The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-01
The City Superintendencv.

Ine city or Scranton is exceedingly
fortunate in having two men so well
placed as are Principal Phillips and
superintendent Howell. The former
has made of the new high school some
thing more than a mere jumping off
place In the public school route: he
has made it radiating center of the
entire educational system OF the COM
munity, sending uplifting currents Of
energy and inspiration in every di-
rection He has done so well in so
hrief time that in all Kindness we feel
constrained to suggest that for the
city's sake he should not be disturbed
The high school is by no means a fin
fshed work. 1t has yet to be broadened
ana improved. Professor Phillips, all
must admit, is pre-eminently the man
to continue the immediate personal di-
rection of this evolutionary process
and on the professional side it consti-
tutes by no means an inadequate ambi-
tion.
What Professor Phillips has been as
the experimenting principal of the
high school Professor Howell has been
in the wider field of the city superin-
tendency. The two tasks are dissim-
| liar. They necessitate at many points
different qualifications. The work of
the superintendent calls for more of
the spirit Of the wrestler. He has to
serve as kind of buffer between the
politicians who want to make of the
| schools a commodity in political man
| ipulation and the people, whose needs
| and interests too often have no other
| special champion. 1t is to the everlast-
ing credit of the present superintend- =
ent that he has on several conspicuous
occasions met this none too enviable
| task without fiinching, and the antag-
onisms he has incurred while standing
up for the people are not the least of
his recommendations for a reelection.
During the superintendency of Pro-
| fessor Howell the school work in our
| city schools has been very noticeably
| advanced in efficiency and system. To-
day the syllabus of studies introduced
| by him makes it possible for chill
den to 6nd their proper place and
Pade in ally locality within the city
which II Hparents may happen to
FemoVe. Aas been set for the
'teachers bugh not unreason-
able. yet suffices to keep their hest en-
ergies active. Instruction in many
ways has been practicalized. to the
end that the pupil, upon leaving the
! city schools, may know many things
about home geography, home geology,
home methods of government and
| home interests in general which will
be especially useful to the man OF
woman living in Scranton and yet not
| without disciplinarian value no mat
ter where the pupil shall locate One
particularly happy feature of Professor
| Howells S superintendenCy has been the
local institution of a pupils savings
fund, now amounting to $4,000 OF
enough to purchase $4,000 worth of in
terest bearing bonds, which will give in
creased instruction in thrift and ir
business forms and methods. These
various new features have not beer
applied as fads but have formed items
in a carefully matured plan to make
Of our free schools more efficient aids
in the cultivation of.practical citizen
ship, which, after all, is their supreme
aim and justification.
Work done SO we'll in the face OF
many obstacles is its own best irdorse
ment. AS we said at the beginning OF
this article, Professors Phillips and
Howell are the men for their places
The board of control will make no mis-.
take if it shall refuse to disrlace OF
to readjust the duties of either