The San Francisco call., 1899-04-29
GoVernorGage Names
Trustees.
HUsTLING TO BE PRINCIPAL
THE CITY'S INSTITUTION WILL
BE DIFFERENT.
Judge M. Cooney a Trustee-A High
Standard, a Two Years
Course and Bright
Future.

The new State Normal School at San
Francisco, which the Legislature created
and provided with $4,000 for two years,
Will be an entity in day or two, when
its five trustees who have been appointed
by Governor Gage are publicly announced.
This new institution will start out in a
small way, but it will mean much to the
educational interests of the State and
city and promises to soon rise to great
Importance
The appointement of the trustees and
the organization that must be completed
within sixty days have been the subjects
OF much quiet work, worry and specula-
ton In some quarters. 1t is known that
Judge NJ Cooney, who is mainly respon-
sible for the success in establishing the
school, is one of the trustees named. Sew
eral well known gentlemen have sought
the honor. Though the appointments are
made the public announcement awaits
the Governors pleasure
There are three leading candidates for
the office of principal, or rather "presi-
dent, as the heads of the State normal
schools are now officially termed Laura
d. Fowler, who has so long been principal
OF the city normal school, which the State
institution supplants, would like the place
ana may get II. Madison Babcock and w
D. Kingsbury of the San Francisco
School Department are hot after the
plum.
Within the limits Of the general laws
regulating State normal schools the Board
or trustees, of which the Governor and
superintendent of Public Instruction are
eX-ofhcio members, has quite absolute au-
thorlty in organizing and running the
school They may fix the length of the
course, the entrance requirements etc
ABOUT as they please, regulate the number
OF teachers, the salaries and so on.
It is known that what is to be done has
been pretty certainly outlined. The trus-
tees, with their $4,000 a year, will try to
take up the city institution when it will
be abandoned at the end of this school
year, enlarge and improve it somewhat
and begin an evolution toward a great
institution. The Board of Education will
be asked TO turn over the present prem
iSes and equipment, and if it does so the
new State Normal School will be opened
in the old quarters on Powell street, near
Sacramento. The present Normal School,
which is yet municipal institution,
though the expenses are paid by the
students, has 125 pupils and two teachers.
Probably the new school will open with
two teachers. Improvements will be made
and much equipment added. If other
quarters must be had they will be rented
somewhere.
1t is understood that the new quarters
will differ quite radically from the other
State normal schools at San Jose, Chico,
Los Angeles and San Diego 1t will, if the
ideas OF Mr.. Cooney and others are fol-
lowed as they probably will be. At the
other State normal schools the course is
four years and grammar school graduates
are admitted The first two years are
devoted to scientific and literary studies,
so that they are practically high schools.
Pedagogy figures in the last two years.
Judge CoOney believed that the institu-
tion should be purely a normal school
devoted to the training of teachers. 1t is
proposed to make the standard of admis-
sion a graduation from a high school or
its equivalent. School studies will be sim
ply reviewed and pedagogy and practical
experience in teaching will be the main
standard for admission the course Will
that students may spend half their time
in the city school rooms, getting practical
experience. 1t is proposed to turn out
teachers only and a high grade of them
The City Normal School has been prac-
ticaiiy a State one, for large percentage
of its students have gathered from vari-
Gus counties in the state and with it's
one years course its diplomas have been
recognized in over thirty counties. 1t is
expected that the high standard to be
adopted and the advantages of the city,
including it's schools will draw a large
attendance from all over the State.
In looking ahead its sponsors see sue
cess that in two years Will bring about
the building of a big edifice, an attend
ance of hundreds and adequate appropria-
tions.
1t was all the quick result of the clos
| ing of the City Normal School by the
! retrenching new board and a mastering
of it's friends for State support.