Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-14
ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
Another Ringingi Commu-
niCatiOn From ~"
BEANS THE LATEST FAD.
He Presents Facts and Figures to Sus-
tain His Arraignment.
To the Editor OF the Tribune:

To the Editor OF the Tribune:
Hosea Biglow says "Dont never
prophesy onless ye know" and this is
pretty good and fairly safe advice to fol-
low, whether you have to tell a really dis
agreeable truth, or only want to scare
somebody into believing q disagreeabl BILE
untruth. For the past three or four years
the School Board OF Pawtucket have car.
ried on policy which has involved q
reckless ana ext-ayagant use and waste
of the public money. Useless nonsense,
"frills and furbelows" Ito use the words
of well known heavy tax-payer,) have
been tackled on to the Legitimate school
work, until the teachers have become
wesried and disgusted, and the pupils
have ceased to make such advancement
and improvement as the public demands
and the cost would seem to Justify, and
have come to believe that the sole pur-
pose for which they go to school 10 that
they may "be amused" Last year the
report of the School Committee and their
demand for money for the current expen-
ses of 1894 awakened public attention,
and met with universal disapproval and
condemnation; and this wss most en-
phatically supplemented by the action OF
the Council in refusing to appropriate the
amount asked for, and In giving sums
much reduced and to be expended only
for specified purposes, instead OF the
whole In a lump sum as heretofore. Ii
would seem as II such direct and en-
phatic reproof should have caused those
having charge OF school management aud
direction to call halt, to look around
them and see where they had made mis-.
takes, and at once to set about making q
change for the better In accordance with
the expressed wish OF the taxpayers. No
such course however was pursued. For Q
few weeks the Committee groped about
In seeming darkness, apparently at COM
plete loss what to do; for q short time
some of them indulged In deep groans
and shallow wailings about "the grievous
wrong that had been done to the cause of
education"; but from then on to the pres
ent they have manifested only determin-
alton TO perseyere In the wrong headed
course they had previously pursued, and
a suming desire to make the Council
stake back water" and give them 40 much
money as at first they had falsely and un-
iuytifiably claimed to be necessary to run
the schools for the year.
The latest manifestation on this sub
ject was made public at the last meeting
OF the Committee on Tuesday evening Of
this week, when the Superintendent, in
his monthly report to the Board, declared
that
"Ths difficulty of retaining our present
corps of teachers under existing circum-
stances as well as that of hiring others to
take their places naturally comes up In
this connection. / have never before
realized how much the success OF the
schools depends upon even management
and the assured continuance OF stable
conditions.
"They are like the business of the coun-
try In this respect, the element OF un-
certainty is bad for them. For the sake
of the schools aud the sake Of the teachers
i hope the worst may be known as soon
as possible.
dFew probably realize what a cut of
$22, 900 means to the schools. IL all the
schools above the sixth grade were to be
closed next Summer, including the High
school, and all the teachers OF these
schools were to be dismissed, including
the grammar principals and their assist
ants, and IL, in addition thereto, all the
special teachers, music, drawing, ETC.,
were to be dismissed, there would not be
money enough to open the other schools
at the usual time In September, and con-
tinue them through the rest of the hnan-
cial year; and even II they did open there
would be no money with which to buy
books and supplies. The situation is
simply appalling and naturally the teach
ers, knowing these facts, are iu measure
discouraged and anxious. IL salaries are
to be reduced or the schools are not to bs
opened In Septembe the teachers, many
OF whom cannot afford to lie Idle part OF
the school year, ought to know 1t az soon
as possible, and parents ought to know 1t
In order that such as can afford II msy, II
they wish, procure private instruction for
their children"
Now the statements in the above eI-
tract, both those actually made and those
only implied are simply untrue.
(The force and meaning Of these words Ia
appreciated by the writer, and they are
used advisedly.) In his monthly report
to the Board presented March 18th last,
the same Superintendent says:
81 know that each one Of you is turning
over In his own mind how the expenses OF
the schools can be reduced without i'm
pairing their eGRsiency, aud l keep the
same end In view IN my report at this
time.
ave have four male grammar prinei.
pals one Is to occupy IL room building
In few days and the others to remain In
six room buildings. That the former
should have an assistant permanently re-
tained In his own room there Is no ques.
tion. With 500 pupils under one roof
there IL necessity Tor sucn an asslstant.
There Is not In the three smaller build
ings the same urgent need, so far as dis
eipline and general oversight OF the build
Ing are concerned, and IN view Of the ex-
pense involved and the recognized neces-
sity Of economy, especially at these times.
l would suggest that in the High street,
Church Hill and Broadway districts, the
masters assistant do substitute work
throughout the district, In grades above
the third, and within the building In ell
grades, teaching In the highest grade room
only when not performing other service.
This would reduce expense.
"During the first 20 weeks of the year
the city paid 1856 50 for substitute work.
i submit a plan whereby the pupils of
the training school could earn their way
and the city utilize their services % sub
stitutes."
The force OF the remark In regard to the
IL room building and the need Of q prin-
cipal's assistant therein 10 somewhat
weakened by the fact that the High
School has been transferred to the Garden
street addition, and the grammar princi-
pal In that building therefore has only 8
rooms TO look after, as do the three other
m ale grammar principals. But have the
assistants been taken out OF either Of