The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-11
Will Protest Against
It's Abolition.
TEACHERS JOIN WITH THEM
DOCUMENT TO BE PRESENTED
AT To-NIGHT'S SESSION.
Many Business and Professional Men
Sign the Petition Asking Di
rectors to Keep the Institu-
ton Intact.

If present indications be not deceptive
to-nights meeting of the Board of Edu-
cation will be almost as interesting as
Senatorial caucus. The decision on the
part of the Finance Committee Of the
new board to recommend the abolition of
the San Francisco Normal School has
provoked the wrath of all the friends and
relatives of all parties connected with
the institution in the capacity of teachers
or pupils.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon the
pupils of the Normal School met to pre-
pare formal protest against the pro-
position which strikes at the existence OF
the school they attend. There are lbs
girls on the Normal roll and all of them
are indignant at the idea OF being re
solved" out of the prospect of obtaining
diplomas after having completed half the
course and undergone six of the final ex-
aminations. Miss Grace Knowlton was
elected to preside and Miss Kimball was
chosen secretary.
After discussion as to the methods
proper to pursue in entering protest
the girls concluded to have a committee,
consisting of their fathers or other male
representatives, present at to-night's ses-
sion of the Board of Education to empha
size and add influence to the movement in
behalf of their school.
They didn't stop at that. They were
unanimously for battle, and no sooner
had the idea of a public protest been sug-
gested than a committee, composed Of
Misses Knowlton, Kimball, Smart and
Oliver, was appointed to formulate a plan
whereby the sense of prominent tax-pay-
ers of San Francisco might be obtained
with reference to the question of abolish
ing the city's training school for teachers.
The committee acted speedily and be-
fore the meeting of the Normalites had
dissolved Monograph copies of a blank
protest were in the hands of every pu-
pill present. immediately after their de-
girls proceeded to enlist the services of
male relatives and friends in the task of
securing signatures in various. parts of
the city. At o'clock last night a long
array of names had been appended to the
protest, which bids fair TO astonish the
members of the new board, even should it
fail of the desired result. 1t bears the sig
natures of lawyers, doctors, wholesale
and retail merchants and othce-holders
galore.
ra 7. Fowler, and the vice principal, Mrs.
M. M. Fitzgerald, were not parties to the
meeting, doubtless preferring TO avail
themselves of the diplomacy of friends
rather than pronounce themselves openly
in so delicate matter.
The protest reads as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO. Call. Jan. 10. 1898.
and County of San Francisco Gentlemen:
We. the undersigned taxpayers of the City
emily and earnestly protest against the clos
ing and abolishing of the San Francisco Nor
NAL School for the following reasons:
First-Our city needs school where teach
may be trained for the specific work of
the San Francisco School Department.
Second-The present students entered the
Normal School with the understanding that
upon the completion of the years work they
school and the recognition of their professional
standing by the city board of examination.
n9 a ne'f beor 0ns ened to us f
ton for the full normal course.