The Portland daily press., 1883-02-09
THE SCHOOLS.
Further discussion of the Interesting
Topic.
AN ANSWER TO *. =. ~

An ANoW LIZ AZ a. L
To the Editor of the Press:
Your correspondent x. w. speaks of the
inside workings of our school committee with
such partlcniarity as to leave no doubt but that
he is thoroughly acquainted with the facts
whereof he speaks, but ii must be confessed
his meaning is not clear. He says, first, that
the office of School Superintendent is a sine
cure and ought to be abolished, and that to
confer the control Of our schools upon any one
man would be sad mistake. and then he goes
on and states with an air of authority that Mr..
fash controls both schools and committee. To
sustain the last position he states facts which do
not appear from the record, and are not known
to the public. For example, he says that the
standing committees of the School Board are
named by Mr.. fash, A elaboration body
sometimes delegates its appointment of its
committees to its presiding officer, but this is
the first time have ever heard of the delega-
tion of such power to lis clerk. He also goes
on to say that the whole plan of the school
work is that of Mr.. Tash, and the blame for
the changes introduced within the last few
years should rest upon him and not upon the
committee.
The bold, steady and independent character
OF Mr. fash, and the mild, yielding and al
most timid character of all the members Of the
School Committee gives some countenance to
this last statement of x. Y. a., but in our pres
emit state of uncertainty we ought to withhold
our blame from either party, and hope he
will investigate further and make it plain to
us, whether the Office Of sup erintendent is a
| sinecure, or whether the members Of the COM
mittee are mere lay figures, which bob when
| the master hand Of the superintendent pulls
| the string.
| While we wait further information on this
| point we will examine the defence by x. Y. Y.
OF the employment of the special teachers
/ named by him. IL amounts simply to the po-
| sition that as the branches taught by them are
| important therefore these particular teachers
must be useful. 1t don't follow. Take the
| case of Mr.. Shaylor. Writing should be taught
IN the schools. Drawing should not. When
| and to whom does Mr.. Shaylor teach writing?
| What does he do TO earn his income Of S1400 or
| more? / have often visited the schools.
never saw Mr.. shaylor there A few weeks
/ ago / visited the Spring street primary and lis
| teued with great pleasure while It's accom-
pllshed principal, Miss Taylor, explained TO
/ one Of the classes the method of the formation
/ of certain letters. No explanation could be
clearer nor do see how it could have been
| presented in form or manner better caculat-
/ ed to attract the attention of the pupils. I'M
| mediately afterward the copy books were TAX
| en- out and the children proceeded to put in
practice the lesson which had just been given.
| The teachers very quietly went about giving
special instruction 10 those who seemed TO need
| il. I assert that the method OF instruction
saw pursued there can not be improved upon
| by any special teacher
Is there any reason why there shonld be a
spt cal teacher of penmanship more than of
reading, II of arithmetic, or OF grammar? To
write well is more difficult in practice than
in theory. Success depend upon the careful
observance of few simple rules and metho-
deal sustained practice. see no reason why
any lady, competent to teach the other branch
es in the primary and grammar schools. is not
competent to teach the rules and direct the
practice in penmanship.
But if this were not SO the pupils in our
schools do in fact learn 10 write without the
help or hindrance of Mr.. Shsyor. He does
not trouble the lower grades and the "hand" is
usually If not always formed before the pupil
reaches the High school. The objection &c
Mr.. Shaylor 49, h rst that the average teacher
is fully competent, with the USE of copy books
to teach plain penmanshiD and Second; that II
it were possible to improve upon them he
don't.