Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-17
Is DAHL Competent?
BE FILES A vOLUMINoUs ANSWER TO
PROFESSOR PONDS CHARGES,

BE FILES A v0LUMINoUs ANSWER TO
PROFESSOR PONDS CHARGES.
The Board of Education Decides that the
Evidence Does Not Sustain
the Allegations.
There was special meeting of the Civ
Board of Education last evening, called for
the purpose of investigating the charges re-
Gently made to that body by ]. h. Pond,
Principal of the High School, against c.
Dahl, one of the teachers in that institu.
ton. Members of the Board had heard
rumors to the effect that Principal Pond
desired the removal of Mr.. Dahl, and he
was requested to formulate his objections
to the latter in writing and submit them to
the Board for inquiry. Mr.. Pond did so
last week in the following communica-
ton:
suggest to the Board of Education that Pro-
lessor Z; Dahl De dropped from the list of teach
ers in the Sacramento High School, l make
this suggestion because believe him to be an
incompetent teacher
First-As a disciplinarian he is an utter fail
ure
Second-His enuncistion of English words is
SO indistinct thst it is almost impossible for a
class, be 1t ever SO attentive, to understand
him.
Third-He lacks the power of holding the at
tention of his class.
Fourth.,He is ridiculed by his pupils. Very
respectfully, j. d. POND.
The Board held meeting to receive the
~ l.. IL =. !
| Messrs. Pond and Dahl to appear before
| that body last evening.
BOTH SIDES HEARD VERBALLY.
President Chapman stated the object of
| the meeting, and Secretary Hart read the
charges filed by Mr.. Pond against Mr..
Dahl.
The latter was present, and handed a
communication to the Secretary in response
to the charges read. The communication
! was as follows:
PROFESSOR DAHL's DEFENSE.
To the Honorable the Board of Education. Sacra-
nentO GENTLEMEN: l am called upon to re-
| spond to complaint by Mr.. Pond against my re-
tention as teacher of French and Latin in the
High School
You will understand that cannot reply with
| the same brevity that characterizes Mr.. Ponds
curt communication. The proceeding, am in
forme d, is unparalleled, and l am embarrassed,
because have not the knowledge of the par
| ticulars of these general complaints, nor of the
proofs Mr.. Pond proposes to adduce, ar d be-
cause with the presumption of innocence in my
favor the burden should be upon him to prove
his charges.
Nevertheless, thank you for the opportunity
to reply, and beg your indulgence that you may
hear me. desire to express my conviction OF
your desire to do justice to your teachers and
TO advance, above oil things, the interest of the
schools.
Without specification cannot know what is
| a q N MI fai1 ,,ra
as di. ciplinarian. But If surmise, may say
that discipline is an element in instruction.
Your records show that have succeeded as an
instructor, and l cannot therefore be an utter
failure as disciplinarian -
have served you nearly three years. first
taught French in a halliday class On the
recommendation ofyour late Principal. Professor
Anderson, / was promoted to a full day Glass;
and to the teaching of Latin and French For
two years have served you in that capacity
All my pupils have passed. Every one of them
desiring TO enter the University has done so
without any matriculation examination what
ever in studies in which instruct.
At the close of the last year I visited the
instructor in Latin at the University, and rom
him ascertained his ideas of system in teaching
Latin. His views were such as i had enter
| tanned, and the result was a change somewhat
in the system, or, for lack of better term, the
| method, which had Mr.. Ponds concurrence
and has been followed this school year, with, l
| trust, even greater credit still to the classes
| The class of last year was passed and four of
the members entered the University. One of
| these now in this city, whom your Board can
| 1nterrogate If you wish, and whom in Latin
composition had the honor to teach exclusive
ly, stands at the head OF her class in the Uni.
versity, doing honor to your school.
My Latin class for this year has been approved
for the University also. submit that SO far as
my competency is involved in this relation
the record is one of which your Board has rea-
son to be proud The only failure of approval
by the University Examiners has been in
study do not teach. and am convinced that
no blame attaches to any instructor of your
school for the failure.
Concerning French, l submit myself to any
examination your honorable Board may desire,
however severe One of the best French schol-
ars who has ever passed through your schools
one who is remarkably proficient, and who was
one year in my class, Miss Nellie Siddons, has
voluntarily written to me, saying that hearing
an effort was to be made to suppiant me, she
had applied for The position as to French, but
against me she was not and will not be candi-
date. i take this to be high compliment to
my capacity to 1mpart instruction.
In response generally to all the charges /
point to the success of my classes; to the fact
that the past year Mr.. Pond has sent his class
Latin exercises to me to correct, and that if
succeed cannot be failure in any element of
the instructors art.
had anticipated soliciting the opinion of the
instructors in Latin at the University as to the
proficiency of the scholars from the Sacramento
High school, but my correspondent replied that
all are now away on vacation.
nave said that this is an unusual proceeding,
and In that connection call your attention to
the fact that. by gossip and rumors In the air, il
was known that an effort was to be made to
prevent my reelection. and am safe in saying
that the genesis of all such rumors was Mr..
thing tangible until your body resolved to ASK
him to prefer his complaint to you and not to
gossip. submit that the circumstances are not
10 my discredit, but in my favor
submit gentlemen that the complainant is
bound, in common justice, to show that my
pupils taught themselves, succeeded without
my instruction, or to admit that l have had
their attention and that have competently in
structed them, since the record is that they have
been properly taught.
1t is charged that am faulty in enunciation
To that / make the same reply-I have sue
ceeded IN properly instructing the youths COM
mItted TO my teaching. might cite my pupils
before you as to that, but consider that your
body and your Superintendent are the proper
persons to do that. In me it would be an i'm
propriety. l have taught languages over thirty
years-in fact, all my manhood life. have al
most wholly used the English tongue as the
| medium of instruction. have never had
scholar fail or TO be Conditioned.
/ wish mere to say, that before the school
these matters have not been brought. would
not permit it. Before the school there is no in
harmony between Mr.. Pond and myself So far
as am concerned there is no feeling in the
matter; the school has not therefore, been az
tected by it. ! can serve under Mr.. Pond with
entire adaptation to any regulations he may set
up or advise.
That / do not have the attention of the class
or hold it, l unqualfedly deny If do not
gain their attention, how is il that my French
scholars, for instance, attain especial pro.
ficiency? One of these is now about to go to
the University to be examined in French. that
being a speciality. That she will pass with
honor am positive. precisely as Latin scholars
who have been in my classes have gone into the
freshman class on the record.
Last year had all the Latin classes, except
that pant of the year portion of the junior
class was given to Mrs. Tryou to relieve me.
This year the school opened with much larger
membership. 1t began with four Latin classes,
with. should think, so per cent. greater men,
bership than the year before. 1t was impossible
for me TO teach them all aud teach French also;
Mr. Pond therefore took the middle class Soon
after he took the senior class-unnecessarily so,
think i did not demur: he is in authority
and am not, and know my duty, to obey. /
will not be so uncharitable to say that he did
this tor the purpose of injurins me. since l do
not know it. Still later I reported disorderly
pupils to him, as in duty bound, but instead of
suspendiDg them as requested, in my presence
and that of other pupils he said he would not
suspend them but would do something else.
That something else was to take them into
his own room and organize them into another
class. submit respectfully, that that was not
| sustaining my discipline. Subsequently DISC
bedient scholars sent to him and they were put
f.ta ~ DO nfacS