Evening star., 1900-01-10

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Meeting of Board of Trustees Held
Yesterday Afternoon.
SUPERINTENDENT COOK CRITICISED
Alleged Failure to Visit Schools in
His Charge.
ca NGES Need
NGES ANN 0 Z n G L ID

The January meeting of the board OF
school trustees of the District OF Columpia,
held yesterday afternoon in the ffanklh
School building, was enllVened by state
ment of Mrs Francis of the tenth schooi
division (colored) to the effect that super
intendent Cook of the colored schools, the
ninth, tenth and eleventh divisions, mas not
fuTf1Ind the duties of his office in regard to
visiting the schools nor in personally at
tending or ordering grade meetings She
introduced a resolution calling upon the
two school superintendent to submit at the
next meeting of the board reports as to the
number of grade meetings held through
their order and the number of talks per-
sonally given by them, and another resoiu-
ton requiring the superintendent OF the
colored divisions to perform certain duties
The resolutions provoked much discussion,
the former being finally unanimously
adopted and the second temporarily with
drawn. Superintendent Cook was present.
In the absence of President Whelpley, Mr.
| Job Barnard was chosen chairman Mr. j.
G.. FaIck filling his position as secretary
There were present, in addition to the pre-
siding officer. Messrs. Geo. FL. HarrleS, D.
| II. Iazen. j. II. Wilson. S. n. Brown, T. H.
Wright, Geo. B. Richardson. Mrs. NJ. B.
Tulloch and Mrs. B. G. Francis.
A letter from the District of Columbia w
c. T. T., expressing sympathy with the
movement to do away with the saloon at
| the corner of 1st street and New York ave
nue. on account Of its proximity to a SchOol
building, read
| A communication was received, signed by
Geo. W. Murray. L. H. Harris, Chas. B.
Purvis, W. A. Wells. jr,, W. J. Howard
and w. Calvin Chase, calling attention to
the case of Mabel E. Brooks, who, it was
stated, has conducted a kindergarten in this
city for two years without compensation
and who last September entered the exam
| l,a
of applicants for assistant kindergarteners
she being denied appointment on the
ground. the communication alleges, that
she did not hold a diploma from the High
School
Subsequent to this continued the let
ter. Miss Ance Lewis, who did not even
enter the High School, was permitted to be
appointed. upon the ground, it is alleged,
that her collateral qualifications We're such
as to justify such action. We are not
aware just what those collateral qualifica
tions were, and we do not question the
right of the board to take the action it did.
Miss Brooks completed her first year in the
High School, but was unable to prosecute
her studies further on account of illness.
from which she has now recovered. She
holds a teachers certificate from the
Hampton Normal School certifying to her
proficiency. We respectfully ask that her
name be placed on the eligible list of kim
dergartenerS.
The communication was referred to the
committee on kindergartens with instruc-
tions to report at the next meeting.
Medical Examinations.
The system at present in vogue in the
schools of medically examining pupils in
each grade for the purpose of ascertaining
the effect cf school confinement on the
health and development came in for a
| brief discussion in the consideration of a
communication from the District Commits
sioners referring to a letter of complaint
in the matter SuDerint pn1ent powell
stated no child was examined QueS-
toned without the consent of parents. He
was instructed to SO inform the Commis-
SionerS.
A letter from the authorities of Lehigh
University, renewing the offer of last year
of six complimentary scholarships to the
Washington High Schools, was received
and properly referred.
The letter bears date of December T. 1899.
is signed by President Drown of Lehigh,
and was addressed to Dr. Lane, director
OF High Schools and is as follows:
I'VE have no reason to regret our offer
of last year to a few schools of high repu-
tation, of honorary scholarships. and l am
disposed to renew the offer for the coming
year to those schools which have sent US
particularly good men.
Would you be willing to accept the Of
fer to the Washington High School of six
scholarships three classical or Latin-Scien-
titic, and three technicaD for the year be-
ginning September. 1900? All of the boys
you sent us last September are doing first
class work ana are all tHey were repre-
sented to be-
Mrs. Francis Heard.
1t was at this juncture Mrs. Francis
stated that she desired to call the atten-
ton of the board to a lack of supervision
in the colored schools of the District. She
submitted the resolutions referred to,
which, in addition to calling for a report
of the number of grade meetings held
through their order and direction by
the supervisors of each division, called
for a statement of the number of lectures
or talks personally given by them to teach
ers of the high normal and kindergarten
schools for the year ending June 80 1899.
And further, that the superintendent of
the NINTH tenth and eleventh divisions of
the public schools be ordered to personally
hold and conduct grade meetings of the
teachers under his supervision, said meet
irgs of each grade to be held not less than
four times during a school year; that he
order and direct his supervisors TO their
mode and manner of conducting grade
meetings.: that he meet and confer with the
supervisors not less than once week, and
that he give a general supervision in the
way of talks and lectures to teachers of
tho high normal and kinderpa ri en- Schools