The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-07
Oakland Councilman
Creates a Breeze.
cUvELLIER ON THE WARPATH
CLAIMS THE BOARD OF EDUCA.
TON rs HYPNOTIZED.
Under the Spell of Superintendent
McClymonds, Whose Business
Is Politics, Not Edu-
cation.

OAKLAND, Sept. 6.-There has never
been such excitement at a meeting of the
Board of Education as developed tonight
when Councilman CuVellier, appearing as
citizen, denounced the members and
the schools of this city in the most Sc
we're terms. Some time ago Mr.. Cuvel-
lier spoke to Director Russ about an in
Quiry he was making and stated that he
would like TO read a paper to the Board
OF Education, making some suggestions
Mr.. Cuvellier appeared tonight with his
paper, but no one was prepared tor what
was to follow. The conclusion OIL the
paper was signaled by a perfect storm or
indignant expressions from the School d.
rectors.
Il have discovered after much re-
search said Cuvellier, that the public
school system of Oakland is dismal
failure The failure is complete and 1t
reflects on every member of the Board
of Education as well as on the Superin-
tendent and perhaps on the latter most
of all.
1.-The universities at Berkeley and Stan
ford have declared that students who en-
ter from the Oakland schools are the
worst prepared of any seeking entrance to
those seats of learning. l have consulted
with professors, teachers, parents and
pupils and all are unanimous in denounc-
Ing the Oakland school system as dire
and complete failure. can nnd nothing
to recommend, but everything seems TO
have gone to ruin. In every school the
same spirit is manifested, and the system
AN enormous amount of money is spent
by the School Department for which no
adequate return is given to the taXpay-
erS Most of the money is WaSted-ab So-
lutely Wasted-and this fact at this time,
when SO much money is required for
necessary improvements, is nothing short
of a municipal calamity.
in spite of all the booming that is
given the Oakland schools they are in re-
atty the poorest in the land, and there
is but one word to express their condi-
tion-failure. l have carefully compiled
these ideas which L have printed, and to-
morrow shall place copy in every
home in Oakland. l want the parents
TO know what is going on. Their chill
dren's interest is now the subject receiv-
ing the least consideration at the hands
of the Board of Education and it's super
intendent 1t should be the first subject
considered, but that is so no more. The
children are crammed for the purpose
of making false showing, but as soon
as they meet the professors of one of
our universities they find they have no
practical foundation for university
course-that they are in fact failures.
While at stanford recently l was told, to
my great surprise, that the worst trained
pupils that entered there are from the
San Francisco and Oakland schools. L
investigated the matter and 1 am con-
WINGED that L was told the truth. Our
children are not receiving the education
they should get, or which is paid for. The
children are sacrificed, the taxes sQuan-
dered.
The members of this board are hypno-
tized by Superintendent McClymonds. No
one dares do anything contrary to his di-
rections, and his power extends through
out the entire board Mr.. McCymonds
is the board and politics. not education,
is his business. 1t is largely his fault
that the schools are in such a dismal
condition and are such a disgrace
$50 notorious has their inefficiency and
examining record become that parents are
taking their children away and there are
many less children in the schools to-day
than there should be. Particularly is
this the case in the High School, where
. there are perhaps nearly two hundred
less scholars than there were a year
ago.
tenn of teaching is wrong and there is a
crying need of a change.
II have not made these remarks from
any feeling of malice, but have done it
with the kndliest of feelings and because
l have the interests of the schools at
heart"
Mr.. Cuvellier did not get through with
out being interrupted, and when he con-
cluded each of the Directors wanted to
speak at once. Some said it was false,
misinformed. John Russ was "disgusted
at such nonsense" Director Myra
Knox said that some of the statements
were SO stupid that they were not worth
reply" and Superintendent. Nicely
monds doubted IF any man who would
make such statements could be sane"
This is the most uncalled for diatribe
ever heard said Director Russ. 1T is
an insult to US gentlemen to say we are
hypnotized by our Superintendent If
Mr.. Cuyellier wants the course of study,
changed he must know that it is fixed by
the State and that he must begin such a
campaign in the legislature" Amid
much confusion the communication was
referred TO a committee, and Mr. Cuyel-
her retired without leaving a copy of his
philippe with the board.