The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-05
A SCHOOL SHAKE UP
An "observant" Citizen Criti-
eises the Training
School Changes.

To the Editor of "Tle Jersey City News:
There has been a great deal written in
the newspapers in praise of the wisdom
shown in the selection and arrangement
OF tine teachers in the new Training Schooi
VINO are mentioned as the picked and best
materials in the schools of Jersey City.
With all possible respect to those selected,
such is not the case.
Let 1t first be told to the public that the
Board OF Education played a very small
part in the programme that was carried
cut on Thursday nigh. Those men had 1t
represented that great care and time had
been given by the Superintendent to the
matter. and that the selection met with
tho approval of everybody concerned.
Another mistake. The Superintendent
with one or two principals Of an average
term of four years experience in our
twenty-five schools the best material. No
man, paying an average visit of one a
an opinion on the teachers; thai to do his
best he can only afford to spend five min
utes in her class. The only fair means of
eipals of the several schools together and
get from them the names of the best
teachers. This was not done. Our Super
1ntendent and his adviser of a few ideas
We're sufficient to make the choice. Why
should Mayor Wanser trouble himself to
appoint thirteen representative citizens to
schools in Jersey City when they are will
ing to shift their duty and let those two
reformers take it upon themselves to Sc
AS(tt lie dliQ appOflll ttdCllcTS. w t
are at a loss to find those duties among
the ones allotted to either Superintend-
ent or principal. Would it not be well,
gentlemen, to investigate this matter, and
find out some of the injustices lone those
who nave endeared themselves by their
long and faithful service and whose only
recompense IS abusive names. such as foS-
sill, old fogy, etc, and having spent the
best years of their lives are not even re-
spected or given any chance of advance
ment. In any profession, those who have
devoted time and labor are respected
and sought to fill promotions, not as in
me PROFESSION OF teaching; The newcomer
OF a few years who is willing to carry out
Ideas of the reformers, having none of
their own, she is advanced and appointed
critic teacher at a salary equal to that of
the primary assistant principal that is
obliged to handle from seventy-five to a
hundred and fifty a day, and who is OBJ
liged 70 serve eight years or over in order
TO OBTAIN even that place. Is this just or
fair? You call on your business and pro-
fessional men of the Board to answer this
question.
cipal at a salary Of $3.50 III His sa duties { pare are
not evident because the critic supervises
yno wora OF rega The sehool- one
ing School. In our judgment such
a school should contain the repre-
sentative element Of the city. We were
location of No. 8, such will eompose the
classes II the old training was at fault,
We foretell the new one will be more than
ever a source of expense and annoyance
to the people.
The taxpayers of Jersey city should
the Board selected to represent them
should do their duty and not permit thosa
VINO have during their short term heaped
friends.
Any foreigner can come to this city pos
sesslng an average amount of suavity and
a rev pet theories to vent and use the
cniidren as experiments: Let any man of
ordinary intelligence take the Manual of
instruction required to be taught in the
PUBLIC Schools and see how impractical
it is; how botany and other science are f.
pc taught at the expense of the funda-
mentals, dnterview any teacher in the
VIII tell you that the majority are SO full
OF nonsense that the necessary readina
spen11ng, writing and arithmetic have suf-
gone into Office. Ask the parents abouf
the abolition of home study. See the chill
aren spending precious time in drawing
obtained sometimes by the amputationn
from live animals And this is done TO adj
y yaing our r., children. Hoy many children
lave occasion in after life to use this SUI
perflcial knowledge? Would not this Tina
ana labor Pc better used to teach them to
make out a bill, and know somethina
ABOUT the business forms needed in every
If the Board or press interview those
mostly. concerned and who are in a nosi-
ton from actual experience with the
workings of our schools, they will learn
q great deal more than the faftery poured
INTO their ears by those reformers who
are even willing to assume all the credit
and leave csnsure on the Shoulders nf
those who are innocent. -
Ihey even fntimidate teachers that are
ABOUT to join organizations formed far
their benefit by telling them In a meanin
manner that the club and retirement fund
hre, oniy for the aneients, and that no one
pslohglng te same will rave a chance To
ADVANCE, and to show the weight Of Their
remarks have studiously avoided the an
pointment of any member. ~
OBSERVANT