The Portland daily press., 1899-03-23

n ~athet
the High school Discussed.
A special meeting Of the experimenting
school committee occurred yesterday after
noon at four o'clook. The meeting was
called for the purpose of considering the
proposition of making MIR. +. K. G. Rob-
bins who has been superintendent of
schools of Deering and has been connected
with the Deering schools for something
| like Il years principal of the grammar
and primary schools of Deering at a sal
airy of $780,
| DR.. Reilly was the only member of the
committee who was absent.
DIR. Foster stated briefly just what the
| people of Deering wanted. He said he
agreed with some of the members of the
school board who had expressed desire
to lose sight of Deering as quickly as pos
sible and unite the two sections of the
city in sentiment 1t was highly import
ant that the schools should be run on the
same system and the courses of study
and everything pertaining to the sch ools
should be made uniform in Greater Port
idhds [Hp oNSAAh6 boSB4O 1iN NV ncA w
have Mr. +. t. G. Robbins made assist
art superintendent. They desired the
| Deering schools to be under the supervis-
ion of superintendent Lord and
their proposition contemplated making
Mr.. Robbins only principal OF
the Deering grammar and primary
schools. There are many schools in Deer
! Ill
In some cases there are two or three
rooms together, but there are also many
schools which are taught by only one
/ teacher. In Portland, on the other hand,
the grammar and primary schools are
compact, nearly all of them having a
principal in charge who looks after the
discipline and general welfare of the
school. The idea is not to make Mr..
Robbins superintendent of these schools,
but to give him charge of them as prin-
cipal and SO arrange matters that he can
visit these schools mRny times during
the week. MIR. Lord will necessarily de-
vote considerable time to Deering, but he
musJ also give his attention to the Port
land schools as he has in the past His
time will he very much occupied and he
will not be able to give that close atten-
tion to the scattered schools of Deering
which they have received in the past. IL
| he does devote his entire time to Deering
he must necessarily sacrifice the Portland
schools. DR.. Foster went on to state
! that last year Mr.. Robbins had been
made superintendent of the Deering
schools with the understanding that he
was to devote his entire time to Deering.
but the Westbrook school committee
asked that Mir. Robbins should also serve
them and to aid the Westbr ook people
this was done. 1t was distinctly under
stood, however, that this year Mr.. Rob-
bins was to deyots his entire time to the
Deering Schools
DR.. Foster contended that Mr. Rob
bins being perfectly familiar with the
Dsering schools would be Of great assist
ence to Mr.. Lord, and would greatly ben
eft the Ueering schools. 1t would also
bs most satisfactory to the people of the
new wards to have Mr.. Robbins continue
in connection with tho schools for anoth-
er year.
MIR. Hsseltine. the other member of the
school board from what was formerly
Deering also spoke upon this subject,
He said that the great complaint against
MIR. Lord has been that he did not devote
enough time to the Portland schools.
How would 1t be in the future when be
was supposed to look after Portland and
Iha nnls nf pifhpr
place or the other would suffer neglect,
and Mr. Heseltine seemed to think it
would be the Deerlng schools which
would suffer. He thought that not only
the people Of Deering but the people OF
Portland as we'll would like to have Mr..
Robbins continue his efficient work in
the Deering schools and working under
MIR. Lords direction thus aid the disni-
pline and add to the efficiency of the
schools of both sections of the city.
MIR. Hutchineon was not in favor of
MIR. Robbins being elected to this posi-
ton. He said that he thought it wise
to lose sight of Deering as soon as posi-
BILE and it seemed to him that Nj. Lord
could do all that Mr.. Robbins was ex-
pected to do. Last year MIR. Robbins had
devoted only half of his time to the Deer
ing schools and this year the schools of
that city would probably receive more
than half the attention of MIR. Lord so
that they would certainly be as well Off
as they were before.
MI. Brownson said that he wanted to
do anything possible to please the people
of Deering, but he didn't believe ths
office OF assistant superintendent should
be created. That was what Mr.. Robbins
election would practically mean. He
/ thought that the schools should be put in
charge of teachers competent enough to
maintain discipline in their schools with
! out Interference from principal or a