The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-11

JEALOUS TEACHERS
Deplorab1e Condition Of At
fairs Alleged to Exist
In the High School.
THE SECRET OF THE TROUBLE
Other Charges, Too, Alleged Besides
Jealousy-Dillingham and
Evans.

Evans.
Principal Sweeney, Vice Principal Paddoch
and Professor Mackey of the High School
have each of them been requested to hand In
their designations, as ''the Board of Educa-
ton desires to make a change in the High
School. To the outside public this announce
ment must create some surprise, but those
acquainted with the High School and Its
simply say II thought it would
come sooner or later
The requisition for the designations of these
men is. it is c~ontended, for the public well
fare, as the following facts gathered from
an indisputable authority will clearly estab:
lish.
Everybody who has mad any relation with
the High School knows that a strong per-
sonai feeling of enmity exists betweenMessrs.
Sweeney, Paddock and Mackey. These
differences arising out of petty rivaifles
ana jealousies ere of long standing. In fact
a sort of perennial triangular duel was In
progress. Mr.. Sweeney sneered at Mr..
+, Paddock, who in turn criticised Mr.. Mackey,
who ridiculed the pair. The new members
of boards were hampered by all this sort OF
thing going on under their noses n on
many occasions seriously considered the
question OF bouncing the trio.
He IGNoRED H COMMITTEE.
During the last two years the members OF
the board nave advised the holding of faculty
meetings in the High School. The High
School Committee was enthusiastic over the
prospect of holding these gatherings because
at these meetings the principal of the school
could confer with his professors and teachers
as to matters of public instruction OF benefit
to the school generally.
But Mr.. Sweeney expressed his aversion to
a faculty meeting. He saw no good in it.
1t was urged that in other schools
these faculty meetings were regularly
called when the principal, professors and
teachers might compare notes, receive ideas
and suggestions appertaining to matters con-
nected with the good management OF the
: department. No argument could win over
/ Mr.. Sweeney. He refused TO carry out the
views of the High School Committee. The
fact was that he didn't care to commune
with Messrs. Paddock and Mackey and these
individuals would have no dealings with
leach other or the principal. The faculty
meeting scheme was dropped.
COMPLAINING OF EACH OTHER.
Then Mr.. Sweeney would come to the
members Of the board whining about Mr..
Paddock or Mr.. Mackey- Mr.. Paddock
would poster the board, saying that Mr..
= sweeney ldQ SdiQ ILLS SDltOlu4 t-4lA1 VI 0Olio
this sneaky action, and Mr.. MackeY would
follow suit, complaining of both of them.
These were frequent occurrences. and it
took all the tact and patience of the Board
of Education TO keep this friction from en-
gendering a blaze in front Of the pupils.
TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN THE QUARREL
1t was not long before the disease affected
the teachers themselves. who. noticing the
i'll feeling SO plainly manifested, actually be
gan to take sides in the quarrel: arrayed
themselves on the one side or the other. 1t
viii scarcely be credited, but it is true, that
the teachers espoused their leaders, cause so
warmly that the hottest rivalries existed be-
tween. this class room and that simply be-
cause Mr.. Sweeney was at outs with Messrs.
Paddock and Mackey. This reprehensible
conduct continued until finally Miss Primary
Department wouldn't speak to Miss Gram
MAJ Department, and Miss Annex tossed her
head in passing either of them.
The boys and girls who trace the days
disaster in the teachers morning face" soon
perceived that there was something going on
between the teachers, and ohildren-like
began to take sides, one class room against
che other. So that the ridiculous, silly con-
duct of three principal teachers had per-
nleated the entire school.
THEIR REMOVAL THE EME
The Board of Education felt that the crisis
had arrived and they must act firmly. They
hO1 AuQ dl dRIBcu IudU SOlll0 CllduSSc WOAC
necessary. While they did not fully agree
sas to the persons to be removed, a majority
of the board came to the conclusion that il
would be for the interests of the department
ITO request the principal and W. professors
to resign their positions.
Beyond the foregoing there were other
reasons why these three teachers should be
removed.
DIDN'T PAY THEIR BILLS.
In Mr.. Sweeney's case, again and again
complaints have been made to the members
.of the board by publishing houses that they
could not collect their bills for books for
warded on Mr.. Sweeney's order, and which
books were disposed of to the pupils for
cash.
A certain amount is appropriated for the
books Of the public schools, but this sum Is
not sufficient and does not include certain
text hooks which pupils themselves must
nav for. These extra text books
could be obtained by the pupil from
booksellers, but the principal of the schoo
has always procured the books for the
pupils, and the board never made II OBJ
lection to the principal undertaking to pro
vide these books. presuEaing that there was
a little commission TO be earned by him
for his trouble.
The board had no supervision in the
matter.
The publishers then extended TO. Mr.
OnCOnCJ AtCNllb LIZ ODChS O1A DdC lahANi OlAA1
ing that they would be paid for when the
pupils bought them. It being a rule that
pupils must pay cash for the books the pub
fishers could not understand why Mr.
Sweeney, having collected the money, die
not turn it over to thsm. Hence the com
plants.
a4 NO MORE GREEK.
In Mr.. Mackey's case, outside of the rea
son stated above, his removal anyway
would have become necessary, because thu
old board having favored the dropping o
Greek from the curriculum of studies, Mr.
Mackey's services we're no longer required
and the Latin he taught could be under
taken by a lady teacher. In Mr.. Paddock
case, his removal is on the general ground
of "for the interest of the Higha School"
There are, outside of these reasons, other
against some of the trio, which the writer o
this article could not gather from any
source.
DILLINGHAMB RESIGNATION.
1t Is Alleged Director Allen Has
Friend for the Place.