Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-14
The Old hoard of Education and
its Critics.

htH DEhNAGss
EpIroR HERALD:---In q committee re-
port adopted by the retiring members
of the Board Of Education, justiiyine
themselves for employing City Super
intendent OF Schools who had no certifi.
cate, the following language occurs
'iln the meantime this Board has been
subjected to harsh and ignorant eriti'
oism in regard to the matter, and 1t has
been claimed that the law requires that
the Superintendent must personally have
been teacher in the city schools and
the holder of certificate"
Harsh some Of the criticism may have
been, but that it was ignorant criticism
is an insult to hundreds Of intelligent
citizens who have justly censured this
action Of the Board.
Last September the City Board Of Ed
ueation employed. by telegraph, a gen
tleman living in Iowa to fill this So
called position Of City Superintendent.
That the law did require him to be the
holder OF q city or county certificate,
the Board ought to have known. That
he had none, the Board knew. Yet,
notwithstanding this. he was allowed to
fill the position for four months and was
paid from the common school fund. That
this was Illegal cannot be denied by any
one acquainted with the law in the case.
As a matter Of fact. there is no such
Office as Superintendent Of 'the City
Schools. The city charter recognizes
no such officer. and the Board of Educa-
tion has no power to create offices.
(Tbe Board did create the Office of
Supsrintendent's Clerk. salary $50 per
month.
There is such position In city schools
as Supervising Teacher. and the author.
ity to appoint such is found in Section
OF the Act creating the City Board of
Education, approved February "a, 1872,
which says: "They (the City Board Of
Education) may delegate to any teacher
Of the public schools Of the city such of
their powers and duties in relation to
the interior management OF said schools
as they in their discretion shall deem
proper" The school law recognizes no
one as teacher in the public schools un-
less he is the holder OF city, county or
State certificate in full force and effect.
The Board in paying Mr.. Friesner
from the school fund clearly violated
the law. The County Superintendent
10 oonniving at and allowing such use of
the school fund violates the law and
leaves himself liable to indictment. The
school law requires that every teacher
in the public schools must before as
suming charge Of school file his certi-
ficate with the County Superintendent.
The County Superintendent very we'll
knew that Mr.. r. had not complied with
the law.
The report lays considerable force on
Supt. Welcker's decision. Evidently
the case was not clearly presented to
him. To the general question, does the
law require that City Superintendent
should be the holder of certificate?
the answer would be, no. In many of
the cities OF this State, the superinten-
dent is elected by the people and paid
from the municipal salary fund. Such
do not require q city certificate. To
the question, does teacher In the public
schools. whether Principal or Superin-
tendent, require a certificate, Supt.
Welcker could give but one answer, Y es,
he does.
That members of the Board them
selves did not consider the appointment
| legal is evident from the fact that they
continued themselves in power nearly a
week after their time had expired to
await the result of Mr.. Fs. examina-
ton, and IL he obtained q certificate to
re-appoint him. The report goes on to
say that, in order 10 allay this criticism,
Prof. Friesner has obtained first grade
certificate. Other teachers have been
compelled to obtain certificates to be
eligible to position in the schools.
| There are certain rumors ahoat In regard
| TO the teachers examination last week
that have not been allayed--rumors Of
a rather low range OF scholarship that
| received very high credit from certain
members Of the County Board Of Educa-
ton. OSE OF THE CRITICS.
| san Fernando Oranges.
EprroR HERALD:--A visit few days
since to San Fernando convinced the
| writer that grade OF the hnest orhhge'
are grown there Of any yet eaten neal
Los Angeles The varieties planted by
Messrs. Romnlo Pico and c. r. Rinald
are now in full bearing. Both gentle
men are making almost daily shipment
to San Francisco. Though complaininI
that oranges are low, yet the return i
better than moat. and they appear salts
fed.
| have visited many orchards in ra
dins Of seventy miles. and it seem
strange some economical use il not mad
from the fallen fruit. Both in Floridl
and the Fayal Islands an excellent win,
is made from these, as well as vinegar
and species Of syrup (by the Addition
Of sugar) that is delicious. The orang
marmalads has worldwide celebrity
Would not these methods help out tb,