New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-26
INTERESTS, OF THE ScHoos.
SETH LOWS ADMIRABLE WORK IN
SCHOOLS OF BROOKLYN

D. -
A srA11sAlA'r BIZ HORACE E DRESSER An,
xRAN MEMBER or THE BRooKr,~
BOARD or EDUCATION
When Mayor Low took once the D~c.s..
OF Education was in . deplorab3e c,-,s,..'
Mayor Howell. with mistaken idea. - , .s''
omy, had prevented the expenditure ~ ,.sN'r
for the erection OF schoolhouses, and i'm. !" !.
been done during his administration =. =
ntsh school accommodations The Stern. =
falcati0n had also just been di,coversS -
secretary Of the Board having stolen 49, ~
$3.50. 900. none OF which was recovered ~: s
city was impoverished. and greet exnec1u,anae
we're necessary In every department I
Low was from the first greatly interesied h. ~
Department OF Education. He immex;s..s,ee
changed the composition OF the Board. ss4,
under the law a. 1t then stood was ~ =
appoint two-thlrds Of the members durtrs - =
first year Of his administration Amone ~
whom ne named were Joseph G. HENDRIX ~.
erick w: Hinrichs. John McNamee. John =
Kelly. william Cary Sanger and otherr - -
have since been prominently identi0ed Ia
public affairs. Mayor Low. early In M. ~
ministratOn made a study OF the edur.t,,~a,
system OF Brooklyn and Its condition and her4
his energies to provide more school accon,.ss
dations and to improve the system IN av.
direction. He found an excess Of eram-V
schools but a great deficiency In prirnarv -.
Communications He therefore demanded tn,
all efforts Of the Board OF Education A. 49,.
time should be directed to remedying this 80,
None but primary schools were erected ~
some years. Schools. moreover. were reorr,r
lied and classes consolidated. have not N
mind the statistics, but while Mr. Iow -.
Mayor a great step forward was taken 80
more sitting supplied than during the nrev; cs.
ten years. II my memory serves me The -
cheney OF the service was also greatly i'm
proved.
A CHANGE IN METHODS
Previous to this teachers certificates h.h
been granted very loosely, and the apno,,-
ment of teachers was largely matter Of savo.
or OF political pull The Board. ~ com.
stltuted by Mayor Low. was composed OF car.
nest. conscientious. hard working men, who s..
cereiy desired to raise the standard of IN.
schools. and who did by e,ecting an IN,
cient superintendent. Calvin Patterson vAo
granted teachers certificates only to .hose a.
had passed an honest and proper exaIninatio..
by appointing teachers only for merit and hv
laying the foundation for greater scholsrshin
training and efficiency of the CORDS of tearhe,s
No professional education or experience h,d
been required Of applicants for teachers places
Under the administration OF Mayor Low asd
on his recommendation. the training schooi
for teachers was established, which has stead
ily grown In size and usefulness until nov
nearly all of our teachers are selected from
it's graduates. Nothing has ever been done IA
improve the efficiency Of our schools that can
compare with the establishment Of this train.
ing school Mayor Low was also An advocate
Of introducing kindergarten classes and used
his influence to that end
BROOKLYN IN DEBT TO LOW
Brooklyn can never pay its debt to Seth Low.
not only for what he did for our schools when
Mayor but what he has recently done in the
formation Of the educational chapter OF the
was intruSted to a committee Of which Seth
Low was chairman. with Silas Il. butcher end
Stewart l.. Woodford his associates. To all
Of them Brooklyn should be grateful Mr. Low
from his position as president of Columbia Unit
yersity and his familiarity with educational
matters. was naturally regarded by the Charter
Commissioners as an educational expert and
his opinions had preponderating influence with
them. Anything proposed in regard to the
educational system of Greater New-York
would hardly be passed by the Commissioners
unless it received the approval OF Mr.. Low
At the outset Of the discussion regarding the
proposed system the representatives Of Brook
lyn found that Mr.. Low had ideas that differed
materially from theirs. Mr. Lows committee
granted a hearing to special committee Of our
Board Of Education at which. for severs
hours. the wishes Of Brooklyn were argued aAl
the appeal was made for home rule In educa-
tional as well in other matters. Af.erwam
a hearing was granted to this committee b.
the full Commission. on which occasion Mr.
Low PRESIDED. ana our views were preSenteo
at length.
HOME RULE ASSURED.
Still further after that hearing Mr.. Low In
vited the chairman OF the committee to confer
with him at his home where the whole sub
ject considered In detail The result of
this consideration was that the educational
chapter Of the charter practically written
three times. and. in the end nearly everything
that the representatives of Brooklyn demanded
was granted. The doctrine of home rule was
recognized and our school system and our
schools which We believe are not exceed BY
any in the world. were left undisturbed. as far
as was practicable. under consolidation. Mr..
Low showed his manhood and his eminent fair.
ness by yielding his preconceived ideas even on
these questions OF education and by adopting
the ideas To which. in the beginning. he was