Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-10

The members of the school board when
| they assembled last night said there was little
| to be done, but the board, however, continued
In session till eleven o'clock. The desire of the
board not to waste any time was evinced by
| the impatience of the board when the
| secretary, Mr.. Gurley, began to read COM
municaton beginning, 1.-The question of indus
trial training is receiving attention all over the
| country The secretary was stopped at that
| point and the communication was referred to
| the committee on teachers. A letter was re-
| ceived from the District Commissioners notify
! In. the board of the appointment of Mr.. VIM. Il.
| Powell as superintendent of the public schools.
vice Mr.. Paul, declined. Applications from
Henry C.. Smith for teachers position and
| VIM. III. Coleman and Carlisle L. Mason for the
| place of clerk to the superintendent of the col
| ored schools were received and properly re-
| ferred.
| TEACHERS WHO PASSED THE EXAMINATION.
The committee on teachers presented re-
| port of the results of the last teachers exami-
| nation, recommending an award of certificates
| to the following teachers:
| Third class-JuIia Maria Bartlett, Joseph
George Falck, Anne May Cooling, William Wal
lace FRACTION. Alice Morgan, Laura Isabel Given,
| Ida Gilbert Meyers, Richard Swain Peters.
Second class.Marion Percival keas.
| First claSs-Alice Gertrude MailhouSe, Fran
! els James CardoZo, Wilson Bruce Evans.
The committee recommended that Miss Min
| nette Thompson's temporary certificate be con-
tinued until the next examination. She having
been unable to attend the examination on ac-
count of illness.
ton for the Birney scholarship in Cornell uni
versty John III. Drown, OF the High school,
made the highest percentage, SOL.
! THE NEW NORMAL SCHOOL CLASS.
The committee reported also the following list
of successful candidates in the examination of
applicants for admission to the Normal
school: Hattie j. Buchly, Theodore Bradley,
| Mary V. Potter. Cora a. Ossire, NJ. Nellie Love
Joy, c Annie E: scammelI Adaljne & DAWSON,
Stewart, Hattie r. White. Bertha j. Armstrong.
Myrtle j. Hughes, Hilda North, Vesta Richards,
Catharine V, Allen Annie NJ. Foley, Elizabeth
Mary +. Mallon, Elizabeth " Brown, Caroline
CaWood. Blanche ID. Williams, Frances j. Camp
BEL; sarah Gibson, Clara L. Barron, Josephine
Burke, Annie +. Walker Jeanette Cohen.
MR.. CURTIS USES EMPHATIC LANGUAGE.
Mr.. Lovejoy, from the committee on teachers,
also gave notice of the report changes in the
course Of study, and obtained permission to
| have the report printed, so that it might be
thoroughly considered before the next meet
| ing. The changes recommended, he said were
| not very numerous.
| Mr.. Curtis said he would like to hear in the
same connection a report of the action of the
SUPERVISING principals, who were called together
at that meeting one OF the supervising princi-
pals suggested that the present course of study
was devised 10y one man, and they thereupon
agreed that, rather than let theiraction appear
| to be Il reflection upon him, the changes they
PJ9poss MSnd be very very
to be partisans and sacrifice the interests of the
| schools in the interest of one man, the sooner
| we get rid OF some of our supervising principals
| the better"
Mr.. Lovejoy said that this was the first time
he had heard OF anything of the kind.
| THE TEACHERS TENURE OF OFFICE.
| Mr.. Smith offered n resolution providing that
from and after the 3Oth of June next the APP
| ninfvn If
ers should be until otherwise ordered by the
/ board. His purpose, he said, was to make these
appointments permanent: He could not
| he said, the reason for going over
the nominations of teachers Year after
year. He thought the positions of the teach
srs ought to be made secure; SO long as they
| discharged their duties well. Their tenure
ought not he said. to depend upon the caprice
or within of any local committee. 1t was pOssi-
BILE for any member of the board to omit the
names ofany teacher from the nominations at
the end of the school year with or without cause.
Their tenure ought to depend only upon their
own fitness. The present rule, he said, gave the
local committee a great deal of power, which he
did not think any member of this board ought
Mr.. Curtis advised the board to move cauti-
Ously in this matter. He spoke of teachers who.
while not absolutely bad, it was often advisable
Mr.. Brooks while sympathizng with the OBJ
ject of Mr.. Smiths resolution, did not approve
the object had been practically attained by the
| conscientious discharge of their duties by
| trustees, who were, he said with smile, the
| model public officers of this country. They had
| never made any onslaught on the teachers
| The teachers had always been secure. Origi-
| nally the terms disappointment must be limited
because it was felt that there must be some
| period fixed, and because the question was
raised whether the board had power to appoint
| for period longer than its own term OF exist
| ence, as the board then expired every year
| Mr.. Birney suggested that they would con-
tract with teachers only for the term of the APP
| preparation.
DR.. Purvis said that the Treasury department
| had held otherwise in similar cases.
| Mr.. Smith Insisted that there was no more
reason for this annual reappointment Oftcachers
than for re-appointing the policeman, fireman.
and other District employees.
| MIR. Baum. the president, ruled that Mr.
| Smlth resolution proposed an amendment to
the bylaws, and as such would have to lie over.
| Mr. Smith offered the resolution again as an
amendment to the bylaws, and as such it went
! over.
GOOD TEACHERS WHO FAILED IN ExAM1NA-
| TON.
When the report the committee on teachers
was taken up for discussion Dr. Purvis called
attention to the fact that two of the best teach
ers in his division had tailed. They had rend-
| cred service acceptable to the local committee
| and supervising principal, and he thought they
| should have some credit for their work. He
| therefore moved that where candidates had
rendered acceptable service as teachers. they
| should receive a credit of 10 marks on their
examination papers instead of s, as at present
Such credit, he said, would pass his two teach
! erS.
| member of the committee on teachers
| stated that the committee had required the
| candidates to make Il percentage of 60 in order
10 OBTAIN u nrStclaSS certificate: IS for second
class certificate, and 20 for third-class certifi-
| cate.
Mr.. Birney mentioned a case Of a teacher in
ms division who was highly commended by
| the supervising principal and the supernteli-
dent She could not he said, stand u long strain
ike that OF the recent examination. He thought
the examinations were much too long She
had been under examination nine hours. At
the time the examination ended her head was
In such a condition that she even forgot her
| III struck him that when lady was a good
teacher and could pass q reasonable examina-
/ ton, that she should receive some consider;,-
| tlon. lie moved an amendment to Dr. Purvis'
| resolution to extend the number of marks
| aliCWed 10 successful teachers from Is to %,
which would cover the case of his teacher
| Mr.. smith thought the best evidence of fitness
| were results, and urged that common sense
| should be applied in such matters
| Dr. furVlS remarked that Il teacher who de-
| Voted herseif TO her school duties did not have
| much time to prepare tor examination.
| Mr.. Curtis feared that if the measures prO-
posed were adopted the board would be assailed
| teachers pointed out as persons who held their
| places by favor of the board. If 1t were true
/ tnat the examinations were too long they
| should look TO 1t that they were made to come
| within the physical ability OF the candidates.
AS 10 the mental part, the teachers must take
| their chances though he admitted examine
| tons were mere lotteries.
| Mr.. Lovejoy said, in regard to the length of
| the examination, that great complaint had
Deen made In years past by unsuccessful candi-
| dates that they were hurried through The
committee decided to give the candidates all
tiyna fttay tod