The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06
OPPOSED TO THE
SIXTH AMEND MENT
ALAMEDA COUNTY TEACHERS
WILL WORK AGAINST IT.
They Believe That While Tt Was Pro-
posed in Good Faith, It Will
Work Injury to the
Schools.

At a meeting Of the Alameda County
Teachers Institute, held some time ago
a committee was appointed to prepare a
report on the proposed sixth amendment
to the State constitution The report OF
this committee was made the special or
der of business at a subsequent meeting,
and, after being carefully considered by
the institute, 1t was unanimously adopted.
The committees report as adopted is
as follows;
The Alameda County Teachers Institute h1v-
stftution of the State of California proposed tcr
adoption this year, has reached the following
ment
We believe 1t to have been proposed in the in
terest OF education. and specially for the good
OF those who seek more advanced schooling
than that now offered in schools within their
viii utterly disappoint the expectations which
it raises, and win at the same time work very
seIlouS INJURY 70 Int sCiools winch We 10"
have For these reasons we are earnestly OPP
posed to its adoption
Our State constitution at present provides
that 1.-THE entire revenue derived from the State
School fund and the State school tax shall be
applied exclusively 70 the support Of primary
and grammar. schools. The effect Of this pro-
vision is to throw the burden Of support of sec
ondaTy education q. e. education Of the high
sixth amendment seeks to get around this con-
dition and 10 secure a portion of the State
schools. 1t proposes to accomplish this end,
not by repeating that clause OF the constitu-
moneys to primary and grammar schools but
by providing that schools bearing the name OF
grammar schools may do the work of high
schools
Such an arrangement would. in our judg-
ment, dlsappoint the expectations of its adj
yocates; for 1t would in most cases lead to
the giving Of instruction In high school sub
jects by teachers whose time is already fully
occupied by classes in grammar school subjects.
The instruction Of advanced classes under such
uufayoraDe conditions could not but be IN
Satisfactory to the teachers. 10 the patrons OF
The schools. and to the pupils. 1t would offer
the shadow Of secondary education without it's
substance.
The amendment would. II adopted. work
serious INJURY to existing schools, in that IL
properly belonging to high schools, thereby
absorbing time and attention which are due
to the regular grammar school classes, and
would moreover greatly injure the regular
with schools which have the false appearan nee
OF doing high school work at less expense to
the communities concerned
We are in hearty accord with the effort to
make secondary education accessible 10 all the
children OF the State. as is the case in
EIazsac husetts; but we believe this end can be
as surely reached by more direct means. To
can high schools grammar schools will give
us schools which neither good high schools
nor good grammar schools; and Will greatly
retard the movement toward good schools Of
Finally. the wording OF the proposed amend
10 forecast its effects in the matter of taxation
FOR educational purposes We believe Il would
rroxe n source Of much litigation and we are
persuaded that the resulting uncertainty would
work great harm to our educational system
J. p. GARLICK,
JOHN GAMBLE,
n o. CRAWFORD.
S %IfI'IAM 4 eahREERgENN WhffHFI.
A. w SCOTT,
Committee