The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-08
DIRECTORS
ARE ANGRY
DenOunCe Statements of
Mr.. CuveIlier.
MRS. KNOX TO LOOK ON
MRS. KNOX TO LOOK ON
SAYS THE TEN MEN ON THE
BOARD MUST ACT.
Councilman Girard Thinks That /:
Change in the School System
Is Perhaps De-
sirable.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

90S Broadway, Sept. Z.
The statement of Councilman Cuvellier
read by himself to the Board of Educa-
ton last night. has created intense in
terest, Coming at this particular time Mr..
Cuvellter's attack on the methods of the
school board may be said to be timely, for
the department estimates asking for large
sums of money are already in the hands
or the Council, which body must fix a tax
levy before October l.
Again, next spring a new board of Edu-
cation will have to be elected, and If af-
ter the public interest has been aroused II
should be found that some changes are
necessary, the polls will be the proper
place to testify to such desire on the part
OF parents and taxpayers.
Meanwhile the members of the Board OF
Education are roundly denouncing Mr..
Cuvellier's statement as outrageous false
hoods, although some give him credit for
a conscientious desire to do something for
same time that he got of on the; wrong
track. DR.. Myra Knox says this is a
mans fight and she is going to let them
fight IL out.
''There are ten men directors on the
board" she said, ito one woman, and
am going TO keep out of 1t. Even II Mr.;
Cuvellier's charges be true, they should
not be charged to the Board of
Education. The school course is pre-
scribed by the State and the Board of
Education cannot alter 1t. We make our
money as We think we require, and the
Council cuts US down, leaving too many
scholars to each teacher"
Councilman Girard, who Is an ex-mem-
Der of the Board of Education, says there
are only eight children out of every 100
who go TO the University from the High
School course.
Now, what is the use of keeping up a
standard so high when SO few avail
themselves of it?' he asked to-day. The
course is too high altogether There are
n n hf
left out. The public schools were intend
ed to give children common education,
and those who want more than that
ought to pay for it.
Dr.. ]. Hamilton Todd, a School Direc-
tor. defends superintendent McClymonds
against Mr.. .Cuvellier's charges of dicta-
torship and hypnotism, and says that his
statements are not fair. DR.. Todd says
that 1t is preposterous thRt Mr.. Cuvelller
should promulgate such mass of mis-
Principal ]. B. McChesney, who has
been at the head of the High School for
nearly generation, credits Mr.. Cuvel-
Her with being prompted by right mo-
tive, but being led away from his orfgi-
7The course of study was prepared af..
ter long CONSIDERATION" said Principal
McChesney. THE aim was to get as
good a. course as We could, and we did it,
We. cannot get perfect things with i'm
understand the situation properly
Superintendent McClymonds has filed
showing in detail the course of study
that Is now pursued. 1t is In part an an
swer to the statements of Mr.. Cuvellier.
Several professors at the University of
California were seen to-day and asked for
their opinion as TO the students who
come TO Berkeley from the Oakland and
San Francisco high schools. They We're
unanimous in saying that these two pre-
paratory schools sent out the best mate
rial which the college has.
Professor Frank Soule of the depart
n r Or
thought that Mr.. Cuvelliers charges were
altogether. unjustiffable. The students
that we get, from Oakland and
San Francisco" he declared, compare
favorably with those that come from
other parts of the State. know of no in
stance where their scholarship or stand
ing has fallen so low to be a subject
of remark. On the contrary their work
is, In my opinion, unusually good. and it
IS in no way subject to such criticism as
seems to have been made. feel sure that
any one who would start such report as
that must have been prejudiced.'
; Professor Elmer j. Brown. head of the
department Of pedagogy and one of the
leading authorities on school systems
said: $50 far as my experience goes
should think that the Oakland school sys-
TEN compares well with any other in the
State. Just at present l have no Stats
tics TO appeal to, but my impression is, as
! have said, that on the average its rank
is high. OF course 1t has faults, but not
such as are peculiar to the Oakland
schools in themselves. / believe they are
improving rapidly. The new course OF
study recently adopted is certainly an i'm
proVement. / know of nothing as far as
the grammar school system goes, which
is open to such rash and wholesale criti-
clsm as seems TO have been made before
the meeting Of the Oakland Board of Ed
ucation last night"
The professors in the English depart
ment spoke in high praise OF the Oakland
and San Francisco students. They are
said Professor Bradley, the best rounded
out material that we have. They are GER
tslnly the most thoroughly prepared for
university training, and 1 think that the
schools themselves are improving rap
idly
Professor Thomas r. Bacon of the de-
partment of history and political science
was much surprised that any such charge
could have been made. 81 am certainly
astonished that a statement of that kind
could have been made about the Oakland
and San Francisco schools" he said.
1.-The students that they send here are
among the best we have"