The herald., 1895-03-22
ONE OF PROF SEARCH'S 5 IDEAS
Individual Teaching in the Public
Schools
HAS NOT PROVED A SUCCESS
The Teachers Placed in Delicate
Position
HAS NOT PROVED A SUCCESS
The Superintendent Desires Candid Answers
to Leading Qaestons-His
Latest Circular.

The teachers of the city public schools
are considerably exercised over the latest
manifesto of Professor P. W. Search, the
Superintendent. Indeed, it might be said
that mild state of terror exists, and the
teachers are somewhat puzzled to know
just where they are. Professor Search is
a volumnous if not deep thinker and
prolific writer, at least OF manual" for
the guidance of both teachers and pupils.
and his contributions to the literature OF
"how to run schools on fin de steele
methods" are in great demand as curios
among educators all over the country. In
order not to hide his light under a
bushel, metaphor ,ally speaking, Profes-
sor Search has had these manuals
printed, at the expense of the city, of
course, and they are now beginning to be
heard from, though it cannot be SAID that
the comments are complimentary in all
cases either to Professor Search or to his
up-to-date methods.
Prior co coming to Los Angeles Profes-
sor Search was superintendent of one sec
ton of the Pueblo, Colo public schools,
not the entire system, and as such intro
duced what he calls the individual system
of teaching. Briefly stated, this system
does away with classes, and every pupil
goes it alone, as it were, with such as
sistance as the teacher can give in each
individual case. This system is undoubt-
edly good one, theoretically. but on ac-
count of its limitations it is regarded by
the best educators as wholly impractical
BILE on anything like large SCALE Thus,
if teacher had only half a dozen or SO
scholars, the individual system might
work well, but where the number runs up
to fifty and even more, it will readily be
seen that the time which can be devoted
to each scholar is so limited as to render
it practically useless. That this is so is
beyond dispute, and it is said that the
system has been discontinued in Pueblo,
where 1t proved a failure.
Be this as it may, when Professor Search
came TO Los Angeles he brought his pet
idea with him, and in due course of time
it was set forth at length in manual No.
81 and introduced in the Los Angeles
schools. Now Los Angeles is somewhat
larger than Pueblo and the schools con-
tain three or four times as many pupils
but this fact did not deter Professor
Search from inaugurating the system.
incidentally it might also be stated that
another one of Professor Search ideas is
that the superintendent should nominate
all the teachers although it is believed
that he comedies that the people may be
permitted to select the members of the
Board of Education, although the super
intendent should be allowed to prescribe
their duties. At any rate, Professor
Search introduced his system, but
whether by the authority or consent of
the school board which elected him is not
known.
The system has now been in operation
for some weeks, and it cannot be said
that it has proved all unqualified success.
In fact, many of the teachers have been
unable to do anything with it and pa
rents as a rule who have taken an interest
in the progress of their children do not
hesitate to condemn it and many COM
plants have been lodged with the MEM
bers of the new Board of Education. ma
jority of whom. it is said. do not favor
Professor Searchs methods. But Pro-
fessor Search is by no means asleep when
his own interests are at stake and it is
his last move to strengthen his position
that has thrown the school teachers into
CONSERVATION. Professor Search has sent
out an ngeniously worded circular to the
teachers asking the teachers to give him
candid answers to number of questions
propounded in regard to his system. The
questions are so framed that the teacher
must put herself or himself squarely on
record and as the Professor is strong
factor in the nomination of teachers at
least it will oe seen that they are placed
i'll a very delicate position. If they con-
denim the system they will offend the Pro-
fessor and if they endorse it, the great
majority of them, at least, will stretch
point rather than incur the displeasure of
the man who has the most TO say about
their positions.
1t is more than probable that the matter
Will come up at the next meeting of the
Board of Education, when committee
will be appointed to make an investiga-
ton of the system on their own account,
and on their report being presented to the
board further action will be taken