The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
PUBLIC SCHOOL NEEDS,
Suggestions to Teachers and
Parents by the State
Superintendent.
He Argues for Professional Training
and a Less Difficult High
School Course.

The second of the course of popular
lectures recently instituted by the Board
OF Education was delivered by State Sup
erintendent Samuel T. Black at the Girls
High School last evening. Previous to
the address of the evening the eighth and
ninth grades of the Hamilton Grammar
School, under the direction of Miss Ella
Morton and Miss Strauss, sang the "Star-
spangled Banner and "The Farmer Bow
and H. C. Henderson of the Board of Edu-
cation made brief address to the parents
on the Importance of scientific education.
Superintendent Black prefaced his re-
marks by congratulating the people of San
Francisco for the measures taken by the
Board of Education in furnishing the
teachers, parents and pupils with this
series of entertainments.
''If there is one mission" he said,
(which the State Superintendent has
which is higher than another, it is to go
out among the people and the teachers
and bring these two classes nearer together
from the others standpoint.
''In the face of the small salaries paid it
is not surprising that many bright young
men use teaching only as stepping stone
to some other calling. In spite of this,
prominent educators have declared the
TuTdl SCnOOlS Gl OdlilOIuld INC DtSJ vi Lilt
kind in the country. The teaching force
of this State is IN a constant state of
change.
"This is q condition which those who
are working along educational lines must
face. We do not wonder at the clamor for
something more than academic training
for those who are to teach our children in
the future. Should the State require a
professional trainer before a teacher takes
his place in the classroom the harm would
not be so great when the novice attempts
to fill the place caused by resignation or
retirement. Ii the normal schools of the
State would require high school prepara-
ton the elementary schools would be all
the better for it. If those teachers who
have been denied a professional training
would take up a course of professional
reading they would find it immensely ben
eficial Every teacher in our schools
ought to be thoroughly conversant with
current school literature.
Il firmly believe in closely graded
schools. but do object to the assigning of
a teacher to the same class each year. 1t
narrows her ideas and limits her horizon.
By assigning at least two grades to
teacher, that is, giving two teachers each
half of two different grades, the results
would be very beneficial to the teacher and
to the pupils. The study required at the
hands of high-school students, if they
knew how to study, is generally enough,
but when we add TO this the worry usually
INDUCED in by high-school students it be-
comes load grievous to be borne. There
are two remedies: To increase the course
to four years or to reduce the curriculum
to the minimum required by the university.
Learning without the power to do
leaves us impotent and may even render
us ridiculous. Work is the index to a
mans character. The true educator aims
to make men good and reasonable rather
than smart. If our schools teach the prin-
ciples OF morality, truth and patriotism
they are not goddess schools"
On the motion of Richard D. Faulkner
principal of the Franklin Grammar School,
a vote of thanks was rendered to the State
Superintendent for his address. and he
was asked to leave a copy with the princi-
pals for discussion. The entertainment
closed with the rendition of "Ame rica"
by the children.