Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-10
BUDDING TEACHERS.
An Important Question as to Admis-
sion to the Normal School.
A VI CHA NICAL SHOP.
The school Trrstees Consider Two Matters
of Consequence - The Pro Rata System of
Assigning Pupils to the Normal School
Teaching Colored Boys = Trade.

Hose who expect to enter the Normal School
hereafter, well as the large number who are
interested in the success Of the public schools,
will follow with attention the course Of the
board OF school trustees in their efforts to solve
a rather knotty question. At the meeting Of
the board Saturday afternoon the communica-
ton was read which Mr.. Tavenner recently
sent to the District Commissioners, asking
their interference in behalf of his sister. This
letter was published in The STAR some time
ago, and as il may be recalled, Mr.. Tavenner
claims that his sister, who is a graduate of the
Western High School in Georgetown, ought to
have been admitted to the Normal School. as
her grade in examination $500 and she
stood fortv-third in the list of fifty who were
announced admitted to the school. The
writer asserted that under the rules Of
the board. which state that the pupils
granted admission to the Normal School
are to be taken from those stand
ing highest in the examination, his
sister ought to have been assigned place In
the Normal School. The communication was
referred to the COMMITTEES on high and nor
NAL. and Mr.. Whelpley. who is a member OF
the committee, said that the change made by
the committee this year in selecting pupils pro
rata from the three high schools, instead OF
those passing the highest examination. indie
penuent OF the scnOOl tney DelOugeu TO- was
approved BY him at the time. He had come to
the conclusion, however. that the old rule OF
the board should be adhered TO, as the schools
we're practically one and the same, with the
same course OF studies and the same facilities.
By adopting the rule OF taxing so many from
each school according to the number of pupils
in the school. in preference to basing the selec-
ton those who had the highest standing, the
result would be that they would not get the best
teachers.
ALL MARKING ARBITRARY.
Mr.. Darlington said that he favored the pro
rata system for the reason that all marking was
arbitrary. and naturally each school would be
anxious to get a MANY Of the pupils in the
Normal school possible. and the marking
would he made as high possible. To obviate
all trouble he believed the better plan would be
to assign so many places to each school,
In reply to u question from DIR. Shadd Mr..
Darlington said that the marking done by
the teachers of each school and was not based
on examination. but the standing of the
pupil throughout the entire course
Dr. Shadd said that he believed in adhering
to'the rule and appointing the first fifty in the
order in which thev are marked.
Nr. Darlington inquired il 10 was possible to
establish uniformity in marking in each school
He did not believe that it was possible. There
three distinct schools although they are
spoken OF as the high school Of the District,
and there are three distinct faculties to pass
upon the standing and qualifications of the
pupils
In the opinion Of Mr. whelpley the
schools were one. aud the marking should
be Uniform. Pupils were transferred from the
Central School, for example, to the Eastern
School at the end of one year. and their course
of study was uninterrupted. The lessons we're
the same in the three schools. and they were
all under the supervision of Mr.. Lane. In that
sense they formed one school, but for con-
venienee there were branches located in diff
ferent Parts of the city
MR. POWELL OPPOSES THE RULE.
Supt Powell said that this question involved
the whole policy Of teaching in the public
schools. 1t was known that no two persons
marked alike. II the present rule Of the board
was adhered to the teachers in the different
schools will mark their pupils high. II was nat
ural they should do 80, and yet be entirely con-
scientious in the matter. He cited an illus
traitor a series Of questions which he had asked
the supervising principals to submit to the
pupils IN their divisions in order to determine
the progress Of the pupils. One principal di-
rested his teachers to mark the pupils either
perfect or zero, while another principal told
right. but might approximate % being correct
IL the answer was half right then give q mark
of so per cent, il three-quarters right, a mark
of Is per cent. and 80 Both systems of
marking were correct according to the ideas of
the principals. As might be seen. the results
the reason that the scholars who were marked
zero when they failed to give the correct solu-
ton would stand lower than those in the other
division IL was his opinion that the pro rata
system was the best one 1t the one in
which representation in political conventions
and bodies was based, representation accord
ing to population
''why have any examinations at all, then -
asked President Mitchell, ''if marking is 80 I'M
certain?''
Because" replied Mr.. Powell, .'there are
eighty people FOR fifty places and it is the only
way TO decide" He said that examination h a
farce and SO is marking. Often persons who
bad failed to get in the Normal School had SUBJ
sequently been appointed as teachers and
proved to be more efficient than the graduates
OF the school He meant no discredit to the
Normal School, which was doing a splendid
work. but it only showed that examinations did
not always prove an infsllible test.
Mr.. Wood thought that the matter should
have come before the board in the form of a
report from the committee Then the board
could act on the report, and the rule As 1t now
stands could be modified IL it was necessary.
TWO TRUSTEES DIFFER.
Mr.. Whelpley expressed surprise that there
should be such q difference in the system OF
marking in the schools as Supt. Powell had
stated to be the case. He thought that the
supervising principal who directed that the
examination papers should be marked perfect
or wrong.
Mr.. Darlington replied that Mr. WheIplev's
remark illustrated the situation exactly. For
himself he nigh. believe that pupil should be
given credit for what be had done, even if he
had not arrived at the correct answer He was
conscientious In his ideas on this subject as was
Mr.. Whelpley, but the result Of the two systems
OF marking could not fairly be compared. II
therefore seemed to him important that each
OF the high schools should stand alone and
thus the irregularities that arise from diyersity
In the system Of marking would be done ava '
with, at least in a measure
He suggested that as the question was one o,
importance that it might % over until the
next meeting and in tbs meantime the mem
bsrs eoT.d have an opportunity 10 think il over.
Ihls actlon was taken
YRoPo-EU NzcEASIcAL SCHOOL
President Mitchell then left the chair and
brought 10 the attention OF the board another
matter Of importance and that was the need Of
supplying for the eoiorei schools somethinQ
that Eogid be of equal value to those schools al
the business High School - to the white