The morning call., 1891-02-07
TEACHERS CONFER.
Meeting of the School Principals
Association.
Fewer Scholars and More Teachers There Are
Four Thousand Empty Seats in the
School-Houses.

a meeting OF the San Francisco School
PRINCIPALS Association was held Yesterday
AFTERNOON at Odd Fellows Hall, about sixty
Piihci pals being present. Madison Babeock,
Dopo.y SUPERINTENDENT of Schools, presided
Gu" Miss H. +. English, Inspectress of
0choois, acted as Secretary. Among those
plesent were Superintendent John SWEET
anu mead Inspector Thomas E. Kennedy.
superintendent SWEET, who made his first
appe"iauce before the associ alton since tax
ms MS once, spoke of the manner in which
N0 ih.eiueu 10 pursue the duties that de-
sol'eu upon hlm asked for suggestions from
Inc principals and made suggestions as to
eh"ugeS IN the rules and courses of study.
AIMING the suggestions he made was that
no scholar should be suspended for any
offense for over one week,
1rihclpal A. L.. Mann of the Denman
ufaliimar School read extracts from and
I IC'i on paper read, by President
Euo1 Oh Harvard College before the State
teachers Association of Massachusetts.
considerable discussion ensued when Mr..
Mann closed.
Deputy superintendent Babcock then ad-
dressed the principals atlength, his remarks
calling forth considerable applause He
saiu' We are responsible for the educa-
tion Oh children and also for the education
Oh tue Board of Education, and if we educate
them wrong, all is wrong. There is as
ilueh Tor us to think of in regard to men on
the BOARD as there is as to the children" He
theh gave figures and statistics regarding
lhe department, showing how deficits oc-
Cured and where the fault lay. He said
tnat within three blocks of the last new
s1mo1l that was built there lived a large
ha nf. gt,l s.
away ana he thought that while 1000 seats,
Oh an average were vacant in the schools
owned 1 Dy the city, all rented rooms should
NC gwen up so as TO save the rent. He then
3poihe OF the necessity of teachers and
lanltors being careful of school property
anu supplies and referred incidentally to the
9oo waste baskets purchased by the last
poalu, winch caused considerable laughter.
IN conclusion he deprecated the frequent
transfer OF teachers and said that it would
- ne W tne oeheht OF ali teachers to know the
laws regarding school business.
superintendent SWEET gave statistics
showing that while there are fewer scholars
~" III the public schools than there were
Hv9 years ago, there are 125 more teachers,
a anu urged that II the principals could re-
9ute Tue number of teachers it was their
duty 70 do so. "The financial outlook next
year, ne said. will be less bright than
tills; IL you principals will do your duty
Tue Board OF Education will do theirs. Ii
~ SSI lcoS otdle TAX ana less appropriation
from the city, as we probably shall, we
must either reduce salaries or enlarge the
classes"
Deputy Superintendent Babcock called
attention to tue fact that where a school
hau loOO scholars 1t was entitled to draw $50
year lor the maintenance of a library.
Principal O'Connor remarked that no
school mad drawn that money for the last
hlteen years. While on his feet Mr.. O'Con-
nor stated that each member of the Board
OF Education had the power to appoint a
teacher In turn, "and," said he, that's the
reason We have more teachers than are
needed. They say That's our prerogative,
ana we are going to appoint The members
OF the OLD board appointed teachers that
they never saw"
Elisha Brooks, Treasurer of the A. n A,
turned over to the pension fund S23 that he
had lett In his hands, and a committee was
appointed TO draft a series of appropriate
resolutions TO Mrs. Valentine date Miss .Jen-
ME foroes), who lately left the School De-
partment after twenty-five years service.
frincipai Lyser, IN vigorous speech,
discussed the financial situation OF tho
teachers. He said that the Board of Edu-
cation finds Itself short of money He
hoped the principals would oppose the clos
ing oil the schools. The present Board of
Education, he said. was not TO blame in
the matter. THE people of San Fran
cisco" lie continued, de not want TO owe
the teachers, and the press is with u.s." At
the close OF Mr.. Lyser's address it was de-
termined to appoint a committee to consider
the deficit in the School Department Fund
and to suggest means to render n future
deficit impossible. The committee will be
appointed at an early date