Evening star., 1898-07-06
Board of Trustees Selects Teachers
for Ensuing Year.
TIE NORMAL And HIGH BRANCHES
Important Change Made Affecting
the Colored Divisions.
DESIGNATIONS ACCEPTED

tees of the public schools of the District
| was held at the Franklin building last
| evening, at which the following members
were present: Messrs. Whelpley, Barnard,
( Wilson, Brown, Wright Richardson, Ha-
zen, Mrs. Tullock and Mrs. Terrell.
designations were received from Mar
| garita Spaulding, a teacher of English in
the Eastern High School; Eleanor E. Rel
| ley, teacher of nrst grade, first division;
| Flora A. Reeves, teacher of third grade,
Abbot building; Ernest A. Zeigler, teacher
| first grade, Cranch building; NJ. Blanche
| Shafer, teacher fourth grade, Monroe
| School; Daisy n. Coleman, teacher seventh
grade, Garnett building. The designations
were all accepted.
| Leaves of absence were granted Miss
| Natalie B. Huntington and Miss Ellen Col
| den, teachers.
David A. Low was appointed janitor of
the Monroe building; Jacob P. Hamer, jani-
| tor of the new school on Marshall street,
in the county; Thomas Cissel janitor of
school at Twining City.
AT the suggestion of Mrs. Tullock, the
EckingtCn School, now in the sixth divis-
ion, was placed in charge of the trustee Of
the second division. All application for
pc ermission TO use school room for pri-
y&te kindergarten instruction was denied
on the ground that the regulations confine
the use of the school buildings to public
school purposes.
Change in System.
Action was taken by the board involving
ali important change in the system of edu-
ca ton in the colored schools embraced in
the ninth, tenth and eleventh divisions. 1t
was based on the joint recommendation of
the colored members of the board, and is
designed solely for the educational ad
vancement of the pupils of that race.
Mr.. Richardson, as the representative Of
his colored leagues, brought the matter to
the attention of the board, in a carefully
prepared address. in which he said, III Part:
however great may be our reverence for
old form sand uSages, we think II a weIi-
es ablished doctrine that no rule should be
so literally construed as 10 interfere with
the spirit and purposes for which that
rule is adopted. To fix the number of ad-
m. ssions into The No. NAL School at twenty
six would be arbitrary and non-progressive.
for the reason that 1t does not keep pace
with the growth of our school population
and consequently with the demand for
teachers. This fact has been accentuated
by the position which the board has taken
upon several occasions. The elasticity Of
the rule has already been demonstrated to
the extent Of covering forty pupils instead
of twenty-six with entirely favorable and
satisfactory results.
The object of the institution of the Nor
NAL School was to insure the means of OBJ
tanning thoroughly competent teachers to
meet the requirements resulting from va
cancies in the present corps or from the
necessary increase in its number. The
theory was that teachers trained under our
own supervision would not only favor the
employment of home talent, but, under
proper mana cement, would furnish the
very best material. In view of this, to
limit the number to twenty-six would not
necessarily meet the conditions, because
the competitive feature is largely absent
and because out of fifteen or twenty teach
ers needed every year, it is probable that
rot more than ten or fifteen of them would
be thoroughly competent, thus rendering
1t necessary to accept anywhere from five
to ten undesirable teachers into our corps.
This being true, 1t seems clear to US that
a larger number than twenty-six is abso-
lutely necessary to meet the urgent de-
mand.
Matters for Consideration.
THE considerations of expense and econ
omy, in view of the fact that a fixed
amount has been appropriated for school
purposes, are matters which cannot be over
looked. At present this city is enjoying
the luxury of separate Normal Schools, en-
failing total annual cost of S12 300, with
average per capita cost of $40. AZ; while
under more economical administration
the cost would be about two-thirds of that
amount. This separation of our schools is
predlcated upon the supposed disparity be-
tween the races in intellectual and social
development Now this separation involves
additional expense, and if expense We're the
6li-lIllpOFldLJ matter, we ought TO combine
the schools. Economy in its broader sense
involving harmonious cooperation and its
collateral considerations, ought not to be
ignored, and, while the expense is aug
mented, it is clear that economical reasons
would justify the apparent extravaganza.
Now this separation of the Normal Schools
is no doubt based upon the present as well
as the previous condition of the colored
race at large-that of alleged uniform in
feriority in point of desirability, intelIectu-
al, material and social standing. If this
be true, then economy, humanity and fair
dealing ought to demand that no means
OF moral or intellectual improvement which
the public schools of Washington can be
stow upon the colored race, whether here
or elsewhere. should be withheld for to
withhold them would be to manifest mar
row indifference to the commendabe and
progressive policy of national and uniyer-
sal enlightenment and to admit that sep
arate schools are the result of prejudice
only. Besides, an increase in the number
of our Normal Schools need not increase
the cost al which 1t is now being conducted
There is now considerable difference
between the per capita cost of pupils in our
NS--nal School and that of the white, the
difference being 1913. By increasing the
number we would reduce the per capita
cost OF instruction, while incalcuiable ben
eht would accrue to the pupils. 1t would
furnish those who could not be appointed
to schools In our city with an approved GER
tificate of eligibility and an acceptable rec
ommendation in their efforts to obtain re-
iiuIierdllVe employment IN the held of ed
ucational work.
The Teaching Capacity.
Moreover, this enormous per capita cost
results from the fact that our demands
upon the teaching capacity of our teachers
are very far below that of the best normal
schools of the country. The teaching Ca
pacity OF the teachers in the Boston Nor
NAL Is 29.2 pupils. In other words, there
are ten teachers who are required to teach
2s2 pupils 'hapter No. 3S of the report of
the commissioner of education shows the
teaching capacity of normal teachers to be
twenty-five pupils in fifteen representative q
cities, while in our Normal School the
teaching, capacity required is, upon the
basis of tifty-two pupils, s.66 pupils. 1t will
be seen that the demand upon the teach
| ing capacity in our school may be doubled
and still fall below that required in the
best schools of the country.
BY requiring the teachers in the Nor
NAL SchGpl to teach approximately as many
pupils as are required of the best normal
teachers of the country We could double
the number of pupils, If need be- without
incurring the expense of single addition
al dollar on account Of teachers salaries.
Il