Evening star., 1896-06-18
Letters on Both Sides of the Con-
troversy.
EX-TEACHER'S VIEWS ON SCHOOL RULES
One Parent Defends the High
School Committee.
CON FLICTIN IDEA S

high schools, continue to reach The Star.
Today several letters were received on the
subject. Miss Brown wrote follows:
ITO any one who is not an earnest friend
of our public schools the case of Mr. Sites
must seem 4 promising theme for one of
Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas. Here
is a committee of school trustees who de-
clare that they have no charges to prefer
against the principal of a most successful
school; that on the contrary, he is capa-
BILE instructor and man of excellent char
acter yet they are convinced that his
funess is at an end and that he must be
removed at once. In short, it seems to be
a clear case of:
Il do not like you. Dr. Fell:
The reason why L cannot tell
l do not like you DIR. Fell.
Il have never exchanged word with Mr..
Sites, and have, therefore, no reason to
protest against the treatment accorded
him, except the love of fair play common
to all goou Americans; but tnis very rea-
son is strong enough to compel me to say.
for myself and the many who have spoken
to me on the subject, that we earnestly
hope that second thoughts will cause the
school board to see things III different
light and retreat gracefully from the posi-
tion they have taken
Il believe / have demonstrated sufficient
ly In the past that our schools are very
to attack, and would certainly not uphold,
CRY one through whom they could be in-
jured l have followed with loving and
close attention the course of pupils through
their entire school life at the Eastern. and,
living near it. have had exceptional facil-
tiles for learning the ins and outs of its
routine. The consequence of my attention
Is that l am very proud of the school and
point with satisfaction to the scholarships
some of its pupils have won. to the proud
eminence others occupy on the graduating
lists of the Normal School and to the steady
upward course others are pursuing in their
chosen walks of life.
"Of course. in SO large a school a certain
amount of friction cannot be avoided while
the present system of forcing children
ahead, without regard to fitness, is follow
ed. Any one who has thoughtfully read
the course of study laid out for the eiades
must needs be impressed with the vastness
OF the territory to be covered each year.
The aim seems to be to make artists and
scientists out of the small people, instead of
giving them first and foremost the neces-
sary foundation for solid education. The
consequence is that, unless child comes
of exceptionally brainy stock and lives in
ali intellectual atmosphere. it is utterly
unable to master the course. The parents.
Tot realizing the true condition of affairs.
ere determined to have their child promoted
at the end of the year. nevertheless. and
take any means to have it dore. In conSe-
quenca the child is not prepared for the
new work, fails again to cover the ground.
Is iEdlD dnedu ana III InlS uISat1S-
factory manner reaches the grammar
school. where, naturally, it painfully feels
the lack of the fOundatiC which ii failed
to get in the lower grades. Then comes the
time for promotion to the High School.
when. if the rule prescribing entrance ex-
aminations were still in force, the wheat
would be separated from the chaff. but
the children of people who had a 'pull' usu-
ally happened to be the ones who failed.
the rule had to be abolished, of course, and
the whole responsibility now rests upon
the grammar school teacher. She may be
perfectly conscientious and see the total
unfitness of child for the higher work
and yet be forced to yield, for here again
the parents come to the fore and do not
rest until it is included in the transfer.
Then the trouble begins in earnest All
the lost links in the chain are daily and
hourly needed: the child is discouraged.
the teachers are in despair: there are
'f1unks' without number. followed by tears.
and finally the walk to the office with all
that that walk implies. Then come again
the parents. and the principal has to face
them and their protests and arguments
an uneI acious task, surely, and one not
calculated to endear him to them.
"Then, to add to the unpleasantness of
the principals position. the fiat went forth.
for some inscrutabe reason. that there is
no High School except the one on
street northwest: that the three insttu-
tions the Eastern. the Western and the
Bu siness, are only branches Now. If the
late lamented Mr. Paul were alive and AT
the head of the o street branch. there
might he, at least, sentimental reason for
the distinction, since he may be called the
father of our High School system: but un-
der present conditions l cannot see valid
reason why the Eastern should be mere
appendage to the Central. especially since
the former is no babe in arms as il were.
but a sturdy young giant, full of latent
power. who has proved himself. time and
again. the peer at least of his elder BROTH
er on O street There is, in the opinion of
the eastern section. no more reason for
making the principal of one high school
the superior of the rest than there is for
making the teacher of any given grammar
school the head of all the others. The
superintendent should be the head of all,
and the principals of the four high schools
each head of his own school. AS things
now are. there is the rivalry natural 70 the
state of affairs, with supreme power TO
make or mar in the hands of one of the in
terested parties: which is not exactly an
ideal condition, to say the least.
But to return to the case Of Mr.. Sites.
If the precedent should once be established
that teacher who does not yield his judg
ment and sense of right to the demands of
unreasonable people forfeits his position,
then goodbye to our schools: they would
sink to so low a level that only a moral
earthquake could bring them to the surface
again.
A Parents View.
Mr. Barnabas Bryan of Anacostia writes
thus: Il am sorry to learn through your
columns of the proposed removal of Mr..
Sites as principal of the Eastern High
School, For five years l have been per
sonally interested in that school as one of
it's patrons. My daughter is in this years
graduating class, and one Of my sons was
All officer III this years prize company. 1
have watched the school closely for five
years. and have known Mr.. Sites person.
ally, and have been, and am. fully satisfied
with his management. Under his leader
ship the school has taken front rank, it's
one or two companies of cadets in compe-
tition with from four to six companies in
the other schools, have won the prize flag
three times in six years. Its pupils have
taken front rank in the Normal School,
and in competition with the pupils of the
other schools, have won scholarships in
the Womans College, Baltimore. the Co
lumbar University and the Georgetown
Medical College. Certainly this is record
to be proud of.
Il infer, from what have heard and
read, that he is to be removed because of
friction with some Of the pupils and their
parents. l was a teacher for short while
myself, and have known a number of
teachers both in Maryland and the District.
and l have never known teacher who
tried to do his or her duty who did not
have trouble with some of the pupils or
their parents. 1 should be afraid that a
teacher was not doing his full duty if there
were no such friction. My sympathies are
with the teacher nearly every time: and