Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-02-27
school Holidays.


but Mr.. G.. G.. Joynes seems to be
hard to satisfy. He admits that Dis
trict School Boards, have, the right
under section 500 of the regulations
of the Board of Education, to deter
mine what days shall be considered
legal holidays, but he does not think
the County School Board had any
thing to do with the matter. I will
explain. DIR. Mapp desiring that
| there should be uniformity of holidays
throughout the county, on June 3Oth'
1887. called the attention of the Coun-
ty Board to this question, and we
passed resolutions declaring, Thanks
giving day, Easter Monday, and
Whit-Monday and Tuesday legal
holidays and it was understood, that
each District Board would confirm
this action-and thus secure uniform
lily. Atlantic District did adopt
these days, and presume other Dis
tricts also confirmed the action of
the County Board, because we have
had uniformity of legal holidays
since 1887 which we certainly did not
have prior to that time, Mr.. Joynes,
to the contrary, Notwithstanding.
1 have been q School Trustee for
nearly eighteen years, and know
whereof speak. Section 392 OF the
Virginia School Law reads rs follows
Hereafter the school month shall
consist of four weeks of five days
each and deduction shall be made
from the pay of teachers for every
day they lose except such days as
may have been declared by Board OF
School Trustees to be legal holidays"
But in face of this positive law, Mr..
Joynes asserts that teachers are en-
titled to Xmas week as holidays,
because the County Superintendent
gave a recess during that week. This
contention is utterly untenable. II
the County Superintendent can make
week of holidays by giving arecess,
he can make as many holidays as he
che Jses-even ifsit should be a week
of holidays in every month, but he
has no right to make one single holt
day. The law does not give him the
power to do SO and all his authority
/. derived from the law The School
Board of Trustees alone have the
power to determine what days shall
be school holidays, but Mr.. Joynes
wants to know how many School
Trustees were present when the
County School Board decided this
question. Well, the County Super
intendent and eight Trustees Ia legal
quoruml were present, and any action
they took, within their jurisdiction,
was legal and binding. This year,
however, we gave Xmas day as an
extra holiday This was done by
general consent of School Board and
at the suggestion of DR.. Mapp, be.
cause the last day of the third month
was Xmas day. There ire three more
days designated as holidaYs-Easter
Monday, Whit-Monday and Tuesday.
This would make five holidays in a
term of six or seven months, and I
think this is liberal allowance, but
Mr.. Joynes is not satisfied. He wants
five more holidays or ten in all, out
of term Of 12O days, one-twelfth OF
the whole term. He's a holiday man
from away back. No "free American
citizen of African descent" loves a
holiday better than friend Joynes.
Well az o. School Trustee, I think |
am bound to consider the rights of
the school children and their parents
AS we'll as those of the teachers, and
to admins, err the funds placed under
my charge with tho same scrupulous
care, would my own private funds.
If we had ten months session and
plenty of money to pay teachers las
they have in some States) itmight not
be amiss to pay for Xmas week, but
we have but a short torn at best, and
to take whole week from that term,
and make it q present to teachers
who are, at home, enjoying them
selves around the festive board, would
be an outrage to the children and
patrons of the schools. The teachers
were not injured by Xmas recess.
The holidays allowed by law have
been published in the ENTERPRISE,
several times, and the teachers were
fully advised on this subject before
they contracted, and they bound
themselves to teach -four weeks Of
five days eachn for a school month.
These words are in their contracts,
and what right have they to claim
six days pay ut Xmas when they did
not teach7 Wepaid for Xmas-day and
now mr. Joynes wants five more holi
days! Well will never consent to
pay this claim-never. 1.-THE laborer
is worthy of his hire but as a rule
when he ceases to labor his pay
should stop. The Hon. D. Frank
White has got a bill through the
House of Delegates to increase taxes
SO we may extend the term Of our
public schools, and I approved OF
that measure, but if the teachers are
going to demand ten holidays out of
a term of six or seven months, l
think the property holders will hesl-
tate to tax themselves further to pay
the unreasonable claims of teachers