New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-18

that In features were IN anNaIco VI osN4-
In Boston and Quincy beard DISTINGUISHED ana eompeen
persons commend our system the most perfect LOT se1
city that exists The system has been the erSausa o
growth Of nearly century, and It cannot De raue'h9
changed without dctrlmept ..g...-s -..~.
In this one feature OF grading teachers which he re-
port proposes can give you instance OF us oao euec
When we have many pupils Of grace 'ef sn' Lac.
we make two classes OF them Suppose ohe OF 'no Ss9
IS exempted from examinations becsuse the koaeher
"a the hioher Grade while other teacher being IN inc
..nonexempt" grade class IS examined wan not nss
cause comment frietIon. dissatisfaction among pups a
parents ana unfair criticism Of the work Oh tne uniou
te.eher1 You csnnos prevent her position from being
,novn II Is objected that discuss too much the IN
sury Of these new measures the teachers ana do not
mention The children but claim that the measures pre-
seped In this report oct directly on the teachers anu
through them on the pupils Of the entire city,
wEIL-MEANr CRITICISM.
40 no. question the map purpose this criticism OF
the sohools as earnest wemeant but in the main IL
Is kind Of spasm. When was In Boston the puono
had such spasn about their schools II was directed M
favor what termed the sugar plum system "pn
had become q great fad You must not SPEAK 70 pupn
seriously. 1t urged but must say my oear AS.e,
won't you slt up straightT Thomas please loia 70"
arms and hold up your head" don't think our eliucs
ara quito 40 extreme as this but what is coming rom
them after this report do not know would NOS uHpef
take on hand to suggest remedies Tor existing ev
felt conpeten, . 90 20 ~ 0stnoSs know that
suneyntendent jasper has made frequent modihcanons
fin methods. and has recommended chanses "h'cn 1ie
Board has never noticed. believe the superintendent
should be independent OF the Board. excepf "hen ne
founa incompetent He cannot be when elected every
year Or two Mos. OF the proposed changes come rom
those who ore no. intimately acquainted with the schoo
system That. perhaps. Is ths cause Oh mueH sn'as'
onisn because many Of their ideas are theoreho ho
board vera 10 refer its report to Superintendent 70
report 10 them the practical basis Of Is for WORK the e
bcrs would have before them the result Of actual eApe
ence superintendents are teachers ana 'ney repre-
sent the teachers Of the schools"
r,YTTkyN A
Miss June A. Denton, Of Grammar School No
ss in Fast Ninthst.. is not a principal, but ono
Of the assistant teachers OF the school. She is q
vassar graduate, and her activity and earnest
ness in behalf of reform has caused some OF the
teachers to ascribe revolutionary sediments 10
her. AS a teacher, as well as worker, MISS
Denton is recognized as one of the most capable
in the schools In answer to the question, 10
YOU think the change recommended In the report
would benefit the system ?" Miss Denton rep4eu
Yes. anything viii be Of benefit that will give w
lift from the grind Of examinations ana MARKS 80
teachers themselves have, for years, compiaHeo '
he, ~ the methods OF the superintendent eAanna-
tons and Of the slayish work imposed upon pY'H ~
tors and Instructed meet their requirements AZ 1'
ersde meetings Of The Mutual Improvement Association
whenever rational methods OF teaching have oeen prOp
The cry has always been that "chcren &ugas w ene'e
methods win not pass the superneenaen's eAapn~'ts
ereditably." And vet now that tne oppoisul9 - 20
. =
the anomalous spectacle is presented OF large hunoe
Of teachers protesting against the movement oniors
unatsly, the history of every advance IN eaueauona
methods shows those interested TO be the ones mosI
-osaa - REFORM Those who oppose the movement
against examinations simply going against me une
Of public opinion and must sooner or later yield to 'ne
strength Of the current
NO THOUGHT OF THE CHILDREN
What strikes mo as the most peculiar feature OF ue
criticisms Of commissioners. principals and teachers II
regard TO the method grading is that the 1000 ~ emil
dren for whose benefit these reforms are supposed 70 has
been started scarcely mentioned In any Of the cr.
csms In an anonymous circular, sent through ule
schools on Friday last presumably by the teachers who
are enoepvoring prevent the adoption OF the report
I'VE pages OF fooiscap devoted 10 the evil eonse-
ouenees TO the general standing health ana happiness u
ne taaehsr should the changes advocated in tho report
be carried into effect only once In the very ias para
rraph are the children mentioned. In the circular De-
fore alluded constant reference is maze 70 inc eA
Hons 81 the nonexemptn teachers mo mention IS MADE
~ me examination OF chdren) as though these e
su,,natons were be conducted after the ola iofnar
rigid pattern though the superntenoehts were heN
"a be allowed to enter the classroom OF an exempt
teacher but to spend their entire time In FREQUENT VISITS
10 the snon-exemptr and though a Oh this was "
be done IN the most public manner.
1t seems 70 that the teachers who mus Wie r'a
,s,k have not caught the spirit OF the report Inc
whole object OF the changes suggested IN the report Us
understand It, is to lessen the examinations ana the
teaching for examinations The superntendents instead
Of being dread judges as In the past are 70 osoO y.
onr confidential friends and advisers No door IS 70 DC
closed 10 them they % visit and advise win every
eacher in the schools spending more or less time IN 'ne
dinerent classes according as teacher needs OF desires
savtce; in Short their desire is to establish more I'd
taonai and elastic method Of supervision
ovERcRowDING AND CRAMMING.
No there are not other and greater defects IN the
system than the examination methods Almost eVo,y
trouble In the schools be referred 70 the e"o no
OF oyercroyding and OF examining for exsmnatoas ANo
49, ,yvo eviis AFRO SO interaced that they cannot be
seuarated II we cramrned for examinations even MAIN
tanning the idea each child shall know Just as S
as his fellow. but made the classes smaller 'n0 uAeS
10 the children would be great as at present VI
ba conyerse II the classes wero as large as they arc
nov bu. II this nendsh evenness Of results were nov 'he
ideal the damage would likewise be less thah " present
The FIRST evil the oyercrowding' VIII take many !ea
n overcome; new and differently constructed schooi-
,onsas and larger appropriations TO the primaries are
needed But the second ev could DO stopped now IL
there were fourteen and women In the Board VINO
realized the damage done to the children py tne e&Snh
.n a now conducted TO meet the requirements Of the
exalnatcas the problem that has bsen given to the
teachers for many years has been 20 take The Pupils IN
classes from thirty to hundred In number ana at
tempt TO have each child ready 70 an
er every question that superntendents might ask
in a great number OF divisions and subdivisions OF
the few psnches attempted In the schools The result
Of this attempt been 10 crush out every DIT OF oFig
nallty and TO dull the ordinary powers Oh ennns
Of the child
This Is no local matter II has been recognized in
many different and countries but there are peculiar
reasons why trying for this uniformity s psrueusfy
dnseut ana harmful in New-York City. II is more
delcut because teach in larger classes than In any
other city, and because have greater foreign element
10 fuse into uniform mass. II is more harmful
because in spite difficulties higher uniformity
has been insisted upon and higher percentum required
for admission TO the Normal College than in any other city
am delighted with ths whole agitation and should the
report fail be adopted ae good that has been done by
the ventilation OF subject Of examinations and marks
viii be jncaleulable The discussion must lead to great
notifications in the superintendents examinations ana
AZ long as reform Is effected it matters little how or by
whom IL Is brought about.
A WARN ADVOCATE OF THE REPORT
Miss Julia Richman, the principal of the. girls
department Of Grammar School No. 2. is one
of the youngest principals, and has one OF the
largest public schools in the city. The school