Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-19

School Trustees Gregory, Wilmer and whelp-
ley, committee on teachers. &C., have addressed
letter to the Commissioners in reference to
the appointment Of colored normal school
graduates as teachers. They quote the act Of
June %, 1873, for the establishment Of the
school with the proviso shat the graduates Of
this school shall have preference in all cases
when appointments Of teachers Of the schools
are to be made" Under this act the Washing
ton normal school was established. They
state that hong afterward the trustees of the
Miner trust fund and the Commissioners
entered into an agreement BY which the
former were to establish . normal school for
colored pupils, the graduates Of which were to
be given preference a. teachers In the primary
grades. Some time in 1887 the Miner fund
trustees gave notice Of Withdrawal
from the agreement and in their report
the school board communicated the fact
to the Commissioners and Congress since, which
time appropriations have been made for the
two normal schools. The establishment of tho
colored normal school has no other legal war
rant than the implied adoption Of the school
into the public school system, the appropria-
tions by Congress and its subsequent recogni-
ton OF the trustees and Commissioners. The
committee say two distinctions between the
two normal schools will be obvious. The
act OF the Legislature quoted was q general
preference, while the preference 10 the colored
school was limited to primary schools--the first
established by law and in the latter simply .
matter Of contract They say it 10 clear the act
Of the legislature had no application to the
miner normal school and it 10 now easy
to conceive how its subsequent history can be
that provision. While at no time they have
entertained a wish to establish difference be-
tween the schools founded upon merely techni.
cal principles, they invite attention to consid-
erations which led to the adoption Of the rules
and gave rise to the order Of July 26. Again
quoting the clause in the act, they say that
TWO CONSTRUCTIONS MAY BE PLACED UPON IT,
viz: All vacancies must be filed by graduates
Of the normal school when such remain unem-
ployed or such graduates must be appointed
in preference to other applicants, other things
being equal in the reasonable and Just discrimi-
nation OF the board. II the first construction
is correct. the vacancy now existing must be
filled by normal graduate The vacancy in the
principalship OF the Washington high school
should have been filed BY q normal school
graduate. The other construction, they say, is
the most reasonable one and is the only one
which couldbe followed without fatal detriment
to the best interests Of the schools. II is clear
that vacancies in the higher teacherships can
not be filled by young, inexperienced girls, not
withstanding that they are normal school
graduates, without radically impair
anS the 1sDde efficiency .eH OF Ih the schools
fulfill the purposes for (which they were es-
tablished; but any other construction neces-
sarily involves the exercise of discretion,
which discretion the act reposes in the board Of
trustees.
The committee gives review Of the history
OF the rules, noting the limitation in the WASH
ington school was forty and the Miner twenty
but the latter was subsequently increased to
forty. The board, however, recognized the
fact that contingencies might occur making it
desirable to introduce
OTHER THAN NORMAL SCHOOL GRADUATES,
and therefore the order or rule was modified
to limit absolute preference Of the colored
graduates to twenty, leaving it discretionary
with the local trustee to fill such vacancies in ex-
cess OF twenty either from remaining graduates
or from other available teachers. Az evil
dence Of the wisdom Of the Limitation they ap-
pend communication of Principal Keene.
In concluding they say: If the act Of 1873 Is
to receive literal OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
normal school graduates to be appointed to every
OF the Distrct-then the rules Of the board are
not in conformity with that act and the Eve
appointments in question: as well as a score or
more Of others, principally in the higher
positions, are in violation of it. But unless
the principals of our high and normal
all other appointments regardless Of
their character must be made from the embryo,
teachers who come out Of our normal schools,
then we submit that the rules OF the board
governing the question are of the highest de-
gree fun compliance with the law and no one
of the appointments made under it should be
disturbed or can be SO without detriment to
tha uuflic pood