The Washington bee., 1898-11-05
OUR SEWING DEPARTMENT.

AN UNPOPULAR AND CONTRARY d.
RECTRESS.-WHAT THE RESULT OF
A CHANGE WOULD BE-UNANIMoUS
COMPLAINT.
Perhaps the hardest worked teach
ers in the public schools, are those in
the sewing department. With a con-
trarv and unpopular sewing directress,
the teachers are having a hard time.
Ii is not supposed that Superintend-
Cook is aware of the contrary and
arbitrary actions of this sewing direc-
tress. The program of this depart.
ment is the most zig gag" instrument
that one would desire to read, and
whenever a teacher go to the
one who has charge of this depart
ment she is either insulted or she is
told that such and such a change can
not be- made, although it is for the
best interest of the schools. There
are several young ladies in this de-
partment who stand high in this COM
munity and who are entitled to con-
sideration. As a sample of the arbi-
trary action of this directresS The BEE
will give a few. A teacher who re-
sides on Neredian Hill Is sent either
to South Washington or in the neigh
borhood of Inc Government Printing
Office. A teacher who lives in South
Washington where she had previously
taught and made a record, she is sent
near the jail and the teacher who lives
in that VaCinity or in the northeast, is
sent entirely out of the reach of
cars. The report is that the directress
of sewing has assumed the authority
to make an assistant out of one of the
teachers, without the authority of the
superintendent or the industrial COM
mittee This teacher Is called
to the Sumner building two or three
times a week ostensibly of assisting
the dIreCtreSS. If she is sent out to
teach she is given two schools not
100 feet from the directreSS office.
The BEE wants to know what right
has this discrimination to be made
when all the sewing teachers are sup
posed to fare alike. If teacher
should ask this modern reformer of
the sewing department if they can eX
change SO that 1t will be more conven-
lent tC them and especially in wet and
rainy weather, she replies in most
insulting manner, by telling them that
Mr., Cook will not permit it. The BEE
is of the opinion that Mr. Cook is not
party to anything that would in
convenience his teachers
The committee on industrial educa-
ton is requested 10 investigate this
alleged assistant in the sewing depart
ment and other irregularities in this
zig gag" program.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS
are governed differently. Misses
George of the physical culture depart
ment and Cook of the cooking de-
partment are ladies of refinement who
sympatElze with their ladies teachers.
Their disposition is not OF show that
they are the bosses but to advance
the best interest of their schools.
Miss George is reported as calling
to her room all of her teachers, and
methods are discussed and plans sug-
gested as TO the most convenient way
to make the work agreeable to her
teachers.
Miss Cook does the same thing. If
certain route is inconvenlent TO the
teacher these ladies get together and
discuss the Ifs and "ands'''
They don't set up and lecture their
teachers as though they were lot OF
school children.
A dlrectress should have the respect
and confidence of her teachers.
lhe question is, WHY should Miss
Grimm. who is the logical first assist.
ant and an experienced and compe.
tent lady be subordinated for one less
experienced?