New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-03
LONG ISLAND NEWS.
GLEASON AND THE SCHOOLS.
THE MAYORS ARBITRARY AcTIoN-sUMMoNiNd
THE TEACHERS TO AN EXAMINATION
on AUGUST i2-FAvoRING HIS
rRIFNDS
FRIENDS.


ON AUGUST i2-FAvoRTNG HIS
FRIENDS.
The present summer Is OF the most unsatis-
factory that the school teachers or Long lsiiihu
CITY have ever passed. This is all due 10 an ar
bitrarv action OF the city's Chief Magistrate Mayor
Patrick Jerome Gleason. Ever since Mayor "ea-
son became prominent in Long Island City politics
he has tried to use the schools to further his per-
sonaI ambitions I'm the opinion OF many people re
has caused parades and other demonstrations Oh
the school children to be gotten up In MS hohor py
his emissaries in the schools Iie has appointed
many friends to places He has made more russ
over what he has done and done less FOR the puDlc
school system of the city than any other man VIM
ever sat I'm the Mayoraty chair. He started 10
bud a few schoolhouses in his hrst term ny
Mayor but they were not completed until he had
been compelled to retire from office IN favor Vi
Mayor Sanford.
Gleason had much trouble with the principals
and teachers during his first term as Mayor. Inc
charges which were trumped up against numper
Of them were tried before a Board of Education,
the members of which had been appointed py NM
self one of the principals against "hoih ch'i se'
were brought a Mr.. Burdick lie was su"-
moned for trial before the Board OF Educatloh'
The trial or alleged investigation. was held IN
Mayor Cleason's rooms over "A livery stable In
Front-st close TO the Long Island Railroad sta
ton Mayor Gleason presided at the trial Inc
whole proceedings most farccaI, ana Oh
course Principal Burdick was found guilty ana re-
moved from his place. He afterward oroushl suit
against Gleasons administration, and the courts
awarded him the fun amount OF his year salary
although he had not been permitted 10 atIehu ~
his duties as principal beyond few weeks
Gleason's tactics to summon teachers 10
whom he had taken dislike before ms boaro VI
Education ostensibly to examine them as 10 thelr
ability to teach Teachers who had taught III Var'-
Gus public schools in the State for years ana VINO
had diplomas and certificates of fitness from dii-
ferent institutions Of learning, were among those
summoned But the result of all these alleged IN
yestigations was always the same. The unfortu-
mates were found guilty of the trumped-up charges
her Of 1;leason's Board Of Education ignorant
politicians, who could hardly redu VI VIZ -,
own names The examinations, although mosS
humiliating to the teachers who were subjected 10
them. afforded much amisemeht 10 nos. VI heir
naces rather than be subjected to the Illuminating
and degrading ordeal But Gleasons OBJECT VIZ
accomplished, and under the guse Oh pfliisans s
about reforms in the schools he had made places
for a number of his personal friends. w mere a
number of them came from or "here theS nave
since gone nobody knows x
Gleasons first term of Office as Mayor OF k S
Island city extended from 1889 TO lSs2 Mayor san
ford was then elected and served until IsS' re
refused to run AGAIN ana oeason eG va" Nsdde er'
who had served year in the Legislature Giea-
cal campaien was that the latter while in the
Legislature had voted against bills introduced IN
eral alleged labor leaders of this city to go into
his bailiWick and induce the workingmen to vote
agsnSt M iaS That # 5e was 4ected Mayor no
man should receive less than 81 a day In the CITY
He was elected but all the workInen employeu Vi.
waterworks which ne is now erecting went on
strike few days ago because thelr Wales h ,ah
Gleason IS building are private enterpr rs
OF his own, and he intends to sell the water 10 'he
When Mayor Sanford defeated Gleason he in in
stituted real reform in the Long Island CItS
schools He caused the employment OF good ana
capable teachers and principals ana nr4usht orueI
out of chaos The teachers are OF high caSs, ana
many of them are young women who have lived IN
Long Island city all their lives with the exception
of the time when they nave oeeh AT , nornld
schools or other educational institutions. ne re-
suit of this now be seen, as the schoos were
the pupils were never 80 high as they have been
during the last school year - TIL, ,.,.,, o,,,,,
Mayor Gleason has been III 9Iice asain ois ,r ("
few months and yet he has already taken steps
to upset the school system and undo az the Eoou
work accomplished by his predecessor. Mayor san
ford lie has already caused charges to be pre-
radical action which he has ever taken IS t i
issuance of an order that an the teachers IN 1he
Board OF Education on August Il and undergo an
examination - ,, J., -,
agined. caused great cOmmOtiOn in the ranks or
the teachers as they received it just about the
ments to teach for another year. As 1t is, not
one of them knows now whether he or she Is TO
teach during the coming schoo' year or not they
generally Informed IN March whether their
The e@cSers S Long Island city received no such
notification last March, however But a few weeks
ago they received the order to prepare for an ex
animation August r.
Many Of them preparing to go on their sum-
nler vacations. and in many cases abandoned the
idea They not only felt that they could
spare the time, If they desired to prepare for the
coming examination, but they were also afraid that
they could not afford it, as they were not sure OF
being reappointed after the examination. II they
go before the Board of Education August IL and
fail to be reappointed, it will then be too late TO
obtain places schools in other cities. A large
number of them will not appear before the Board
at all as they are hrmly Of the opinion that the
examination will be farce. They feel that the
examination Is only part Of a well-laid plan OF
Mayor Gleason 10 get rid of the majority of the
present teachers. and fill their places with his
friends as he did In his first administration.