The herald., 1898-10-31
NEWS oFTHE SCHOOLS
Proceedings at the Teachers Alliance
Meeting

| There was large attendance at the spe-
| cial meeting of the Teachers alliance held
| in the high school auditorium Saturday
morning. The object of the meeting was
the discussion of the proposed sixth amend
ment and the educational features or the
new city charter. After selection by the
orchestra of the commercial department OF
the high school President Baker opened the
meeting. The death OF member since the
.ast meeting of the alliance, Mrs. Emily A.
Hanchette was touched upon, and resolu'
tons of respect were read, adopted and or
dered spread upon the minutes OF the So
ciety.
j. H. Francis opened the discussion OF
the disturbing proposed sixth amendment
He spoke of the good work the alliance had
done in the cause of education IN the past,
and believed that il the teachers would stand
actively united for the defeat of the amend
qualification in the future.
Mr.. Francis introduced the following res
olutions, which were adopted:
We, the teachers Of Los Angeles,
are in hearty accord with any move
ment that will make secondary educa-
ton more accessible to the school chill
! dren of our state, and we welcome any
legislation that will raise the standard
of the public school and school teachers.
We are not opposed to making the high
| schools part OF the state school sys-
TEN, but We oppose the adoption of the
sixth amendment because we believe it
will fail to furnish secondary education
of satisfactory grade to anyone, and
| that its practical workings will be to en-
courage a superfciality that will be det-
| rimental to education in all grades. In
stead of raising the standard of the pub
| lie school teacher it would lower his effic
| iency for good work by compelling him
to cover a field of knowledge beyond the
| mastery Of anyone.
In this age of specialization we think
it the pupils right to receive instruc-
tion from one who is thorough IN the
subject being taught.
| We believe the sixth amendment
should be defeated because its phrase
ology is so ambiguous as to render its
purposes or methods OF attaining them
extremely doubtful. While making due
allowance for legal phraseology, we be-
lieve matter Of such grave importance
as this should be stated in language that
will allow Of but one Interpretation.
Besides the endless doubt and confu-
sion and chaos that would necessarily
follow from sudden and radical change
in the levying of school taxes and ap-
propriating school moneys, the readjust-
| 1nenL OF cOuTses vi SluQS III RIdIllldE
schools, high schools and normal schools,
new requirements in certifcation of
teachers. possible litigation would fol-
low the ambiguity of the wording of the
amendment which would entail litiga-
ton that would work great injury to
the public schools Of the state.
j. B. Millard, freeholder, touched upo
the educational features Of the proposed ne,
charter, analyzing the sections relating t
the schools He said
at is a charter we are not afraid to di
cuss, and the more thoroughly you read
the stronger friendship will you feel for i
All the teachers ought to read it, for, a
though it is cumbersome, it is a matter {
education Unless you study it, you canno
argue for it. There are two important fe;
lures which should receive especial after
ton. One is the school department, tn
other concerns civil service reform, b
which politicians will be relieved of man
arduous duties. We expect the politician
to work against it, but it will carry if tt
people, for whom it was made, will woI
for it,
After general discussion, in which NJ
Millsrd displayed his thorough knowled!t
OF the matter under discussion by his d
cisive answers to the many questions pl
to him, each ward was instructed to a
point a committee of three to work for tt
d charter, on broad basis.
The only objection offered by the mer
4, bers of the alliance to the charter was tt
X great power put in the hands of the mayo
e which Mr. Francis overthrew on the grour
h that it was easier to throw the responsible
l. for the entire conduct of the city COVER
+ ment on one man than on body, as h
J, reputation for it's proper conduct would
q at stake.
i In conclusion every member of the allan
was appointed committee of one to j
duce voters to use the rubber stamp in
vor OF the new charter.
8 A meeting was held Saturday afternoc
" at the residence of George Wright, l3
, Star street, by the citizens Of the Four