San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-15
OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
Prof. HaIbedl's Reply to Superln-
tendent Smith-A Review of
the Matter Submitted.


SAN ANTONIO, Aug. IA.
Daily LIGHT:
Animus? Why not? If man is
treated as ! have been and does not
snow some animus, he is not worth
the name of man and deserves to be
kicked by everybody. Considering the
fact that I have been engaged in our
public schools for the past ten years
and haye always discharged my
duties faithfully and Conscientiously,
and in view of my summary dismissal
from service, think that some ami
mus on my part is quite justifiable.
However, L did not intend to be I'M
Just. l did not charge Mr.. Smith
with having adulterated the original
returns made by principals and teach
ers; simply called his report incor-
rect as being based on standard
lower than the one prescribed. This
1 did on the strength of the following
passus of his report, as published in
the LIGHT: "The superinvendent's
report showed that 2, 49S scholars were
examined, and of these l, 533, 61.3 per
cent. passed the gen eral average of
74.5 per cent? Now what does that
mean? Here are 1888 pupils that
passed; each pupils average, in order
to pass, must at least be 10 per cent.
How, then, can their combined o.
general average be less than IS per
cent? 1t should have been IS or more,
whilst it was given to be but 74.5, less
than the required standard. And yet
every one of these 1888 passed! If
Mr.. Smith meant the class average of
all the schools in the city to be 14.5,
why did he not say so at once !?
Though it is difficult to see of what
earthly use such an ornamental figure
is to any one unless it be to disguise
the lamentable fact of the failure of
nearly one thousand of our pupils.
Mr.. Smith accounts for this whole
sale failure on the ground of his syS-
tenn not yet having reached the higher
grades. where, he says, these heavy
failures chiefly occurred. Let US see,
Mr.. Smith. whether this statement
of yours is correct or whether L was
right in assertin @ that it was in the
lower grades, these where your sys-
tenn has had ample time to show
results, that these failures become
especially nOticab BILE. The fifth grade
is the dividing line; from this grade
up we count the higher, down the
lower grades. / will give now the
number of failures in these grades,
as near as I can remember them, and
| am willing for Mr.. Smith to correct
these figures, if found either too low
or too high; but, by all means, let
Mr.. Smith publish the official Re
-, Lot tln, "a hn ha inI
Eighth grade; 10 failure; seventh
grade, 80; sixth grade, y; which
makes for the three highest grades
% failures. In the fifth grade there
are probably % failures to be record
ed, which added to the - gives total
number of l27 failures for all the gram
mar grades. that is, all those grades |
which have not as yet been reached
by his new system.
Now, the entire number of failures, |
according to his own report was $50.
Take from this sum the above 127 |
failures, and the remainder will be |
S3S failures for the lower grades, |
that is, all those grades which already |
are fully impregnated with his sys-
tenn. | make no comment; let the |
public do IL.
If he, Mr.. Smith says, were to cou-
tinue superintendent for four years
more, thea there would ensue VERT
able millennium when all the difficult
ties, which usually beset pupils, shall
have entirely disappeared. Three
cheers for the professor who, nothing
daunted, though decidedly unlucky
at present, does not WAIVER in cour-
age, but goes bravely on promising
such grand results in the future, re-
suits which no educator ere this ever
dared to realize, may his name be
Frobel, Pestalozzi, Horace, Mann,
or anything else.
Again, / don't want to be unjust,
and if Mr.. Smith meant 74.5 to stand
for the class average, withdraw that
part of my charge which accuses HIM
of having made All incorrect report by
means of lowering the minimum stan
dard for promotion; but still uphold
the other and make his system respOn
sible for the unprecedented number
of failures in the lower grades. Why
does Mr.. Smith not give lucid expo
sition of his system and show where
IN it differs from other systems.
+. NJ. HALBEDL.