The herald., 1895-02-18
KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

NORA u. MAYHEM, FORMER SUPERB NTENDaNr Los
ANGELES KiSpERG RTES DEPARTMENT.
To the Editor OF The Herald:
On February 17th an article appeared in
a local publication referring to and re-
hecting on the kindergarten teacher and
the superintendent which contains some
statements which are not true and might
be misleading.
In the first place the former kndergar-
ten superintendent never received Il sal
ary of $3.50 per month, as stated. The
first year her salary was $50, which the
records in the office of superintendent of
Public Schools will show, the next two
years $75 per month, and under this con
tract she was compelled to devote three
hours daily and twenty days per month
to the supervision of the kindergarten.
In the second place, the statement is
made that no teacher could get place in
the kindergarten department until the
manager of the training class had recom-
mended her. This, again, is untrue, as
the former superintendent of kindergart-
ems was never consulted on that subject.
Had the members of the Board of Educa-
ton, under whom she served as superin-
tendent, consulted her, as her position
entitled her, the present condition OF af-
fairs would be very different, and instead
of discord there would be harmony in this
department.
As to the training class (Which is in
corporated) every teacher in the city
who has been trained by the former
superintendent should rise and de-
fend her, as each one knows i,vs
she was informed that the terms for in
structon were 500 for full two years
course, which other trainers charge $500
for, and each applicant was distinctly
told that the only thing that was guaran
teed her was II good training, and not
that "a Job would be furnished the trained
student Furthermore, there are at
present fifteen teachers in the city kinder
gartens, and four who have been teaching
but have resigned, trained in other than
the Los Angeles Training School, of which
the former superintendent is principal,
this showing tnat the statement made,
that teachers who had not been trained
here were given the cold shoulder, Is
also untrue.
In conclusion please state that the ere
lentials and diploma of the former super
intendent of kindergartens ki signed by the
present Commi ssioner of Education, DR..
William T. Harris, by Miss susan e. Blow,
the pioneer kindergartner of public school
kndergartens in the United States, and
the entire board of education of the city
OF St. Louis, Mo, are sufficient guaran-
tees for her ability to fill the position
which she has held until year ago last
September, and moreover, the work in
the city klndergartens, which has
been highly commended by all educators
who have visited them, BY our late la
mented Superintendent Friesner under
whose administration the kindcrgartens
were introduced into the city schools, and
lastly by the present superintendent, p.
w. Search, who in an interview with her
commended her most highly for the good
work she has dore in Los geles, shows
that the words, "Pooh Bah affairs, - ''nur
sery maids" "half baked young women, y
which were used in that article in refer
ence to the young ladies who are kinder
garten teachers are, to say the least en-
tirely uncaled for.