The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-16
THE HIGH SCHOOL SCANDAL.
THE STORY OF PRINCIPAL JOSLEws
RESIGNATION TOLD.

RESIGNATION TOLD.
Taking the Examination Papers to EaIl
Home, and Changing the Ratings oi
the PupiIs-His Action Defended
The disclosures concerning the methods
pursued at the High School in the matte,
of the examination of candidates for adj
mission have created profound sensation
throughout the city. Reporters of the
SUNDAY TATTLER have been directed to
gather all the facts accessible in relation to
the scandal, and from interviews with gen.
flemen in position to know the facts, have
learned the fullest particulars.
Everybody who knows anything about
public schools in this city knows that the
High School is the city's college, where
graduates from the grammar schools are
educated in the higher branches. Toward
the close of every school year the names of
pupils of the graduating classes of the sew
eral public schools, who are DESTROYS of
entering the High School, are sent by the
several school principals to the principal
of the High School, and on day ap-
pointed for the purpose, the ambitious
Hldhb1Ou1Cc dooCAAbAO az tuO 4A1}5n CCAOOA "
submit to an examination The Principal
last Jane it was Principal Joslin-gives
to each applicant number, and to the ex-
amining board the applicants are known
only by their numbers. The Examining
Board consists of the Principal and teach
.ers of the High School-in this case they
were Vice Principal Paddock. Emma S.
Landrine, Adele Miller, Marie Bevier,
Cornelia Wlegant, Kate Spier and Ed
ward N. Shephard--and the examin-
alton includes five or six branches
of study. Ten written questions are pro-
pounded, and the applicants are required
to furnish their answers in writing, sheet
of paper being given to the answers in
each of the five or six branches. The
numbers of the pupils furnishing the an
swers are written at the head of their
several papers. The sheets containing the
answers are submitted to the Faculty, and
the labor of going over them is divided be-
tween the teachers. Against each answer the
teacher who makes the examination of the
papers marks the percentage of excellence
the answer struck. The total of percentages
on each paper is added up, divided by 10
the number of answers, and the general
average of the pupil struck. Then tabu-
lated statement is prepared showing the
average of each of the candidates, by his or
her number, in each of the five or six studies,
and on these figures the general average of
each pupil is shown. IT the general aver
age reaches rs or more the candidate is,
under the rules, entitled to admission. If
he or she falls below that percentage, the
candidate is not entitled to admission. The
examinations were conducted on this sys-
tenn last spring as usual. When the tabu-
1~k. h.. i D~s
pal Joslin was not satisfied with the num-
Der who had scored enough to be admitted.
There were thirty-four who appropriated
it closely. They averaged ", 70 and "a.
Mr.. Joslin sent the papers back to the
teachers with the request that they re-ex-
anime the written answers of the pupils
with view to marking them up to the
average required to admit them. At the
hearing before the School Board, Principal
Joslin challenged any teacher to say that
he had directed him or her to wantonly
mark up the average, but they all agree
that while he may not have said it directly,
he left the impression on their minds that
he desired and expected them to do it.
They refused; and then he took the tabu-
lated statement 70 his home, scratched
out some of the ratings with his knife and
inserted other ratings sufficiently high to
carry the thirty-four above The general
average of rs. The change in the ratings
was not the result of denomination of
the examination papers by him. They
lay untouched in the closet. It was only
the exercise of empirical authority on his
part. 1t is not known whether he picked
out certain favorites for promotion. He
could have done it as he had the key to the
name each number represented, but as he
seems to have picked ous only the higher
averages near rs for advancement, il is pre-
sumed that he acted without regard to
which of the applicants were affected by
the fraud.
When the proofs of the irregularity were
brought to his attention he admitted it, but
excused himself. He said that it had been
doRe by his predecessor in Office, and one
member of the old Board of Education had
told him that if he did aot keep the High
School full the Board would do SO them
selves. He seems 10 have overlooked the
fact that the new Board of Education is
made of another kind of gentlemen from
those who constituted the old Board. The
Board at once demanded his resignation,
and on Thursday last, after fruitless at
tempts to induce the Board to act merci-
fully. he submitted it, and it was unani-
mously accepted.
The case against Professor Shepherd had
no direct connection with that against Mr..
Joslin, but was in the same line. He had
certified that candidates for promotion in
the several classes in the High School lad,
on the face of their written examination
papers, achieved averages of SO, SO, and 100
IN the Classics. These examination papers
were submitted subsequently to compe-
tent Classical scholar. In his judgment only
one of these highly rated pupils was enti-
tied to an average of 80. Some of them
were not entitled to more than 5, and with
that one exception noted, none could hoa-
estly have been rated higher than 10. He
was deemed unfit to hold his place, and the
Board demanded, and have since received
and accepted, his resignation also.
What shall be dor 70 with the thirty-four
pupils who have been irregularly admitted
to the High School has not yet been deter
mined. They have been promised admis-
sion, and there is no disposition on the
part of the Board to dash their hopes.
President Walkers suggestion is that they
be allowed to go on with their class, with
the understanding that, if at the semi
annual class examination they do not make
up the deficient average of last summer,
they go back to their grammar schools.
A prominent and intelligent citizen, who
is well posted in city school affairs, is in
clined to excuse President Joslin's part in
the business
8. The whole secret of these irregulari-
ties" he said, sis this: Some years ago
Ex-senator Winfield abused an invitation
to address the High School graduates on
Commencement Day, by attacking the High
School in his speech. He took the auda-
cious ground, right in the presence of the
high School teachers, and on their fete day,
that all the State guarantees to her children
and all the taxpayers can be expected to
pay for-is common school education !;
that the common people cannot afford to
keep their children at school through the