The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-13

y
in the Office of the secretary of state.
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE.
The attorney general has been mott
fled by the supreme court that the
motion for a new hearing in the Val
Verde land case will be heard on the
14th.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
Superintendent Cooper has sent the
following to school trustees:
Yours is an important trust, held
by you under the law from the
state for the people of your district or
community in order that the children
of the present generation may be
trained in good schools for good citi-
zenship.
GOOD SCHOOLS REQUIRE GOOD TEACHERS.
This point is vital. Gas the teacher
so the school," Good education, good
character, good sense are the neces-
sary qualities out of which good
teacher is made. Moreover, the good
teacher is also student. He studies
his business-his profesion-attends
teachers meetings, reads books and
papers about teaching, and knows
that good teaching is not easy work,
though it is pleasant work when it is
we'll done. Beware of the pretentious
man or woman who knows so much
about the business that he can not
get o new idea. The real teachers
are always students of their work and
of the children.
DO NOT CHANGE YOUR TEACHER EXCEPT
FOR REAL CAUSE.
Teachers who are incompetent, I'M
faithful or immoral should never be
tolerated Such teachers ruin the
children. But teachers who are COM
petent, faithful and upright should be
retained from year to year. Low
wages, frequent examinations and
short terms all tend to discourage
good teachers, but nothing so degrades
the work as dismission at the end of
the term without cause. Teachers
sometimes lose reelection because
some influential man has grievance.
Worthy teachers, who deserve the re-
gard and help of the public, are too
often made the victims of neighbor-
hood or family difficulties, or are per-
secuted by the petty spite of some
narrow-minded parent, whose opposi-
ton has been aroused by necessary
discipline.
Sometimes, too, trustees, blind to
the sacred trust which they hold, feel
that they must use their brief eau
thority" and crafty their self-impor-
lance by changing teacher for no
other reason than because they have
the power to do so.
Trustees having secured character
and qualifications in a teacher are
morally bound to throw around the
position such safeguards as will make
it tolerable and self respecting.
TRUSTEES ARE CHARGED WITH CARE OF
SCHOOL PROPERTY.
They are to see to it that the school
is properly housed. If the house is
inadequate they should Use all Their
legal powers to get it improved or to
get better one. II under the law
their funds are not sufficient, they
should impress the fact on the public
and secure subscriptions and donations
for this purpose. If no other way can
be found, then let them petition the
! legislature to give the same facilities
for building school houses as the law
gives for building court houses and jails
i. e., ask the legislature to pass a law
authorizing the permanent school
fund, which has been loaned to coun'
ties to build court houses and jails, tC
be loaned to districts to build school
houses. Good school houses are needed
not only for the comfort but for the
safety OF the children.
ENCOURAGE YOUR TEACHER TO GRADE
HIS SCHOOL,
not as city schools are graded, but as
all good country schools are graded
Grading saves time and assures the
progress of the children. 1t make:
the children more regular and saves
loss if the teacher is changed. If the
teacher does not understand grading
encourage him to find out and if he is
a real teacher he will do it. The new
form AZ" furnished by the state de-
partment of education to any teacher
who wishes one will show the teacher
how to begin.
USE ALL POSSIBLE AIDS so SECURE A
SCHOOL TERN OF AT LEAST
SIX MONTHS.
The best way is to get a local school
tax. Twice as many districts are vot-
ing a local school tax this year as
we're voting one last year. A local
school tax secures good local school.
1t gets all the people interested in the