The Jersey City news., 1899-12-18
MISS ALIENS VIEWS.
Leader of the Teachers OBJ
jects to the School
Bill.
No. 1.al7 Garden street, Hobokeu.

N. j., Dec. 10, 1873.
To the Editor OF "The Jersey City News n
The commission on coditication and re-
vision of the New Jersey School Laws
has issued letter asking for suggestions
as to the proposed laws Known as sen
ents taxpayers, boards OF education, prln-
cipals and teachers to refrain from lndors-
ing this measure until 1t mas Deem tnor-
oughly discussed in the press, on the pup
lie platform and on the floor OF the Leg
islature.
Their letter remarks: 'sThe members of
the commission confess to a feeling OF dis
appointment and surprise that in their
work last year" (the preparation of Sen
ate 19D "they received very little aid from
teachers, school officers and others inter
Senate 1877 is a volume Of s6 pages en-
bracing the entire school law OF New
Jersey, It IS no simple matter tor even
the initiated to comprehend the full in
tent of the measure even after careful
study.
That the school law needs codification
and revision I do not dispute, nor do
question that Senate 1877 contains many
good points, but much of it is new and
revolutionary legislation and the interests
of the people will be far better conserved
by permitting the law to remain as it
is than to replace 1t by Senate 1877 or any
thing resembling 1877.
Senate 1877 practically depriyes the people
of any voice in the management Of their
schools; first, by removing boards of
education from the control of the elective
or appointive power; second, by subordi-
mating boards to superintendents and
business managers.
This is accomplished by empowering a
majority of a quorum Aof board to do
almost anything on the recommendation
Of the superintendent or business man
ager, while without such recommenda-
tion a two-thirds vote of all the mem
bers of the board is required. There are
some things, like the appointment of as
sistant superintendent, superintendent
of buildings, architect and engineer of
Ef<.x, 1@<.f, 4 i
even by unanimous vote of all its
members. unless these employees are
nominated by the superintendent or busi-
Senate 1S7. Creates many new and ex-
pensiye offices. In cities Of $1,000 or
more population it gives the superintend-
ucational department of the schools and
to the business manager similar power
over the business departments. The vast
patronage of the public school system is
centralized in these officials. About the
only function 1877 leaves to boards of
education is that OF approprlating money
ers to spend. The State Superintendent
is empowered to remove any member of
any local board of education, and there
seems to be no appeal from such ae-
tion. Under such circumstances self-re-
specting men will decline to serve on
boards of education.
Senate 1877 gives the superintendent and
business manager. to all intents and
purposes, unlimited tenure Of office, while
subjecting principals and teachers to
contract system. What is sauce for the
yearly contract is SO desirable for prfn-
cipals and teachers why is 1t not equally
good for superlntendents and business
! managers? 1877 makes the superin-
tendent the arbiter of the appointment
promotion, reappointment and dismissal
of principals and teachers. II provides
for an enormously expensive system of
experimenting those talented, cultured
and independent spirits without whom the
American school system viii soon lese the
character that has made II pre-eminently
In brief, Senate 1877 takes from the
! people the control of their schools, shears
/ pcftant prerogatlves and vests them in
] officials who are in name the servants but
who are in fact the masters of the board; !;
/ it vastly increases the expense Of the
schools. while correspondinglv decreasing
! their quality; 1t ens.aves principals and
! teachers: it is an unjust and dangerous
measure.
number of Endorsements of 1871 have
been published which confine them selves
! chiefly to eulogizing the authors of the
/ bill and to asserting that It is desirable
/ into particulars, while the opponents OF
| the measure demand that It shall be dis
cussed article by article, paragraph by
Dr.. Poland, city superintendent of
| Paterson, has published a letter COM
mending Senate 1877, but he ignores com
i pieLeiy IT'S ODnO4lOuS features. L Tefer to
/ the autocratic and arbitrary powers over
the people and over boards Of educa-
! tion assistant superintendents, principals
teachers and other employees. which Sem
ate 1877 confers on superintendents and
business managers a superintendent
however can hardly be expected to con-
! denim measures conceived for his especial
benefit, or to call public attention 10 points
4 that are certain TO be condemned as soon
as the light of publicity is turned upon
them DR.. Poland has been invited to dis
cuss 1877 on the public platform. OF course
| he viii welcome so favorable an oppor-
| tunity of acquainting the people of his
| city. with the virtues of an act he so nn-
\ qualifedly approves and which is of so
! tremendous importance to them
! A committee OF the Council OF Eduea
| tion. which conceals Its identity under
| the signature of ssCommftteen appointed
to consider 1877. restricts Its report chiefly
| to extolliDg the character of the comn1is-
| sion and questioning the sincerity Of ten
opponents Of the bill. It recommends
that II Is the sense of the Council that
attacks on the bill without regard to the
truth Of the assertions offered in such
attacks are to be deprecated To which
we all respond with a fervent Amen!
What the people and the teachers want
! Is the truth about 50 momentous a piece