New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-31
DISCUSSING SCHOOL WORK
MUST THE MARKING SYSTEM CEASE

Commissioners Cole ana " Dflon 'pO'On' ~
repors against the objections orought oy oVn-
,niss;oners Holt, Devoe and Sanger ana IurUIer
sonsderation viii be given it at the next regular
.saa.s,o an wednesday. memorial was re-
o,,.,od rom the Association of the Female frln-
s;n.Is-,of the Grammar Schools requesting that
-. ,rOmadiate action be taken by the Board on
Che renort. which they say presents changes Oh
- radical a nature that the school principals
a,siro 70 consider them more fully and present
Their conclusions to the Board OF Educauon' luz
Board vent into a committee oil the Wnoie ~
,arne nm the report, and President simmons
~,olaed the chair to Commissioners 'IaIhWaSi
Mr. webb after reading some amendments "
the report. moved that the commlttee VI On0
,vbole should at the close of its discussion reoon
mcnd the adoption of the report to the Doaiu'
This brought the discussion Oo"'i'
Holt. the first speaker, salu 18th has
We haya now In black and white subject "hieh As
-, ,nde- discussion In the newspapers oy oeScheio ~
,.he,s for many years The subject ana tne ul'e ,
,,,s,s has been vague, but the report reduces !" %.
eomulant and gees further IN proposing 49, sy5
~ ....,no svsteun which It regards as the greSS wv
,ne a,'s,is school system 1 expected somewhat
iaer exposition than contained in the report l.o
that the committee which gives several cohcu9Ons
,s, ,prnish some Of the evidence on which tne
Z sis' = .,n NO. ready for such radical changes
= -. oo,orkttee nroposes having arrived AZ oonoi
,ron, nv own experience In the schools some" rrr
t,o,o theirs The main complaint 10 against . ,o
system The by laws OF the boaIH w - ~. the
,,,h !. system in the schools and IL seems ~ .a.Anrs
$3.50 h,ch The report proposes, OF placing the U x
,n two grades standard and maximum,
- nan another phase Of the netAod 10 oon .,..s
:. ororoses sort Of jury to decioe wnch e 49, :,
- - 800 IN these grades An exact cehhi'loA "
49, .no,,acat,on required for the two Glasses w. 49,,
anaeut the different persons VINO % - an.I action
,acs would have different ideas ana 'ns a,roned
Tho classification OF these teachers % -
os y. ~ ds not by the Board, but by conini'e.0 W.
. va axrerts They viii have the eon'ro' " ~,
san Goa teachers and their qualification 70 80 Com.
properly viii lie with the Mayor VINO spgO''
,'s,onars THIS Is not good saleguai@ -. 4, no
missoheIs, meas the Commissioner say there is no
ouch hing as the marking system IN uo s'ort,s FOR
Nv Haiti say that the bylaws 40 A''
such system in grading teachers 60 N. evidence
az comrn,ttee by teachers and principals mAn' "
,hom were called at Mr.. Jaspers sussosI'n n..
800, that IL is the great detrfment OF 'no -
ne cnie. oSrar.n should be taught not like parrots
-, 70 reason and I repeat that the marDns s'S'
the bape OF the public schools .,, . u.,v
- w navoe-I was able when comparatively now
" 81 IRIS board in 1882. to suggest changes In
49,, o,noas which were regarded at first as audaSious
n = new member but many Of which "ere n'er" '
raeoa in the course Of study. Others also "nen s
rs.tas were adopted In 1884 There are many "ni'n
,, sn he made vet for the good Of the schools But
doa. me real trouble lie with the marking system
don't think So II Is with the trustees ana 'ne s.n..
and the principals many Of whom know 10 DC iauhu
and good officers while others are not Inc "e'Ane' ~
a.. r.,.r, "a baeauss the Board Is not able TO eonfo
the pncipals II IL then We could get ho Oh iAS
and incompetent persons who hurt the senoc~ anu sao
great trouble Is in the course OK Stuay "hi0n -
roung ohiIdren Do you know the average age at winch
ha charen leave cur public schools 70 earn their OVID
uytnsf 1t years and four montns' 'aoie us
so DER cent Of the pupils in NeWYork senoois 20 ou "
cot their bread and before they are twelve years
ga y,h,t ,xe need hrst and most that the studies
should be arranged for children am not opposed
"a higher education In favor Of colleges ana NOu'o
have scholars 20 school until they are SIXTY tns 'd
navers are willing But say give all sides-the oppos
tiop fair show and young children course OF study
N value 70 them The remedy IS needed more here than
in the s'marldne system
~ yvabbS,omnss Devos has referred TO the OPP
ss,,on r think that IL has had fair showing for
,xentvaxe years This first time In that periea
that the other side has had a chance. Inns lepoIs
which we submit is the result not only Of the nev'nss
and OF the examinations we have held, Dut Oh IA Jul
Da,,epea and labor for years 1t represents CON
fercnces with teachers principals and others iAhSs
with our school methods. nearly all OF whom suppofIeu
he nesent system. II the changes We propose are ho'
~, the best we would Ike have something better
proposed. want the members to aid US In showing
what s wrong and where it can be remedied what
GOOD Is done IL Mr. Devoe simply disnoses OF our pro
nosed grading as foolish and suggests nothing else
Mr. Devoe--I did not say the grading was foolish,
but is 10 wise 10 mako such a diyisonf Why not LEI
well enough aonef
acaaon. 1 should like every teacher get In tho
maximum grade. We will not place them there; they
VIII grade themselves. All teachers are not saints
There are good trustees there also good many
rsppeS believe In looking out first for the children
then for the then for the principals and last
for Nh. Jasper. But from much Of the talk In the
schools and here. should we are looking out
for the teachers and the superintendent instead Of the
children.
Mr. Sanger: I am not ready to act on Mr.. webbS
resolution. If adopted the Board will stand committed
% It. 1 am member here and L have read this
enoyt and usenedyh attention all that has been said
u It. L am loss 70 understand this great cutlery
,csjnst the schools OF there may be flaw In
the finest diamond changes for the better may
be made in our schools but 1t 10 me this committee
has gone 10 WORK with the spirit Of finding flaw. L
deny the wholesale charges that makes against the
schools. I fortunate 10 be educated In the
public schools Of New-York, and L can speak OF them
with experience Does such grading Of teachers as the
report proposes go bottom Of existing evsq How
ss overcoming Is the teacher 70 blame there =
Are few teachers, too many children or TOO
rev sehoolsf What the defectsf Do you want 10
abolish 'narking system and establish cases among
the teachers with anothcr The teachers in the maximum
grade be examined all get there, then the
superintendent VIII have work TO do. read In
this report the astounding statement superntend
ent examined 500 classes in year. He fifteen
minutes to This would only occupy 100 out Of
200 school days What did he do with the rest Of his
time Any intelligent superintendent should be able
% ascertain standing Of class In half hour and
one remedy for the defects in the system Is think, IL
enough assistant superntendents 70 increase
the number object to this report Of the committee as
radically defective.
DR.. Hunt said that he thought favorably Of
the general spirit OF the report and many of Its
suggestions, but he was not now prepared, and
hoped to speak on it at another meeting IL
was decided to postpone tho discussion, and after
the transaction of routine business the Board adj
iourned for o week Mrs Agnew and Mss Dodge
who are In favor Of the report expected to
speak for it at the next meeting.
OREEDs AND THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Philadelphia, Jan. 30 (SpeciaD.-In The Journal OF
Unted Labor 10 be issued tomorrow General Mas
fer Workman Powderly under the head 1t Is to Be