The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-11-02
TEACHERS SOCIAL.
President Edward 0ferman
Of Hoboken Addresses
Teachers at Phil
lips Hall.

4N6 q TX JSIGty lily 4SaS1ACtS A0H
held in Phillips Hall. This club boasts q
membership of over two hundred and at
least half that number was present at the
| social.
The evening opened with an excellent
programme. Miss Lydia X. Ennis, presi-
dent of the club, presided and introduced
each participant in turn. The first seiec-
ton was a piano solo, "Galop de Bravoure
ton was a plano solo. .sGalop de Bravoure,'
by Miss q. La. Riviere. Then came a
recitation, @Her Letter" (Bret Harte) by
Miss Sara C. KInkead; Miss Kathrin y.
Griffin, rendered a vocal solo, n tne
| speaker of the evening, Mr.. Edward Ofef-
man, president of the Hoboken Board OF
Education, was introduced as the
| parents and chiidren's friend"
Mr.. Offerman spoke on the Relation OF
| the Boards of Education to the Teacher
| and his address contained much gooa
| advice to the instructors of Childhood lie
warned the teacher to remember MAJ the
public schools was created for the cniidren
and not for the teacher. The teacners
were merely the educators Of the boys
| and girls. and for this purpose, they, the
| teachers were trained at public expense
| and governed by the people.
AT is the teachers and not the Board
Of Education" said he, "wtho must exc
| cute this sublime commission. 1t is tne
| teacher who comes closer to the young
| and has greater influence in moidlng tnelr
| character and directing their intellect
| than any one else on earth except the
| father and mother, and often the influence
| of the teacher exceeds even that OF par
| ents. Boards of education, therefore, are
| vested with a momentous responsibility
In the selection of teachers. These should
| be men and women of high character ana
| culture and devoted to duty and to Amer
lean ideals. The character of a teacher
| should be considered as carefully as that
of a Clergyman. The teacher is TO the
child the ideal man or woman (untii the
| contrary is sometimes learned unhappily),
| and neither fear nor favor should fndnce
a board to appoint an unworthy person.
words cannot express the depth and
warmth of my belief in our common
| school system. 1t is a great social leveller,
a mighty political and moral force in the
| economy of a democratic republic where
classes and masses are merged n lost
| sight of in our grand. common citizenship.
7 believe that our public schools should
| be so good. so sound, so wholesome, SO
| thorough, that there could be no reason
| for a private school in the whole length
and breadth Of the land.
1.-The relation of boards of education to
| teachers can be, should be, and must be
something higher han the relation OF the
| EMPLOYER to the employed. Let boards OF
| education assume that teaching is an
| honorable profession worthy of the high
| est consideration, and in their official acts
and rules show those who instruct our
! children both respect and confidence, and
I believe that teachers generally will rise
to that high mark in their own estimation
and in the estimation of the public. and
that most of them will strive to live up
TO that ideal. If, on the other hand,
teachers as a bod are ~tyranndzed over
and treated as irresponsible subordinates
1t is impossible to expect them TO be AMI
mated by professional zeal, personal pride
or intellectual Independence, all quahties
that we desire to see reflected in our boys
and girls, so that they may grow up as
lineal loyal descendants of the FOUNDERS
of American independence.
PREACHERS, however, must be conscious
of the nobility of their calling, and live
up to it. Any act that detracts from their
dignity lessons their influence for good
over our children, and meets with CEN
sure by the public, because it reacts as a
detriment 10 the schools. In their per-
sonral walk and conversation, teachers
should not lose sight of the fact that 1t is
their privilege to stand before the peo-
pie clothed with a majesty mat Is second
only to the clergy, and, because q lnis,
any act of improperly on their part
arouses the resentment of the commun-
ity. ,a
opinion, extend the greatest consideration
to these teachers whose length OF service
has placed them permanently IN the pro-
fession, and whose experience IN human
{boy n gir) nature, and in the science
of imparting knowledge makes them or
inestimable value as instructors, exam
pies and friends to the youth under tnelr
Youthful n pretty face has more in1u-
ence with school officials than has many
years of faithful and ef1cient service
ture. but 1t is unjust to teacher and
community alike Valuable as is the SER
vice rendered by the young teacher. 1t is
not these charming girls, most of whom
soon embark in matrirnony, or in some
other callings-valuable as is the services
rendered by them. it is the old and ex-
and salvation of our schools. / am inn
PEELED to refer to this question. by the
fact that in some places there seems to
be a determination to "get rid" of old.
faithful and successful teachers, and to
replace them by young and inexperienced
men and. women. Aside from the wrong
done to individuals. this movement is full
of danger to the schools.
"What is needed Is excellence In teach
ers. This alone would solve all the
questions at issue, for with excellent
without a board of education. But no
board, however constituted, can advance
the cause of education n iota without
IA member of a board of education