The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26

THE SCHOOLS AND THE TEACHERS,

The close of the school year and the be-
ginning Of the long summer vacation is
fitting time to refer to the excellence Of
the work done in the public schools of Sc
attic and to the capability, energy and de-
votion to duty of the teachers. The
public schools of this city are second to
those OF no city in the United States.
Their efficiency is acknowledged with
qualification by all who look into the mat
ter intelligently.
This efficiency is due primarily, OF
course, to the manner in which the people
of Seattle have supported their schools.
Without such support the excellence
which has been attained would be impos-
siole. The credit is not altogether due to
the people, however. II is due in no less
degree 10 those who have carried on the
work which the people have authorized
and supported-to the school directors, to
the county and city uperintendents, to
the principals and their assistants and,
most of all, to the teachers who come di-
rectly in contact with the young minds for
whose improvement all this machinery of
education has been devised and set in
motion.
The duties Of teacher are onerous.
The responsibilities are great. The re-
wards are small as compared with the re-
wards in other professions requiring equal
ability and perseverance. The Seattle
schools are fortunate in the excellence of
their corps of teachers, every one of whom,
it is safe to say, has earned twice over the
pleasure and recreation of the vacation
days. 1t is fortunate that King county
has school superintendent who is level
headed enough and considerable enough
not to conceive it to be his duty to mar
the vacation of the teachers by insisting
upon unnecessary and useless examina-
tons in the midst of summers heat.
To appreciate the work of the teachers
and not to appreciate that of the board of
school directors, however, would be to be
bat half Just The school directors of the
Seattle district are thoughtful, enterpris-
ing business men who have devoted their
best endeavors to the promotion of the
success Of the schools, and who. while CIV
ing Seattle talent the preference where
tated to secure the best teachers wherever
they were to be found. This policy has
brought to the work of education in this
city diversity of ideas and methods which
has aided materially in securing the excel
lence OF the general result. No less than
twenty-seven normal schools are repre-
scented by their graduates in the corps OF
Seattle teachers, and the children of Seat
tie thus secure indirectly the benefits of
the teachings of all these institutions.
The work of the high school has gone
on systematically and intelligently, as the
commencement exercises testify. Ii is To
be hoped that the time is not far distant
when the high school will have a building
of its own and when its work will be
fully abreast of that done in the lower
grades.
The PosT-INTELLiG ENCER wishes the
teachers. as well as the children a happy
and health-bringing vacation, and sim
cerey hopes that when they return to
their work in November they will be
refreshed, reinvigorated and ready for the
work before them.