The San Francisco call., 1896-02-05
Would Increase Normal School
Courses and Give Up Sub
Stitutes.
THEY MUST FORGET POLITICS.
He Believes His Plan Is Practical,
but the Members May Consider
1t Utopian.

ii. c. Henderson is one of the members
of the Board of Education who is an
ardent advocate of the reorganization of
the Normal School, although he is not hope
full that it will be effected at an early date.
mo, 1 do not" was Mr.. Henderson's
reply to the question, "Do you think the
Board of Education will reorganize the
Normal School?
at is shame that the girls and boys of
our Normal School can only have granted
to them by the county boards of education
primary grade certifca tes on their Norma al
School diplomas, after spending three
wears in our High School and one year in
the normal. If our educational lead
ers in this City had been wide-awake
men they would have kept ahead
OF the State Normal schools and would
have given critics no chance to saw our
Normal School course was too short. Here
is where the State Normal School has got
us. We waited until the. State extended
the Normal School course 60 four wears
and OF course any person who is practical
must acknowledge that a four years
course IN normal training school is su-
perlor to three years course in academic
education and one year in a Normal class
with no training. Such is our situation
to-day. Can you blame the county boards
of education?
Il feel that it was a little premature to
take snap-iudgment against our girls, as
they have, in not waiting until the State is
able to produce teachers who have taken
the four years normal course. Our grlswho
have taken the normal course are certainly
equal TO any the State turned out on their
three years course, and they should be
treated so. 1t cost the State nothing to
maintain our City Normal School, and
shall not cost them anything in the futnre
If l can get politics out of the heads of the
members of the Board of Education long
enough 10 consider business proposition
Tor about fifteen minutes.
II can snow the State Normal Schools
completely under as far as making COM
petent teachers is concerned, but to again
have the county boards recognize and
issue grammargrade certificates on our
Normal School diplomas is another ques-
tion. But as | said before, we can beat
the State Normal School because we have
advantages that are not at the command
OF the State and, further, we can spend at
least $16, 400 per year on a Normal School
and not cost the taxpayer or increase the
expense of our School Department one
cent?
"How can this be done?'
I'm the first place we maintain a substi-
tute class of thirty persons and pay them
$40 month. This is SIG, 400 a year"
He continued:
My plan is to organize a Normal Training
School, the number of students TO be when
the school is in working order $50 pupils, 10
be admitted as follows: Forty at the COM
mencement, July, 1896, TO be taught for the
hrst six months by the principal who is
selected 10 take charge of the school. At the
E 1st OF January, 1897, forty more, and in July,
1897, forty more and at the 1st of January
1893, forty more; this viii make a two years
r~l,.N<a. TIL
1885, viii go into the schools as a regular
substitute class and take the places Of the
substitutes that we are paying $40 per month,
and at the close of the six months substitute.
ing, which completes the two-year course the
places that are vacant in the primary and
grammar grades should be filed by eIecting
the substitutes thus filling the places as pro-
botionary teachers for two years thereafter if
satisfactory as permanent teachers.
Will upils enter on such terms?
1es. When we asked for quantity teachers
came TO US by the thousands. Now, if we ask
for quality they will come TO US in the same
ratio. Let us compare the cost of sending a
girl or boy to the State Normal School, which
Is four years course, with our City normal
training school Of we get one), with a five
Francisco to send girl or boy to San Jose $40
per month, or $240 per year, or $3.50 for the
four years, and your child away from
home and in whose company you know
not. Our citizens can support their girls
and boys at home on so per month besides
having their assistance night and morning.
School and two in tie Normal Training School
for Sl20 per year, or 5000 for the FIVE wears
Thus you see there is q saving of $3.50 IN favor
OF having home normal school. Besides, the
boys and girls we educate at home save the
Public School Department $240 in doing the
substitute duty for six months thus leaving
the school, if they do not get q permanent
position, under no obligations to the tax
payers of our City for their High and Normal
School education, for the S240 they earn in
doing substitute duty pays the entire expense
of the five years of tuition after they leave the
grammar school. This does away with the
cry, Supporting Normal School at the .x-
pense of the primary and grammar schools"
and above and beyond this, 1t removes the
appointing of primary ami grammar school
teachers out OF reach of the politician, unless
we get a corrupt principal and SUPERINTENDENT
The board will not reorganiZe the school?
That is my opinion. Because the resoluuon
was referred to the Classification Committee
and they recommended that nothing De done
in the matter, and had it referred back to the
committee of the whole for discussion and
nothing has been done since.
You cannot get them TO devote time to edu-
cational matters that should be given them
Not but l.. at the members of the board mean
well, but they have other business. 1t is as
heard one of our teachers remark, that she
"never thought OF the school from the time
they closed at 2:30 until she returned neyt
morning" This is perhaps the way with the
directors They come to the meeting, snd all
the thinking that is required is done while the
meeting proceeds.