Evening star., 1897-06-04
school. Need No Defense.

Schools Need No Defense.
The Washington public schools need 70
defender. They are their own defense, end
rank among the very best schools IN the
country, a fact attested by educational
critics and an intelligent clientage coming
from every section of a cultured nation.
The superintendent of these schools needs
no champion other than the results cf his
labor-the labor Of a lifetime-a labor
which has placed him in the front rank of
modern educators, one OF the best six
school superintendent in the United
Sta tes. according to, the New York School
JOurnal-a labor which has made him of
those whose works do follow them.
am one of those to whom Miss Brown"
refers as Interested enough in our schools
to watch them closely for ten or twelve
years." and I have seen made what she
calls experiments; the establishment of
cooking and sewing schools and manual
training shops; the correlation of drawing
and shop work, thus developing the power
to do by doing; the application of the cor
relation Of English, history and geogra-
much-written about zo3logy and botany Of
the lower grades, which bothers some of
US parents because our children's knowl-
edge shames our ignorance. but which
and satisfaction, a boJtndless opportunity
for the enjoyment eof the power Of obser-
vation; the emphasis put in all our schoo.
sS work < from lowest to highest grade upon
and handledthe fdea that ats IS to to b. become sena
part and parcel OF the pupil. Yes. call
long strides forward sIn the progress of
education. Pestaiozzi Experimental, Froe-
Ra,ns Psl experimenlea X Ns2n experimented.
to come win thank God as Ne do for men
who dared to experiment.. sln
The Question Of Smelling.
She" oevotes n paragraph. to spelling"
nave betf. teacher in the Washington
public schools for eleven years, coming here
from quite an extended teaching experience
IN two New England states and Ohio and
deny that the spelling in our schools is
poor. and I affirm that It is better today
than IT was ten years ago. 1 learned to
spell, or tried to, la Miss Brown I still
have prizes that earned by leaving off at
the head more times than any other one in
my class, and yet my little girl in the third
grade spells infinitely better than I did
when l was in the academy fitting for col
lese, and she writes a better page Of Err
glish composition than L did when began
the study of Latin and Greek. The proof
OF the pudding is in the eating. aud there
Is not a grammar school in the city thas
cannot show page. after page of English
composition errorless as, to spelling, and ex-
preston. Actual tests In eighth grade
schools show that Tess than per cen. of
spelled. There Is ne royal road to learn
ing" it is true, but there may be q mac
adamized one And owing to an educating
superin.endent; an ,, eniishteaed board OF
corps of supervisors. a cooperative and
faithful body of teachers, and an appre-
ciative public sentiment, Washington has
broken the stone and laid down the road
bed.
The charge that encyclopedias have been
bought to remedy faulty spelling is absurd
to one vino knows that dictionaries are
furnished to all pupils who are advanced
enough to use them. Such O charge shows
venomous ignorance.
Now a word as to the Fat" of the su-
perintendent that 300, or any number. sets
of encyclopedias be bought. The statement
is false I have been principal In two
divisions, and under three supervisors, and
never yet has the superintendent or a SUI
pervisor ordered or requested me or my
school to purchase ! q single book The
school of which I am principal has ex-
pended during the past year nearly $3.50
for reference books. but they have ell
school oficial. and have been paid for
without complaint by the parents and with
out worry to teachers or pupils. Every ILL
teliigent person knows the need of such
books in all the schools, and nine-tenths
of the parents of Washington, recognizing
their obligation to our school suparinrend-
ent and board OF trustees for the INTRODUCE
tioh of free text books and supplies into
I'll scnools .DeloW the hgn school, gladly
contribute the little that is asked of them
for the purchase of encyclopedia
Miss b" forgets that entertainments
were quite the thiBg, 'aAd properly SO, in
the od-tims sch9oks shs forgsts, too, the
aminations for promotion, which relieves
teachers and pupilsi of the examining and
strain which used 10 burden them during
the last few weeks OF the school year
The inuendo implied in her last question
is unworthy Of an answer. and could come
only from one who .sign3 his name within
quotation marks. - ss,B. w. MURCH.
Honor to fuilman Town. |