY, and as such not subject to the authority,
superintendence or Interference OF the First
Comptroller OF the Treasury Department. In
matter or manner OF the employment of teach
crs, provided that In acting according to their
judgment, for the best Interests of the schools,
they do not exceed the appropriations OF Con-
gress. For convenience OF reference we refer
your honorable body to the report on this sub.
Iect submitted to the Commissioners of the
District by our predecessors in a communica.
tlon adopted November 8, 1881, and forwarded
I'm response to an inquiry OF October IL, of
the same year, submitted by the Commission
ers Of the District. In the second place we
would respectfully submit that In the
Exercise of the Powers Conferred by
Law
and with the conscientious desire OF advanc-
ing the interests of the public schools and the
moral and Intellectual development OF tho
children committed to their charge, the trus-
tees adopted and continued tho rule 12 ro-
ferred to. As educators we believe that the
first essential TO the establishment OF good
system is procurement'of good teachers, and
to this end every inducement is offered to such
persons to become candidates for positions In
the public schools OF tho District. We ap-
point for tho term OF one year, at salary fixed
by the rules OF tho board. The contract with
The teacher Is for year and we agree to pay
duties with n knowledge that dctus Del nenl.
nen iNju,tat, and that brief illness shall not de-.
prive them entirely OF their pledged salary,
especially when they are put to the additional
expense OF medicine and medical attendance.
"AGain, Teaching is n Profession,
and Its members professional persons whose
places cannot be easily supplied as In tho
| is temporarily absent from illness the trustees
| employ the substitute and the Ill teacher COM
| pensates such substitute by payment at the
rate OF one.half OF her salary. There is no
classification OF the payrolls when such
teacher receipts for her pay, because under
| her contract she is entitled to IT, She makes
| the contract with knowledge OF rule 42, and
| the School Board adopted this rule In pursu.
| anco OF authority conferred by law and In the
exercise of that Independent Judgment which
Is corollary Of such authority, believing the
| rule best for the interests Of the schools.
"They believe the rule is best for the school,
because II so harsh rule as the one pro.
| posed by the First Comptroller were adopted,
| they believe II would be inhumane, would dis
| courage professional teachers from accepting
places whore, In addition to small salaries III
| ness would be treated as willful act worthy
| OF punishment. Again, although tho maxim
Jdcidt 1er alum tdctt per Sc technically applies,
| the substitute can never fully occupy tho regu
| lar teachers place and perform her duties 80
| as to be deserving OF the full salary OF the
| regular teacher for apparent roasons, among
them that the regular teacher from the be-
| ginning Is identified with her school and
| scholars, and the special value OF the substl
| tute is 10 hold the school together.
aPayment for Luxurious Absentee
| ism
is regulated by usage In the Government dc
| partments, whore, without legal authority
| leave IL granted for u months time, yet thu
| payrolls are signed, and 1t Is presumed tina
| the parties who sign and accounting onlceri
who approve do not regard this as 'falsilca
| OF temporary absences on account OF Illness
no substitute Is appointed and paid out of thu
| ill.clerk's salary and no deduction made from
his salary, and this Is not regarded MS 'falsln
cation. In conclusion, we respectfully sub
init that this subject belongs exclusively I,
tho School Board In the exercise of the quasi
judicial power conferred by the law"
Referred together with communication o
the Comptrollor) to the Committee on Teach
crs.
A communication from Mrs. Mary O'Nelll
charging ill.treatment of her child by toach
er, was read and referred TO the local commit
| tee.
Applications were received for teachers po
siti0ns as follows; Mary l.. Balch, O. Glnesl, l.
b. Little, q. W. Milford, Kate q. Phelps, COrt
Stickney and Marian Thatcher; and Janitors
positions, william Cooper and W. s. Martin
Tho resignation of Susie i. Porter, teacher II
second division, was received and accepted.
The Color Question.
| Mr.. WormIey, OF the sixth division, calle
the attention OF tho board to the color questlo
which Is being agitated by the patrons OF tn
Prescott School In the county, and upon mt
tion OF Mr.. Raum the subject was referret
Without debate, TO the local committee of tina
Tho following transfers, promotions, &c
were then acted upon, after which the boar
adjourned;
First Division.
Transfers-Mr. II. II. Lane, from tho first d
vision to.the High School; Mr.. George H. Israe
from the secondidiyision 10 the High Schoo
Nominations-To the High School, Emma S. A
. | klnson and Frederick W. Dernhardt Prom
tlons-First division, from seventh to elght
| grade, Helene /. Schemmelfenning; from siXt
% seventh grade Florence NJ. Bartlett an