Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-11

LANGUAGE WAS misunderstood.
OF privilege as soon as the school board met last
evening. BE referred TO two resolutions which
he had offered at a former meeting, and COM
piained that, though the committee on teachers
mad been considering this matter, he had not
been invited TO appear before that committee,
ana ;n. more h than that, that eommittee had sent
dent, interrupted Mr.. Birney, saying that he
was out of order.
This is question Of privilege" insisted Mr..
Blrney. 81 find that am most unfairly and
unjustly treated by the couApittee on teachers.
Mr.. birney Was, however. ruled out OF order and
suspended his remarks until they were In order
A REPORT CRITIcIsINa MIR. BIRNEY's REsoLU-
TIoNS.
When the committee on teachers was called
upon for report Mr.. Lovejoy, the chairman
Of the committee, submitted a report
prefaclng 1t by a statement that 1t had
not been customary for this committee to
it, and in this instance there had been no
attempt to treat the trustee OF the second
division (ir. Brney) unfairly. They had
sought information from the superintendent,
supervising principals and teachers as the
proper persons to furnish information He
regarding the resolutions offered by Mr..
Birney on January 18th, the gi>t OF both
preamble and resolutions being. as the COM
mittee interpreted them, a condemnation Of
the written examinations and percentage
marking for many years in use in the fifth,
sixth seventh and eighth grades The repor:
hitting this question TO the board, issued an
order disseminating such examinations in the
seeond ,b division The report then de n
Dir. Birneys preamble to be untrue:
that 'pupils Of the eighth grade are examined
for percentage in eighteen different studies; >
that there is such "a multciplicity of studies"
as lis unfavorable to thorough EDUCATION, en-
bariassing 10 teachers and causes most in!uri-
students, especially upon that of girls" that
daily programs are furnished to teachers for
their guidance" by this is meant that they
are furnished by the superintendent or super
vising principals, and are compulsory; that the
said written examinations "act as a constant
stimulus to the few and encouragement 10 the
many, with injury to the health of all, except
the most robust that ''none Of these percent
age written examinations are authorized by
any rule of this board as rule As prescribes
record books. &c, which provide for percentage
marking that leach pupil IN the seventh and
eighth grade is required to furnish, each month
in said examination, and in compositions and
spelling exercises, at least twenty pages of
written natter that the teachers consider the
correction of the examination papers of pupils
"a dreary and repugnant- drudgery;;" that lit
compeis them often TO burn the midnight
lamp" that "it impairs their health that ''it
robs them of elasticity and lessons their teach
ing power" and that 1.-THE corrections so labori-
ously made are hardly glanced at by the pupils"
These conclusions, the report says are based
upon the personal observation and experience
bylaws and rules of the board, and especially
on the evidence of the two superintendent,
eight supervising principals. and the almost
unanimous testimony of the teachers of the
fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades through
out the District The questions submitted by
the committee to the teachers are submitted
report that these written examinations are con-
fined to eight subjects at the farthest;
that there are weekly, semi-weekly,
ment deems best for the benefit of the school.
The committee regard these examinations as
the fairest means OF doing justice TO pupils in
best method of acquainting parents with the
standing and progress Of their children. The
report states that many parents of children in
the schools of the second division have ex-
pressed in writing their antagonism to the order
of Trustee Birney and its results.
The report concludes by saving ''we regret
that the extravaganza and reckessness of state
ment which characterize the allegations in this
public opinion and injure the public schools.
but have done SO. We are Of the opinion that 1t
would be doing wrong and injury TO the pu-
pills and the system were the resolutions based
upon these allegations adopted. We regret thai
the trustee OF the second division, after having
submitted the subject to the board, should have
acted wit: discourteSy and without authority,
and issued an order prohibiting these written
in the second division, when the
subject had been referred to, and was being con-
sidered by n committee. Such action on the
part of an individual trustee. if adopted by
others as a precedent, will destroy the autonomy
of the schools and create al many educational
systems there are school divisions in the Dis
trict. We, therefore, recommend that the order
referred to be declared null and void
The report is signed by B. q. LOveiOy, w, H.
Baum, John H. Brooks, g. B. Purvis and q. A.
Griswold, committee.
During the reading of the report Mr. Birney
Interrupted Mr.. Lovetoy, saying in regard to
ination: THE falsehood of that is apparent be-
cause there are twelve written examinations,
and the whole thing is a falsification.''
II object to this Interruption said Mr.. Love-
JOY, II presume the board can protect itself and
that each member can. This is 40 language 1
take it, to address to the board or chairman of
q committee making report"
81 have it here" said Mr.. Birney, holding up
q paper, Sin Mr. Cages handwritlng''
MR.. BIRNEY EXPLAINS HIS RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. Birney said he thought he could call all
to witness that since he returned to the board
he had not made an unfair or personal remark
any member of the board He
thought the committee on teachers should
have selected some gentleman to present this
report not known to entertain feelings of hos
titity towards him. 1t was singular, he said.
that the only gentleman Of the board who had
not given him courteous reception upon his
return as member should be the one to pre-
pare this report. He found that statements
had been made in the report SO persistently
the meaning of his resolutions
that he thought the members of the committee
had signed the report under a misapprehen-
sion. There was not, ne said, teacher in his
division who did not understand that he was
in favor of written examinations. He found
himself placed by this ingenious report in the
position of attacking the very thing which he
had always defended. Nothing, he said, had
been dropped in his division except the COM
petitive principal, which had, as he thought,
bad effect on pupils. There had been a mixing
up OF the meaning of phases.
Mr.. Birney then went on to explain his resp-
resolutions, maintaining that there had been a
of his language as he had
aimed only at the multiplicityof studies and the
percentages in examinations. He
that including declarations and
twenty-three separate subjects of study. The
issued to teachers from the superjn-
tendents office, he said were printed by public
money and bore all the marks of official an
thority. He attacked the questions propounded
by the committee as unfair and leading. He
thought physicians were the proper persons to
and read letters from Drs 3. G.. Poole, Chas b.
Gilbert, s. 5. StearnS and j. K. BoWd, setting
forth the serious effects of examining upon the
health of school children, and also a recent let
Providence, on the same subject. He thought
this was matter to which only men who were
who had children. and had the Guilt
grafton. II think, he said, 'the consideration
Of such natter as this should be confined to the
married men of the board" They ought, as
men charged with important responsibilities go
10 work and see whether they were not over
loading these children. He urged that they get
away from personal matters, SO as to consider
. a things calmly; The general public recog-
nlZed the fact that they were trying too much,
and did not teach thoroughly.
WHAT OTHER TRUSTEES SAID.
Mr.. Brooks spoke briefly, characterizing Mr..
Birney's resolutions as the most ingeniously
framed perversons OF the truth he had ever
seen. The printed programs, he said, were
agreed upon by the teachers themselves. Mr..
Wilson had cautioned the teachers time and