The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-17

K S'N' AsS"At VI UuuShthun WIS nelu IN the
rooms OF the board In tho Club" build
Ing. There was n full attendance OF
members. DR.. Ulrich, president OF tho
board, presided.
X It was after routine business had
been transacted that the reports OF tho
local commissioners. naming teachers
Z Tor the coming year in tho various
& schools were presented for the approval
OF the board. WaShlngton's report was
1rst read and adopted, no changes being
made In the personnel OF the corps OF
teachers there. In the regular order
the next report to be considered would
( have been Madison, but the clerk
4 took up Clay's report. then Unions.
4 When these two had been confirmed,
4 Mr.. Maxwell, ono OF the Madison COM
> missloners. asked the clerk II It was by
4 pre-arrangement that MadiSon's report
was being held back. This the clerk de.
Y MED. Madison was then taken up.
lia5ot course there was more interest In
i the Madison report than In nll the 9TH
ers, as II was well known that the com
Il missloners would make a report that
il would not include the name Of Miss
( Julia Wiley, tho teacher who was re-
Gently deposed In manner that rails
ed storm OF indignation among the
L teachers many friends on the Island.
' MISS Reeves was named In the rcpbrt
Z as the teacher who would take Miss
iyWiley's place rs first grammar teach.
er, position next In rank 10 the prln.
\ c!pal OF the school.
After the report had been read mo-
y ton was made to adopt It, but this was
& met With vigorous opposition from
members OF districts other than Madi.
son. Upon motion. Mr.. A. J. Clarke was
Z given the privilege OF the floor 10 speak
on the subject.
The Madison Fight.
After thanking the board for the
permission to speak In Miss wllcy's be.
half, he said he came not as paid at
: torney, but as a friend OF. Miss Wiley,
: representing her many friends n|AfadI-
son district who believe that the local
4 commissioners have made a mistake in
&retirinB her after years OF faithful SER
vice IN WheelInES schools She has
taught for twenty-seven years, begin
ming at the lowest grade and working
up and up until she reached the rank
8 next to that OF principal OF the Madison
school. Miss Wiley. he said. has reach
ed the maturity OF her powers In the
schoola OF this city. She was born and
! bred here. and the boys and girls who
y have felt her influence have grow up
!. and are the men and women of to-day.
Until the 18th Of June. said Mr. Clarke.
there was no word OF criticism or fault
y finding regarding Miss Wiley. At that
Z time. Principal Stephenson. under the
Il direction OF the local commissioners of
( Madison district, told Miss Wiley that
: they would prefer that slrn should not
7 apply for her old position this year.
2, Nothing was said to her explaining such
a course of action. II came to her rs
startling surprise She had received no
+ intlmation from anybody that her work
z as teacher was not satisfactory. Mr..
y Clarke here read from the rules OF the
Is board. showing that 1t IL usual TO con-
3 tinues teachcrs unless there Is just cause
= for removal. ffe would not say that the
I commissioners had not done their duty.
but until the teacher IS asSallcd she
4 presumes that her position will be open
< TO her again. Upon receiving the notI-
fication by Principal Stephenson. Miss
wiley asked for the reason for her dis
z missal, and at Il meeting OF the COM
4 missioncrs and principal few days Ia
ter, She was met with this statement:
5 She had been removed upon the repro
sensations OF the principal. but not he
y cause she was incompetent: the COM
m!ssioners thought they could get some
one better to fill her place; that she
was n routine" teacher: that she
{, was weak in chemistry. All OF this. said
s Mr.: Clarke. the principal denied having
said In addition the principal had said
Z that the commissioners were making n
I mistake in removing Miss Wiley. The
principal also said that Miss Wiley was
9 not the cause OF certain friction that
has been going on among the Madison
teachers for several years.
Friction Among Teachers.
Miss Wiley was not the teacher re-
4 sponsible for the friction. yet Is the only
one who was removed; the friction Is
\ still there. Another statement was
s thatMiss Wiley Is weak in mathematics.
3 The principal admitted having said she
was weak IN that department, and re-
Z ferred to the low grades OF her scholars
3 in 90. This. said Mr. Clarke. Is easily
r explained; In '93 the work OF the schools
Z was hindered and interrupted by the
preparation OF the Wheeling school ex-
4 hib!t for Chicago. At this time. Miss
!; Wiley, foresaw the result and remon-
strated with the principal. 50 this poor
1 showing at that time cannot be charged
X to her. Continuing. Mr. Clarke showed
!! that In 1895 Miss Wliey's scholars stood
y 30 per cent In mathematics against 7O.9
for the other schools OF the city. She
(, was still teacher Of mathematics.
& The claim that Miss Wiley Is Il 'rou-
2 tine" teacher was given some attention
1 by Mr.. Clarke, and he claimed that any
Z teacher who abides by the rules OF the
Y schools must be a routine teacher. The
( claim thut she was weak III chemistry
was shown to be wrong when he produce
4 ed the records OF heschool, showing that
Z Miss Wllcy's scholars ranked higher
= than those OF any other room.
1t had been said that the Island poo
pie wanted Miss Wiley removed. lie
2 did not know OF any who wanted her
z dismissed, and he referred to the three
!: petitions on the clerks desk TO show
that great many Island people. sew
cral hundred. desire her reinstatement.
AZ Mr.. Clarke said II seemed to him that
mistake had been made In dcpOSIng
Z Miss Wiley In n way that dcburs her
S-from pursuing her vocation elsewhere.
4 So far rs he could see the commission
& ers had made mistake of Judgment and
. he concluded by asking that tn. board
4 correct the mistake.
COmmi sSionrrs' Defense.
"a Mr.. Hubbard. one OF the local COM
missioners from Madison, defended
}theIr action. lie said the other mem
\ bors OF the board were aware how hard
L It Is to obtain Information. as to the
{! work of the teachers. Most OF 1t comes
Z In confidence with the injunction that
5t5'.ThiS must not be repeated" Tho
i5 standing OF Madison school, he said, has
4 been low. While Madison Is first this
= year, It Is not because OF good work by