New-York tribune., 1896-12-30
TEACHERS ON SCHOOLS.
EXPERT OPINIONS ON THE EDUCATIONAL
CHAPTER OF THE NEW CHARTER
THE LOCAL COMMITTEE QUESTION AN IMPORTANT
oNE-How THE PRESENT SYSTEM WILL BE


OSE-HOw THE PRESENT SYSTEM WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
The educational chapter Of the new charter for
the consolidated city of New-York provides. among
other things. for local School Board for Brook
lyn of fifteen members. The object Of the Draft
Committee is &c secure the maintenance Of tho local
characteristics of education in each part of the
territory 10 be included in the Greater NewYork.
The principal feature OF the local system in Brook
lyn has been the care of schools by local commit
tees II is doubted seriously by persons familiar
with the educational system of Brooklyn whether
this feature can be preserved with small a Board.
IF this be the case the object of the Draft Com
mittee 10 secure the maintenance of local charac-
trstics will be defeated. In order to learn whether
this the not. a Tribune reporter yester
day talked with a number of school principals and
persons interested in educational matters about the
effect Of the provision.
Principal James Cruikshank, of Public School
No r. asked whether. in his opinion. the local
committee system would be done away with under
the charter drafted. lie replied
spercs IS adoped The local Committee system
could not be carried on so well believe mat oni
be ppisd TO the schooIs think that is the opin
ION that is generally held in Brooklyn 1t Is much %
Tattcrs than two. the inspectors under ihs
system being IN sense rIesposps pUd pepor n
Members Of our i;rookyn Board on % the c0n'rapy. p
in mniTdiate contact with the schools. and arc
themselves able to redress any evils or proViue lo'
any necessities.
PRINCIPAL John Gallagher. OF the Training School
for Teachers Is regarded as one OF the mos, thor-
oughy informed citizens Of Brooklyn on such SUD
jects bscsuse he has charge OF tn canoida'es ior
1eachefshps He said when asked as to his opinion
of the probable abolition CT the local committee
system: ,,
In New-York for years the Board @ OF i,re EdGon Gon
on has s. dfn nnmSye in nh sohoos because these @
ferences are rolled up IKE q soM u' "a ,he central
hoard In brooklyn because Of our local commit, Sd
tees the parent who felt aggreven hnf he had
ioe hsn o1s1 rere. ennGAsS Il view M The
raI BODY In other words whole school @ Toa maR
agement has been family mar TnSvn ahI our Schools
lever H washed their dirty linen before the pubic
E,mar poulson. principal of School No. "a SAID
Brooklyn is aar managed the schools success
fully on the plan of local commie'ees consianty
knowedSe % ,h a schools che are settled there by con,
ference with the parents or by Sne have 9 the grev
Inder any other system the slighssid co nd
plain, would require nud an apBsa B comsumed no ,me in its
alemen In SewYork City s1sS srsSe oSt sIcn Here I TsS
So srs1' pan sUnS saSh
successful win Icing ,nr hat The school which
If has charge is managed well. -,
An interview with Principal James CusacK' OF
School No II. brought forth similar op'"'0' "
Cusack said ~ o,oo, in
prooklvn over nine years Before coming netg ftI
seys pTnsyel 81 Spenss in 0har
COUNTRIES YGrk :eSchf1 evenng %nE s"% Schools And
en- free 20 sav that nowhere have foun6 SO Per
feet sysifm ing aT 'hs n my opinion to the fact that
we have a large Board of EducaIion arre anu n that
Board much regret s !hS 'ne even by
n1exed districts should have many od
prOPPCr1pSn Sad iq before tS.t the When
it is considered how many very I'm ouesons .ss to
lions S Ss ecne ,nS before the Of Educa'ion
from time TO sms no man VIII Wno say that Board
of forty-hve is too large to manage 'he scioo' III
1oso,b u RAYMOND who recently resigned
from the Board of Education. after doing excellent
work In that body. said ~ ,,
DC not think that local Board OF ni'ven st OF
a. AWAY with the local committee SYST ~.
Course i, would do away with the plan OF M ha',m ,
three menbe me- beneds H. c the ocaicommittee system
and have a single member TO each sehooi, ,I al COM
nitee might still exist only. instead Of a. com ons
nittee of three, we might nave very many OF the
j think matter Of TACT IN very I'M ,' is 10 saw
schools it amounts to that AN now; Nv the Chairman Of
the & oTsI have been very strong advocate of the
local committee system at least when carrieu ~ u, ~
The extent that II is now think the appoin,,i@,on' @
Of OIs" Is true ne that no un teacher be
annointed because the teachers who are empi1ySu t
% be ihGse Of Public sim the
hest teachers not always the ones one hb ,hd mem
bers of the local committees can become aWste anr
teachers who are Ou, Of positions not pracCab Nor
&; there any way by which teachers who are a pa,
cxst The result is tha, when vacancy ocfnrr Ir
in school the only persons per- snSers %nu of the oca
and the 'eachers s bat IN he ha Of
schSo The % eli .6e vacancy s must
Very limited number II results either IN fne or tb
pnointRent Of some teacher who is known to the
members of the local committee or VINO mas "pp'N'
That isn't the best way in my JIagms" oSe CO
papvd he the headquarters for applicants, and II
there were registry kept In his oInee oi annv a new
ocsSrreS he local committee could make appica
ton 10 him and he could select &c ,S scn nac
here Is another thing that should not not roui,ne Re e,
TO the committee great ID des a0neeon or snf WITH
hSs'seSss Ss seSoos aa hond be from them As
ss ss'peT o pnbc School without requs'ion Of
he o Of for 1Se tho ec School have to receive
srDatre before they can be obtained by the prin
he shG0d U e g9 To the ns Stock 5cR0S on hand
would be Impossible for him to pass on tneSe je
isat the req,isons simply signed by thS chair ma
as ms,;sr o. The ,or Secretary could do the
work most admirably and in that way nc masnh mac IN
nrSper o, Work Of the be left to the members
Wrs Emma F. Pettengill, of the Board of Educa-
tion. seemed pleased with the part % the charter
dealing with schools She said:
II seems to me that the whole project as outlined
nv The Commission is very much better tan we
IA any reason 10 hope for while ago. don
Know What the effect Of the smaller local board
vii he know that the criticism has frequently
Seen r,ade that the present Board is TOO large out
7 mink that criticism has come more from people
,yhn aro unfamiliar with the detail work OF the
hoard than from anybody else: II the Board Is
,neda smaller the whole plan of dividing the work
viii 10 ne 10 he changed. ] don't how the local
COMMITTEE system could be kept with this smaller
local board at least If local committees are to be be
good for ANYTHING: for with forty-fve members or
The Boa rd md ia schools besides the high schools.
II is simple example IN aritnmetic 10 see now