Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-23
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A Controversy Over Trustee Birney's
Disposition Of q Teacher.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A Controversy Over Trustee Birney'a
Disposition Of q Teacher.
MISS BROWN MAKES AN APPEAL TO THi
BoARD-THE QUESTION OF TEACHERS PAY
TEACHERS GRANTED CERTIFICATES.
At the meeting Of the school board last eve
ming communication from the District Com.
missfoners. announcing that the school building
On street, between 32d and 33d streets West
Washington, had been named the Addison
building. In honor of the late Mayor Addison
OF Georgetown, was read.
A communication from Charles Keefer re
ferred to the board by the District Commits
sioners, was read, suggesting that school
alarm be established, to be struck whenever
the weather was such as to be injurious to chill.
oren going to school.
MISS BROWNS COMPLAINT.
AIetter was read from Miss Julia A. Brown,
principal of the Blair building, saying: I re-
spectfully submit to you the following state
ment OF my case, which has already been the
my instance, and earnestly ask in justice to
myself consideration of the same.
she recounted her services to the schools for
nearly twenty years, having been employed
curing the entire time in the second vision.
she complains that Mr.. Birney, the local trus-
Tee, mad sent her to the Blair building, in the
extreme northeastern section, much to her in
convenience and against her wishes, aud i'm
posed upon her the duties of the principalshp,
Which were extremely hard for her to perform
on account OF injuries she received In an acct
dent last summer, and which prevented her
rom resuming her duties us a teacher until the
present month.
"ln consequence of representations by friends
OF facts in the case" Miss Brown continued,
ss en: hi III wrote to me on October 10th
stated that upon my return he would consult
me IA relation to such arrangements as would
not impose upon me duties too severe for my
health. notified him on December 18th that
was ready to return to my school duties and
requesting TO be restored to my former school,
gave me no satisfaction or announcement in
that respect. therefore appeal to the board
for such action as will secure my assignment to
at Falls Church, and am accustomed
to to-, 60 GO, there on Friday evening to
to x1st TIL Mtnday mornn My obsctons
that Its great distance from the b. and P. depot.
Will necessarily make me nearly an hour late
week Is with relatives in the northwest section.
shall, owing to my present state OF health be
obliged to find boarding place among stran-
peculiarly hard to me; third the duties of prin-
cipai, for which l am to receive no compensa-
ZION, entail labor uHOn me for which, owing to
~" accident before mentioned, am at present
tncapacitated.
MR.. LovEJoYs RESOLUTION.
Mr.. Lovejoy offered a resolution setting forth
that as miss Julia Brown has for twenty wears
been an exceptionally faithful and efficient
teacher In the public schools of this District,
becanse OF consideration for her servives and
health, assigned to girls school in the Webster
building, ana as against her wishes she was
she was given q school distant from her
residence: and subjected to the additional
v wpo Of 6e o of building
faithful services eloquently appealed to
human sympathy; and whereas after an ab-
s senda due TO painful accident, she has
therefore, be it resolved, that In consideration
OF the past services of this old teacher and of
services in her former position, Miss Brown be
restored TO her old school in the Webster build.
ing, and that the teacher occupying her former
scnool be transferred to the Blair building.
A QUESTION OF vERACIFY.
Mr.. Birney was about to discuss the rcsoiu-
tion, When Mr.. Baum, who was temporarily
occupying the chair, stated that there would be
no discussion then as the rule required that
such discussion should come up under the head
of new business.
would not permit him to answer such resolu-
ton. MIR. LOvejOy," he SAID "has offered that
resolution sou under a misapprehension of facts"
THE factS,' said Mr.. LOyeiOy 'sslre as stated
in that resolution and in that communication"
Applications for teachers ,ositions were re-
ceiyed from Emily L. Hopkins, Ella L. Cook
and Miss Connolly.
TEACHERS GRANTED CERTIFICATES.
The committee on teachers reported the 8ol-
lowing recommendations: "That q temporary
third class certificate be granted to S. NJ. Ryder
now teaching in grade No. Z, division No. /;
that the following persons be continued as act
ing teachers In The schools now taught by them
during the remainder of the present school
year: Second division-Misses A. NJ Ge:cheft.
a: n. Qnigg, Clara Geddings, NJ. Il. McCauslin;
nuh divisionnMtss Ida Herogale sixth divis-
md IA
Misses NJ. F. Foster and - Griffith; eighth
div siOn-Miss Matilda Thornton
me committee recommended also that Mr.
b. d. Malone be granted a special examining
ton; that o secOnd-class certificate be granted
TO Miss Rebecca Stoneroad; that fourth-class
be granted to William Ousmby and
Richard l.. Peters; that the nomination of Louis
Wayne, AZ tantor of the Randall school build
ing, be confirmed.
SO far as it continued certain teachers who had
failed to pass in the recent teachers examine
tons. The teachers referred to were in Mr.
He offered q resolution shat so much of the
report OF the committee Oh teachers as recon-
mends that teachers shall retain positions
required by the board he not approved, aud
That u Is the sense OF this board that q vote 0.
school trustees cannot confer scholarship where
examination proves that it is lacking"
AS q substitute Mr.. Birney moved the adop-
ton of the report.
Mr.. Baum stated that he had always voted
StoAtAuS suCu privileges 10 teachers
who tailed TO pass. AT the present time, he
said, there were number of Washington
teachers who had passed the examination and
were waiting TO be assigned to schools.
Mr.. GrtSwOld, chairman Of the committee on
teachers, said 1t was true that they may have
passed the examination. but they had no evil
dence OF their ability to teach.
The report OF the committee was adopted.
PROPOSED NEW RULES.
Mr.. Birney, from the committee on rules, re-
ported rule proposing to give in the teachers
credit Of 20 marks to a teacher
who has been actually teaching in the schools
on the certificate Of the local trustee and the
to her practical success In the
schools and use OF proper educational methods
also to change the present written examination
SO as to permit the examiners to make either
oral or written examine tion or both, on the sub
ject OF the science and art OF teaching, and allow
them TO give ten marks out OF the hundred for
perfection In that subject. After some discus
sion the report was recOmmitted. The commit
tee also reported favorably the resolution offered
some time ago by MIR. Birney, recommending
the enactment of q law providing q penalty tor
insulting q teacher Ia her school room. Mr.
Birney referred to cases in which, he said per
sons had entered school buildings and insufted
teachers.
Mr.. Brooks said they had q special law to pun.
ish any one for disturbing school, He thought
that 70 go into school and insult q teacher
an insult
Mr.. Birney finally withdrew his report, stat
Ing that he would look mn the 10 AZ y,Ouu