The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-12
HOW 1T OPERATES.
The Consolidation Rule
Explained.
IT'S EFFECT UPON TEACHERS.
Chairman Burke and Superintendent
SWEET Tell What Caused 1t
to Be inaugurated.
IT'S EFFECT UPON TEACHERS.

the BOARD OF Enucau0D, is surfing up
world of trouble. and the various directors
composing the board are besieged by
clam0rOuS parents.
The enforcement Of The rule has already
served 10 arouse some bitter antagonism,
because many parents find their little ones
under the necessity Of attending schools
strange to them instead of those 10 which
they have gone for years and where they
have formed host of fond associations.
Distance too, is quite an item for the
children, for many parents discover that
in many cases their little ones, owing to
the fact that their homes are just lover
the line" will have 10 attend schools
farther away.
The requirement that there shall be fifty
scholars in each class is operating to lessen
the number of teachers employed. al
though those teachers who are now con
S0lidated out" should not despair. as there
Is very large number OF children still in
the country and by next Monday it will be
discovered probably that large number
of children have been aided To the SchO oil
enrolment Of the city. The rule fer "cOn-
soiidatng OUT teachers is that the last
ones appointed in the school be compelled
to await developments; therefore 1t should
not be considered as constituting anv re-
ments and abilities; it is simply question
of figures. However, as Chairman Burke
of the Classification Committee explains,
the rule may be discreetiy modified, but at
present it may be regarded rs purely
question Of figures. Aud then again, those
reported ''cOnsOlidated out" may ba in
stalled teachers when the Classification
Committee duly considers their claims.
The names of the teachers reported yes
teriay as placed upon the waiting list are:
Harrison Primary SchoOl-Miss Ella
Kearns, Miss Rose Gallagher and Miss NJ.
/. Usher.
The Everett Primary-Miss Frances
Fitzgerald.
The Franklin Grammar-Mrs. Alice
l.. Staples and Miss Rae Alexander.
The Cleveland Primnry-Miss Martha
Calvert and Miss Susie E. Farweil.
The Peabody-Mrs. Snsie Z. Baker
The South San Francisco-Miss Edna
Coirel.
Chairman Burke of the Classification
Committee made the following statement:
The CALL has published about all
there Is 70 say upon the subject. The
Board of Education-to begin at the begin
ming of this matter-has been paying about
$1,000 year for outside classrO0ms in GER
tain districts. In three schools we have
empty rooms and in three more rooms with
skeleton classes.
There has grown up within the last
five years certain So-called favored schools
10 which parents, for one reason or an
other, have been induced to send their
children. There has been a great deal of
proselyting by principals to build up their
schools, with the result that the children
are very much mixed.
Upon an examination of the addresses
OF pupils l found that there were 1850 at
tending schools other than those nearest
their homes. and as means of getting at
the proper system of district schools it
was found necessary to insist that chill
dren should be sent to the schools nearest
10 their place Of residence. This, of
course, does work temporary hardship,
but IL was found to be the only way in
which the matter could be regulated, so
that the school facilities could be utilized
and unnecessary rooms be dispensed with
las to the consolidation, that is another
story. There are in the department about
100 teachers more than there is any neces-
sly Of, and by establishing standard of
fifty scholars Tor a class we have only done
that which prevails in ali the cities in the
United States. This is thing that has
been many times attempted in the educa-
tlonal department here, but personal or
political pressure was such that the board
found Itself unable 10 carry out the reform.
ut is safe to assume that at this time
there will be about sixty teachers without
classes. The rul of the board is that the
teachers last appointed by the department
snail be consolidated out but there may
be reasons wherefore this rule Will be sus-
pended.
LAS between two teachers, one of whom
needs the money for her own support or
for that of members of her own family.
the other not in 50 great need of money,
the former will be retained and as be-
tween teachers. one Of whom is more COM
petent than the other. the one more COM
petent will be kept in the service"
DR.. Charles w. Decker, who is also a
Der OF the Classification Committee. is
disposed to the exercise Of great latitude
of discretion in the enforcement of the
rule. In substance be said
Il believe ID some discrimination in this
matter, for | do not think that the rule
should be followed strictly according tot its
letter. Take the cases of weak and sickty
children-they should not have to 90 a
long way from home. OF course the
trouble has been the 'popularizing' of GER
tain schools.
see ne to-day 0h!s was in his own private
Office in The Phelan building), and the gen.
eral clamor Is that parents do not want 90
tear their children away from the s. hools
which they have been attending for years
to send them to strange schools. And then
II you may happen to live inst over tie
line the rule applies, and though the schnnl
TO which your children have been going
may be nearest, yet because it is OUTSIDE
the district you will have TO send them TO
another, and that may be three, four or
five blocks away
zone man said to me: I will have 70
take my children out of the public schools
and send them to private schools
Another said: I will have to move nv
residence just to accommodate you people
of the school board
Look at the instance of Charles c.
Terrlll. he owns property opposite the
Horace Mann School. and his children
have been going there for years. some of
them graduating there. Now he has to
send them TO the Everett School"
DR.. Decker looks at the matter from the
standpoint OF parent too, for he has two
little children of his own.
Superintendent Swett's explanation was
10 effect:
at vas thing that had to come The
evil had been growing for about ten years.
and there IS Away more or less trouble i'm
undertaking 10 correct evils Of ten years
growth.
Just how many teachers will be CEN
sohdated out | can't yet tell, but there will
be more IN some schools than | expected.
In few schools three or four teachers
VIII be consolidate out whereas / thought
only one or two would. supposed at first