Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-11-07
Public School Matters

At the meeting OF the City School Board
on Thursday night, Superintendent Oarne
presented his report for 1S9O91. In it be
recommends the dropping OF all third grade
teachers and the reduction OF the maximum
salaries of eecond grade teachers to 1850 and
presents the following plan Tor quasi high
| school:
THE tims has now arrived when the es-
tabIishment of high school must be con-
| sidsred. Uoless the sexes be taught TO-
gether, which ia contrary to our practice,
and, In my opinion decidedly ipjudiocus. We
must eventually have fous suah schools 10
| any event, We must have two Their esisb-
| liahment would cost far more tnsn we can
sff1rd especially now that we are unable TO
affJrd all the facilities needed for iostruc
ton in the lower and more essentlal
branches of education. There is q way,
however, In which, should he board desire
to have g complete high school course, IL
could be mpIisned al an sddtio0e Cost
of not more than TWO or three thousand dol
lars year. The principals OF the male
schools, who are both excellent teachers OF
mathematics, might De directed TO teach al
zebra and geomatry On hour each 10 the fe-
male school of toe same rucs as their oWa,
Wills, their places are flied In their own
schools by tWo special teschere-one Of Greek
aud Latip, the other of history and II erature.
Thus the salaries Of those teachers Only
would have to be provided for. 10 Wash-
ing,on School such progress has already
been made In the teaching Of mathematics,
that we shall have for the Coming session
three high school clssses in that branch of
etudy. The queation OF teaching the css-
scs, ecencss, general history, sud English
literature must soon be met, and II they are
to be taught &c all, thes should be taught
we'll"
He then speaks OF the great sucoea5 of our
students 10 the Uoiveraity local e1amina-
lions and at the University, ofthe art school.
and the new arrangements for teaching
German, OF iha marked Improvement In
punctusllty, and OF the great want of ne"
furniture, and concludes with the following
remarks about the fiosnces:
1.-THE condition of our Fl lance5 is growing con-
stauty worse. insisted, yea will doubtless re-
member, that W, could not ges along without
ci " appropriation OF $12 ,00J; bus ST., 600 was
q ven us, and the re ult is deficit OF 1919 In
the coming year we a.ked for $13 OOO and got but
ST. Z, 600, in const quence OF which the $50 in
crease for which Twelve OF our teschers hsyc
worked faithfully has to be denied them. 1t Is to
be earnestly hoped thai some means will be found
TO supply the wants and proride for The grouth of
our schools. Money is qoirsd for the supp nrt
OF schools of any kind public or private. We can
not, as community, get something for nothing,
and the more our schools expand the moro they
will cos-. When the public school system first
went into operation only 2S per cent. OF all
white peraous between and 81, in q population
thousand less than st present, wers enrolled in
publc schools and since that time the percentage
has once fallen as low as l 3 per cent. Now 1t ID
3S per cent, more than doahle that Of 1874. One
by one our excellent academies, nine in lumber,
have died out until we lave but five, AMI OF
these one at least draws almost its entire patron
sge from abroad. The large tax payers, few OF
whom formerly sent their children to public
scho Dig, now do So and were it not for the Office
ton OF portion of our people to educstion with
ont religious instruction, almost every child OF
school age IL the city, would be in our schools.
The question then presents itself 10 the pepoe Of
Alexandris Shall we maintain ami edlgrge our
public school? If they think should they must
provide money to do il. Good schools far
more important to community than good
streets and they conduce far more to incresse Of
population When fam u thinks Of settling il
place one o. the fist questions asked, il not the
very first is, What sort OF schools have you !?
not What sort of streets =? Our streets might excel
those of any citv in the Union, and If We had
poor schools we should get no more people and
even lose many We now have. 10 have good
schools, we must pay good teachers, and if we
promise them an increase of salary and then say
we are unable to fulfill our promise We shall lose
the BEST"
Mr. Beal has taken his commission ard Is now
receiver of the Maverick National Bank in Bos-