The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-02
For Prof. e. Benjamin Andrews
in Chicago
Which Seems to Have an Exas.
perating System
FOR CARRYING ON ITS
SchOOls-Dr. Andrews Gives a
Good ScOlding
To Those Who Interfere With
Progress of Schools.

Chicago, March 1--WE have certain
element of teachers. nonprogressive, ig-
norant and incompetent that form a great
barrier to educat ional progress in Chi
cago," said Dr. E. Benjamin Andrews,
all of the teachers of the Chicago Schools
are that, said Dr. Andrews, out Ger
tain element of them
DR.. Andrews, until all of the teachers Of
supporting the Superintendent, no mat
ter who he may be, if his purposes are
is vacated and the schools are run, not
for the benefit of the children, not for the
benefit Of the taxpayers but for the oen-
Returning from a convention Of school
draws found the educational commission
f 6 IN 6ad s5ftS Soa ae Pfge That the
bill might be revived in committee and
perhaps passed, but the outlook for that is
VIEWS on EXISTING CONDITIONS
the best and the poorest features. of the
bill, he made statements rejecting his
system Ee of Chicago fS TOD To-Day az he said
AS the rules and regulations of Chi
superintendent of schools is not response
BILE for anything, I am only responsible
position where without hesitation, every
thing that is not liked by the PUBLIC or
an anomalous position for superintend-
10 hTa Is 9sf m f a resnonsibe
for what others consider mistakes
L l
ular until it was decided not to make the
increase in salaries of teachers this year
responsible for that decision. Now, ad-
NIT that am guilty of almost every crime
entirely innocent of the charge that pre-
vented the salary increase this year 1
a great many citizens and a great many
teachers hold me responsible. When they
lieve it. They will not see the truth. and
of it all. when he was not,
TT is shocking how .unintelligent and
nonprogressiVe a certain element of the
teachers is. Each has from twenty to
seventy.-five friends to whom they, pour
that way they work up public sentiment
0P nteent s ing of the
that the superintendent has nothing to do
but loii here in a chair, and that he might
easily DO this for $500 a year and pros
IGNORANCE CONCERNING THE BILL.
The general public-the masses-haye
They have not read or studied it. They
do not know what it means, nor do the
every movement of this his Rind Forward IS
for lettering conditions surrounding the
the taxpayers, and for raising the stand
ard Of the teachers: Here. We have III, in
board of education, the superintendent, the
tions of the superintendent with the board
and the public is not understood by the
teachers. the Doard does not understand
the relation of the superintendent and the
teachers; the public does not understand
the relations of the superintendent with
the board and the teachers OF course
present laws are ample enough for the
board of education to institute any change
that it desires, but there is no hope for
that except in change of attitude on the
part of the present and future boards.
I'VE have a considerable class of citi-
gems, a large number, who think it their
business to NEEDLE in everything. Until
that spirit is overcome there will not be
much progression forward. The DISPOSE
Tn
criticise everything, to drag an official
down into the mud and wallow him. is
not true democracy. True democracy is
aided and encouraged by Capitalization
istering the affairs of government. A
mayor transacting the immense business
of a great city, responsible for it, is a far
better administrator of affairs than the
system of every citizen entering his office
daily and telling him what he must and
what he must not do.
mo PRESENT DAY DEMOCRACY.
That kind of democracy may have been
all right in the days when Daniel Boone
was the only citizen west of Kentucky
but it will not do now. If We are to have
will have to abdicate and czarism will
take its place. Czarism is preferable to
such democracy. Applying this situa-
ton to the position of superintendent of
ent who is responsible for all that is done
in the educational work. Hold him re-
sponsible, and when he goes wrong chop
his head off and get another man who will
sponsible today and no one is responsible.
There is no central head, and little en-
enlargement for one to be created until
public sentiment rises to that level that il
and one-man responsibility to the tax
payers"