The herald., 1898-10-23
COUNTY PfDAGOGUtS
ELECT OFFICERS AND DISCUSS
SIXTH AMENDMENT
Is the University Back Of the Bill for
the Purpose Of Favoriug Its
Graduatesp

1ndC Cne school CeacncFS Oh LOS AHBclcs
county are much opposed to the proposed
sixth amendment to the state constitution,
introduced by Mr.. Caminetti, Democratic
assemblyman from Amador county, near
the close of the last session of the legislature,
was evidenced at the meeting of the county
Teachers association held yesterday morn
ing in the auditorium Of the high school
building.
| 1t was the first meeting of the association
this year, but the attendance was not as large
as the interest felt in the proposed amend
ment and the business to be transacted war
ranted.
After the singing of America" Chairman
Millard announced that the chief interest of
the meeting centered in the discussion of
the amendment with reference to education,
and called upon A. E. Baker of the high
school faculty to open the discussion. Mr..
faker, after reading the amendment, anal
yzed it as nearly as its ambiguity would per-
init. 1t was his opinion that, were high
school studies introduced into the grammar
schools, the grammar teachers would be
forced to neglect the grammar grades, and
the grammar schools would thereby suffer
because OF divided attentions. He said:
Ihe high school is the connecting link be-
tween the grammar school on one hand and
the state university on the other, and is al
ready crowded in its line of deelopment,
as much IS being added and nothing taken
away. The amendment is the last straw
ny Drlng state support to the high schools
the latter would lose their identity by being
called grammar schools, and become q wolf
lgold. N
.. d. Graham of Pasadena said he had
investigated, the history OF the passage OF
the bill. and found that it had been intro
duced at almost the end of the session and
mad received little attention from the legis
as lasors, s,sdd many ~. Of ft whom had gone home
returned on the 10th and the next day came
back with recommendation for adoption.
On the 18th it was re-referred to the commit
tee on constitutional amendments, returned
the next day, and on the 10th of March sent
10. 10 the senate, where it was adopted on the
lieves that instead of establishing '''i hirh
schools in small outlying towns the trustees
OF the schools would load the additional
work OF the high school on to the teachers
OF the grammar grades:
Nathan Smith of the Santa Monica high
school, who was unable to be present, stated
amendment and believed it would lower the
standard of education.
6, Miss Mary F; Claypool, teacher in the
Spring street school, spoke in defense of the
grammar grade teachers. She said, in ef-
fect; Il can see no benefit to the grammar
grades, except in a higher course of study
being adopted, which would mean an adj
vancement in education. l feel that the
grammar schools have been held down by
the high schools and the state university.
II we had course of study that would send
boys and girls out ready to enter the univer-
slty it would do away with high and normal
schools, sen with the probability, that many
out OF employment owing to their lack of
ability to teach high school studies, and in
the development of education the university
would receive all the benefit"
nj. X. Williams also believed that if gram
mar grade teachers were required to do high
lowered, and that the main thing to do was
to influence the people to vote on the right
side of this question. He thought n n
high school fund could be created for coun
try districts it would be an advantage, but
th dld not believe the ambiguous wording Of
PLANTATION of method.
80 universal was the feeling in opposition
TO section six that Chairman Mijlard was
moved to ask if it had a friend in the house
y. ii. Francis responded with few friend
~ remarks. in substance: 'To place second
ary education in reach of many pupils would
make M a continuous line from the primary to
the grammar grades and the state institm.
ton. 1t would be good thing if the amend,
ment were worded right, but I believe Il
can be done in better way."
Z. ID. Hutton said: 'Small districts can.
not give higher culture than that which
the grammar school gives unless course be
prepared fitting for the university. be.
ileve the university is back of the bill, and if
1t passes, what is the status of the grammar
grade teachers? Those who are not able to
teach, say agriculture and mining will be
dropped and university graduates will pour
IN and fill their places. am not opposed
to university education, but if it is right to
give the. university and the grammar schools
money it is right to give the high schools
money. The high schools have been dis
owned and orphaned by the state. The peo-
ter mother, but the university has been
very bad grandmother"
Is. Il. Wright Of the high school read an
extract from letter received from Prof. |
Elmer ID. Brown of the university. as fol |
lows: The proposed sixth amendment
seems TO me a very dangerous article. hope
you will do all you can to defeat it. NV idea
Of It Is pretty accurately expressed by the
resolutions adopted last month by the Ala
media county teachers institute"
Prof. John Dickinson made an energetic
speech on the Importance of bringing pres
sure to bear on the voters, and said that |
every teacher should constitute himself |
of one to do some electioneering |
on election day, thereby appealing directly |
70 the people who vote Prof. Dickinson |
said he believed the present system called |
or amendment, but that the one proposed
would do more harm than good, unless re-
considered and remodeled. ''The work of the
school is already unsatisfactory,
md II the teachers are overloaded with a
OF OF nigh school work, the preparation for
he university will prove farce" said Mr..
dickinson.
A committee of three, consisting of j. b.
Millard, j. d. Graham and G. Il. Hutton.
vas appointed to wait on Senator Bula and
present to him the attitude of the teachers
i the county on the subject as expressed in
he following resolution, which was drafted
or circulation among the voters in the
county:
We, the members of the Los Angeles
County Teachers association, hereby
express our dsapproval of the proposed
sixth amendment to the constitution of
the state OF California for the following
reasons:
First-It fails to clearly define the re-
lations of high schools to grammar
schools
Second-It is ambiguous in its pro-
visions and will be doubtful in its re-
suits.
Third-While we approve of some
measure by which the public high school
may receive state aid, which the amend
ment .purports to accomplish, we believe
the sixth amendment promises to be
hurtful, rather than helpful, to the