The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-16
TIE HIGH SCHOOL TROUBLES.
Enterview with yfce-Princ7paI Pad
dock ON Teachers, Rights.

dock ON Teachers Rights.
A JERSEY CITY News reporter succeeded
last night in interviewing Vice-2rlnclpal
Paddock in relation to the troubles IN the
High School. In reply. to a number or
questions asked, Mr.. Paddock sadly eS,
i received a request from one of the mera-
beers of the Board of Education for my
resignation, but he gave me no reason why
he wanted it. OF course acknowledged the
recent of it. for | believe that any conf
m~unication from a memDer or the board OF
Education should be treated with respect.
| believe there is q great principle involved
in the whole matter. Men are led TO cast
their fortunes as a means of livelihood IN the
State employ. The State encourages them
to believe they viii be protected i'll the pro-
fession and occupation. Il they put money
and time and experience into tins employ OF
the State, in order that men OF sucn ABILITY
as is required for this work may be mducea
to made it their life work, they should deei
that they are safe in their positions. Ihe
State recognizes this and places safeguards
around their positions. Any other
policy would be ruinous to the
high character the State desires
to have in its public educators. In places
where elections occur every year the teach
er's contract expires at the end OF the year,
naturally. Tho State law carefully pro-
tecus all teachers in those contracts. In all
cases Of doubt the construction OF the law is
made to favor the teacher. In this city we
do not elect every year. The aooltion OF
the yearly limit means an extension OF the
contract TO the end of the teachers
ability Oh desire to fulfil it. The
teacher holds his place during good
behavior, or during the pleasure OF the board,
but when this privilege is given TO the board
it does not mean they can dismiss a teacher
lust because they want to, and because they
want his place for somebody else, or because
they have taken a dislike to him, or for any
political reason. When it is their pleasure
to remove a teacher, it must be Tor GOOD,
sufficient and proven reason. Ihese
must be definitely known, SO
that the teacher can meet them.
Because the teacher holds his place under
these conditions of good behavior and the
pleasure of the the board, to remove hlm ar
bitrariiy when he does not wish to be re
moved, is a destruction Of reputation to the
teacher which he has been years In building
up, which the board cannot restore to him
and from which he can never recover. state
iurists regularly recognize this fact and Jhe
necessity Of protecting teachers in their
reputation and prospects"
Asked If Mr.. Sweeney co.operated with
him in his school work, Mr. Paddock re-
Piled
my department., under the principalship
Of Mr.. Sweeney, has shown a very gratify-
lngg grown"
I'm what way2n | asked.
"Why," he replied, ''effete text books
have been thrown out and new methods OF
instruction introduced. Outdoor work.. espe-
cially in science, has been made a feature.
We have a work in the stereopticon, with
| lantern slides NEARLY 1,500, to illustrate
geology and astronomy, that few colleges x-
eel. In our work in minerals. to illustrate
chemistry and physics and to lay the founda-
ton for geology, we stand alone. No other
school reaches the development we make. In
electricity and other branches Of physics
we have made important additions. Wehave
a complete department in photography, and
| only need a suitable high school structure to
make apparent what we have done in the
past few wears"
Nh. Paddock further said that the only
charge the board had made against any OF
them were that they were not friendly. This
he denies, and says that they were and are
very friendly. Continuing, he said:-tI do
not intend to indicate what the motive is; /
simply do not know what the motive, or, at
least, the necessity, is in asking for our resig-
n3tions.D