The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-28
SWEET Is BELLICOSE.
he CriticizeS Hyde and the In.
spCCtOrs Also.
Some Important Transfers of Principals Or
dered-Janitresses ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
salaried Office Created.

sided.
A long list of bids was received from
printers. Stationers, etc. for the usual an
nual supplies of the department, and re-
ferred to the proper committees.
Superintendent SWEET prefaccd his usual
report BY reading the Supreme Cour is de-
cision If Tuesday declaring that there is no
such position as Head Inspector in the
School Department He then read the fol-
lowing report:
DIR. sWETT's REPORT.
In accordance with provision of the ConsOi-
daUOn Act hereby submit special report on
the condition of The schools IN the matter Of
school supervision. For many years in this city,
IN ali the schools having eight or more classes,
The principals have no. beeu required 30 axe
charge OF a class. There are h!fy-f0ur such
principals They constitute a corps 0l school
INSPECTORS" elected by the Board of Education
10 govern schools AID their assistants, eX Im Inc
classes, enforce the course of study anu carry
into elect the orders OF The board and the IT,
StruCtlOns OF the Supeuutenda nt. Ibey are 1ur-
Their required 10 report on incompetent teachers
Thl, IS 4 system OF inspection that prevails in
no other CITY Ia tie United States. In two or
three cities the principals OF tie largest schools
are required 10 teach only hall the Tine bus With
these exceptions the principals Of primary, gram
and high schools alike are requiled 10 take
charge of d class like any assistant teacher. This
was lie rule in san Francisco up TO 1870. In
Boston there are I'VE supervisors" but IN Bus
ton the principals teach class.
A COSTLY SYSTEM.
We now have an exceptional system OF prnci-
pals who are la fact, school Inspectors" with
a Superintendent OF schools, who is made by law
general lead Inspector" These hity-fOur
inspectors are paid altogether The sum OF Sl02,-
O6O year. They constitute the COSJleSt board
OF Inspectors 10 be found IN the UnIted States or
in any other part OF the world.
Wien there Is added to this cost $4,000 for a
head Inspector, S2lU0 for an assistant inspector,
$4,000 Tor a Superintendent aud $1,000 for
deluty Inc total cost OF school inspectoTship is
Il is True the Office Of Kindergarten INSPECTOR
has been abolished, but a project has already
been sci on foot 10 appoint third general III
II seems TO me that corps Of fifiy-four In
spectug principals, with a superintendent and
Deputy superintendent ought 20 be able 10 'la-
spect' aud report on 500 teachers, or an
average of fourteen teachers 10 all inspector"
ABOLISH THE OFFICE OF HEAD INSPECTOR
Ia addition 10 tits there are Twelve School Di-
rectOiS Who, by law, are inspectors OF the SU-
peltultudenl. tile principals, The teachers and
tie schools. Tiny have also The power OF im-
parchment 10 view OF these fdcis L recommend
Nat al JAe END ut the PIE elt school yea Tie
Office uf "head Inspector be abolished, and
tile incumbent be assigned 10 any suitable
position lu The schools THAT may be vacant. l
make This report Tonight because this position e
connected with number OF proposed transfers.
It would be Unfair not 10 define my position
before they are carried into effect. Now This
office OF head Inspector" was created by the
Board Of Education about four years ago. The
''head Inspector" was placed under Tie direction
OF the Committee on Classification. aud was thus
made kind of quasi superintendent, possessing
a power really greater than that OF tie legally
elected superintendent on all matters Relating 10
teachers. There were grave doubts about the
legality Of This Office. Shortly after The creation
of head inspector on complaint OF James
II. Barry an injunction against tie payment OF
The salary OF Inspectors was asked lor In The Su-
peTlOr Courts.
THE CORRECTION WAS MADE.
IN oyeuung the demurrer Of the Board OF
Education, Judge Rearden said: IL is possible
that by corr eetng The resolution il that regard
Should tle boald deem u proper the appoint
hts might be held good"
IN the opinion submitted by Commissioner
FOote, C., ~ Barry vs.. Goad ct al, "a Pae. Rep,
1923. rendered November 8, 1890, while the
opinion Sustains The board 10 paying salaries OF
Iuspec Iug teachers. Tie following sentence Oc-
ours; Whether such appointments OF teachers
are, or not, 10 consonauce Win good policy 10
conn ctlun with the public schools, Is not mat
tel winch comes within the puryiew Of the ap-
h.al decision by lie Supreme Court.
TO accordance with The suggestion OF Judge
Beardeu. the rules OF The board ere amended so
as technically 10 place the " head Inspector
under tie general direction Of the Superintend-
eur. bUt this was merely nominal, made 10 Sc
cure The salary of TIE head INSPECTOR He con-
iinued ail Tie same, the instrument OF the Com
mlttee OF Classification. IL was distinction
without difference
REIGN OF TERROR.
Ever since The creation OF head Inspector
there has been a reign Of terror in the School
Department. No teachers have been free from
tie constant dread Of d secret report, either oral
or WIlIteu, which might drag them before The
Committee on Classification Cd trial.
During The five months that 1 have held the
office Of superintendent, / have listeRed TO the
wrongs OF teachers, told to me in confidence,
until ] should be TeCTeaut 10 every Impulse OF
humanity u l failed 10 express my Indignation
al THIS system OF inspeeiOrship. he fact is IL
would be easier 10 make an infOrmeT' in Ire
land respecied by the mass of tile Irish people
than 10 make a "head inspector" regarded in
any other lght than That OF a spy and an eXecu'
toner.
ITS DEADLY WORK.
The Office is not American. Il belongs TO the
dark nd brast hmm
dred teachers during the past four years have
been driven out Of the schools under COMPULSORY
designations demanded By the COMMITTEES on
assihcdJiOu under threats OF a public iuYesI-
CATION. They resigned rather than be tried be-
foie packed jury. They resigned 10 brood
over their Wrongs IN silence. one committed
suicide Some OF tougher material are teaching
successfully elsewhere. Another survives 10
present ibis report This abnormal system of
inspeciOfship Is doomed, II not Immediately, in
The near future.
have done my duty in making known the
facts; public opinion viii effect a reform.
CAN DIR. HYDE EXPLAIN?
would like 10 inquire under what rule Of the
board Director Hyde assumes TO summon the
scbUOi principals OF this department to his Office
10 make personal report TO him concerning in-
compel nj teachers? l recognize the right OF
the Committee Oh Classification to require such
reports il they deem II advisable; but fail TO
perceive under what law or rule any individual
member assumes this responsibility.
l recommend that the Committee on Printing
De authorized 10 make a contract for printing
$500 copies Of yised course Of study as soon
Is Il IS ready for The press.
Since the body OF this report Was written the
Supreme Court has inspected" the acts of a
former Board of Education. The decision made
by he court r. ders part Of the preceding re-
port supeTnuOus, but l submit 1t as a protest
against any attempt 10 organize a corps OF In
spectOrs under some other name. / have con-
cluded 10 submit II as Il was written before the
announcement OF tile decision OF the Supreme
Court JOHN SWEET,
Superintendent Common Schools.
Nay q. 1901.
1t was fully expected that the Superinten-
dents onslaught on Director Hyde, for call
ing principals into his Office and subject
ing them 70 a sort of inquisition, would pro-
woke reply, but when Chairman Brooks
asked what should be done with the report
a dead silence prevailed He waited one
moment and then broke the spell by declar-
Ing the report received and placed on file.
CLASS DISCONTINUED.
Upon the communication of the Classif-
cation Committee, one class in the Clement
Grammar School was discontinued, and the
pupils ordered distributed among the other
classes of the school
Elisha Brooks, principal Of the Franklin
Grammar School, was transferred to the !
prIRclpalship of the Cogswel Mission High
School. to take effect July LIST, and James !
q. Kennedy from the prinelpaIship of tie
COgswell School to the like position in the
Franklin Grammar.
1t had been the intention of the commit
tee to put James q. Kennedy in the position
u Hcdu AuSUoCtOI1 give 4IlOula5 hehne0Y,
who was head inspector, the prncipalship
of the Lincoln Evening School; transfer |
Principal Mcdonald from the Lincoln Even !
ing to the Franklin Grammar, and Princi-
pal Brooks from the Franklin Grammar to
the COgswell This arrangement was COM |
pletely upset, however, by the Supreme |
Courts decision knocking OUT the posi- |
ton OF head inspector.
1t Is understood, although not definitely |
settled. that the original intention to put |
Thomas kennedy in as principal of the |
Lincoln Evening School viii be carried out |
THE LAST APPOINTED.
1t was agreed that whenever a consolida- /
ton IS ordered. the teacher last appointed |
shall be the one consolidated out
IL. - IN