St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-03
MINNEAPOLIS EVENTS
Very Distinct Evidences OF
Coming War Around the
School Board.
Prof. Crombie's Philippe Cal
culated to Stir Things
Up a Bit.
He Accuses the School Board
# Of Ignorance or Dis
honesty.
a BichIoride Of Gold Club
= Was Formally Organized
Last Night.

Bright red war is again hoveringDyer
the Minneapolis board of education.
Prof. j. Crombie, on the eve of his de-
parture. from Minneapolis, has deliv-
cred himself of a philippe that will
rouse all true friends of the public
school system in MinneapOlls-pro
they be unable to see the motive thai
actuates Prof. Crombie, which stands
put as clearly as towering mountain
peak on level plain.
Prof. Crombie has been principal of
theCentral high school for seven years.
Last year he had a good deal of trouble
with the board of education and some
Of the teachers in the Central high
school. 1t was question then whether
he would retain his position. But in
fluences were brought to bear that kept
him where he was then. This year new
superintendent was elected, and it be-
came almost certainty that Prof.
Crombie would not be retained as prin-
cipal of the Central high school. He did
not make application for another term,
but secured a position elsewhere. He
is now about to depart to take charge of
another school. Before going. in fit
Of pique, for other than that it cannot
be considered, he delivers himself of
extreme uenunciatlon and wholesale
criticism of the board of education.
Prof. Crombie'says that all friends of
the Minneapolis schools will look for
ward to the coming year with the
gravest apprehension. He says that
the board of education, by transferring
some fifteen principals of schools to
other buildings. is doing work that will
have a serious effect upon the schools.
He urges, as an argument in support
of his statement. that many states
have passed laws making the posi-
tion of a good teacher permanent
and that all educators agree that the
best results are always attained by
keeping good teachers, once they have
been secured. Prof. Crombie'S argu-
ment is little weak here, as none of
the teachers whose cases have been
cited by him have been discharged.
They have been simply transferred TO
other schools where, in the judgment
of the board and of the superin-
tendent, they will be able to Go better
work. But it is the condition in which
the Central high school will be left by
his departure that is keeping Prof.
Crombie awake nights. What he says
of that school would not merit repitition
were it not for the manifest egotism of
his utterances. He says:
1.-THE boards has done some very
strange things in connection with the
= teachers of this school. They dropped
BONE of my best teachers absolutely
without warning, SO that now, when
positions elsewhere are, in general,
: filed for the coming year, these teach
are without positions. When asked
why these first-clasS teachers had
been dropped, the first eXplana-
tion given was that the number
of teachers was too large and this
: was simply plan to reduce their num-
2 Der. 1t was evident, however, that the
reason would not do, for there were
= enough 4eaehers resigning to have given
a place to all who were dropped, and
the board filed these vacancies with
outside teachers. On being pressed for
o the real reason for dropping one of these
good teachers. member of the board
said it was on account of offensive
partiSanship.., This is a very small
reason and one can only speculate ON
the character of men with whom such
reason would have weight, when the in
terests of $4,000 children are entrusted
10 their care. 1t is given out that the
force of teachers in the Central high
If that is true, the board have acted
either in absolute ignorance of
the needs of the school or
with the purpose of injur
ing it. AS matters now sland there
will be in the building, next year. 225
pupils in Latin unprovided with
teacher. Where vacancies have oc-
Cured in the position Of Latin teachers,
the board have appointed teachers who
have no knowledge of Latin, or of teach
ing it. This will either render it nec-
essary to deprive all these pupils of
work in Latin, or, what practically
them in charge of teacher knowing
little or nothing of the subject. The
plan might work In a country school,
but nothere. The Central high school,
of this city, is said by many very emil
nent authorities to be the best high
school in the United States. Its magnifi-
cent scholarship has been made posi-
BILE only by, having as teachers special
lists in every study-those whose life
work has been devoted to one or two
studies only. and who in their special
lines, are authority. To think of drop
ping back into the methods of the
u.
Then, too. it has been my policy to
strengthen the corps of teachers in this
school by increasing the number of
strong men in charge of the large
rooms. There is not reputable
high school in the country
In which at least one-third to half the
teachers are not men. The boys and
girls are under the charge of women
teachers from the time they enter
school, at six years of age, until they
reach the high school. There they
few strong and scholarly men. By res
lgnation, transfer or dismissal all but
one Of the men teachers in charge of
large rooms have been removed and
their places supplied by women"
Prof. Crombie also volunteers the in
formation tnat he would not have re-
manned in Minneapolis this year any
how. But he was not asked to remain,
and Minneapolis will probably manage
10 rub along" without him. He takes
pains tobecome personal in his remarks.
He praises Directors Pratt and Austin,
and roasts all the others. He doplores
the fact that some of them will hold
office for four years and half yet.
In his Judgment, the only salvation
for the schools of Minneapolis lies in
the abolition by the next legislature of
the present school board and the enact
ment of a law making tue members of
the board of education appointive by
the Judges of the district court. He
says that the present board of educa-
ton has struck the schools blow from
which they will not recover for years.
Prof. Jordan, the new superintend-
ent. could not be found last night, that
he might be given chance to reply to
this outburst on the part of Prof.
Crombie. But A. L. Ankeny, the pres
ident of the board of education, and a
man who has done as much for the
Minneapolis schools and who has the
interest of the schools as much at heart
as Prof. Crombie or any other man who
works for the schools on a salary, was
found. This rs what he said:
wv hat Prof. Crombie may say or dc
will not make the slightest difference
with the board of education. He nc
doubt feels somewhat disgruntled be-
cause Dr. Bradley was not retained an6