Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-21
THE SCHOOL, INQUIRY
Statements Made blythe Supervising
Principals.
Mr.. FREBMAN'S SHARP CRITICISMS
No Drill in the, Fundamental
Branches Of Education.
AN OR AL q r A NJ NJ A r
tR. FREBMAN'S SHlRP CRITICISMS
AN ORAL AR

AN ORAL FRAN MAR
The hearing on the subject of the public
schools of this, city by g. subcommittee of
the Senate District committee was contin-
ued yesterday afternoon after The Stars
report was closed. Sena tors Stewart and
Gallinger questioned the supervising prin-
cipafs of the schools closely as to the
methods of teaching in the schools and a
number Of criticisms were called out The
feature of the hearing was the criticism of
Mr.. John D. Freeman. supervising princi-
pal Of the eighth division. who severely
scored the methods in vogue in the schools
Supervising Principal Janney defended the
school system and took exception to some
things that Mr. Freeman had said
The colored principals made defense of
their schools, and were especially anxious
that no white supervision be given them.
There were many complaints of a lack
of school room and some of insanitary con-
ditiOns of the buildings.
DR.. Lane, director of High Schools, con-
tinuing his testimony, said that during the
last year special stress had been laid on
spelling on account of the clamor in the
city.
IL
deal for those who wanted it, but he
thought it did little for the boy who was
repealed by it. Now a larger number of
scholars secure benefits. When he was
teacher in the eighth grade school he
taught twenty-one subjects, and laid tre-
mendous stress on grammar, Spencerian
penmanship and arithmetic. The schools
We're strong then on rules. The scholars
knew the grammar. but that did not give
them ability to construct Il narrative. Now
they lay stress on the use of language
more than the rules. In arithmetic they
could do any example to which they could
apply rule, but if they couldn't find
rule for it they We're embarrassed.
DR.. Hazen, chairman of the committee
on the course of study, was called but
said he preferred having the supervising
in the schools, as he had not committed
them to memory.
The Methods Of Spelling.
Mr. N. P. Gage, supervising principal of
the second division, was questioned regard
ing the duties of supervising principals
Thirty years ago, when he came to the
schools in this city, the children were
taught by the phonetic method. Now they
are given an entire word and learn it as a
whole. He thought they learned with about
the same facility under each method.
Mr.. A. T. Stuart. supervising principal in
the third division, was questioned in re-
gard to the teaching of spelling. The sys-
TEN contemplates that all the words used
by the child shall be spelled. The result is
the children are able to spell larger num-
Der of words, and if anything is neglected it
is those words that are only found in the
spelling books and do not occur in their
histories and biographies He thought it
was defective in the spelling of the words
used in the home. The course of instruc-
t1on in the last few years has widened. The
old instruction was narrow, and as it was
narrow, 1t was thorough. The new sys-
ter &c fh.A, ,,,It
to observe. The most notable increase in
the course of study was when manual
training was introduced. He thought that
necessarily thoroughness had been sacri-
feed to a more extensive education. Man
ual training for boys and cooking and sew
ing instruction for girls had been forced on
the schools by popular demand, and the
time demanded for these courses lessened
the time to be given classical studies. He
thought there might be more thoroughness
with fewer studies. He thought the same
thoroughness could be had without materi-
ally reducing the number of studies. He
thought the teachers were overworked The
trouble was in agreeing on what the essen
t1als of education are great deal had
been said about the enrichment of the
courses of studies of the schools. but every
thing that was put in the curriculum re-
suited in something coming out
Senator Gal!lnger suggested that only
per cent of the pupils of the first eight
grades go to the High School, and asked
first eight grades should not be thorough as
far as it goes.
Mr.. Stuart said that throughout the
country at large only 21s per cent of the
scholars get into high schools. The per-
centage here, he thought, was very large
in comparison with what is experienced
elsewhere.
Supervisors and Teachers
Senator Gallinger-'Is there good feel
ing between teachers and supervising prin-
cipals as a rule?"
He said between himself and his teachers
there was good understanding.
Mr.. Gallinger said complaint had been
made there is too much supervision
Mr.. Stuart said that supervising princi-
pals do not take the initiative in matters
OF supervision but are under the superin-
tendent. He knew Of no friction between
teachers and executive officers of the board
of supervising principals
Senator Stewart said one teacher had
complained that she had been corrected
by her supervising principal in the pres
ence OF hef scholars, thereby leSsening her
influence with them, and he wanted to
knew If that was a practice.
Mr.. Stuart said his practice was not to
correct any teacher in the presence of her
scholars and he didn't think 1t was a wise
thing for an executive officer to do. The
supervision in this city, he said is less than
in most Of larger cities In nearly ev-
cry large city of the country the super
wishing principal does not teach, but spends
the time in supervising Here these prin-
cipals teach and do not have SO much
time in which to supervise.
Those In the school service who have re-
ssponsibility, he said, are underpaid. In
fact, he considered the teachers were all
underpaid. He had looked over the Dis
trict appropriation bill lately and seen that
ten coal passers were paid $500 year each.
In the same bill, he said, 1t would be seen
that forty-fve teachers are paid $500 year
each. He thought the system of grading
teachers a present was all right, as 1t con-
tempiated paying experienced teachers bet
ter than beginners. He said there was
great deal of need for more school room.
There were great many halliday schools,
and he considered that the halliday schools
were responsible for many Of the defcien-
cfes complained of. Congress had seemed
willing to build school houses Of late years.
but just at the present time the building of
the schools Is being delayed on account of
the rise in the price Of building material.
the deficiency to be asked for from the
present Congress. -;
Mr.. Freeman's Criticisms.
Mr.. John D. Freeman. supervising prin-
cipal Of the eighth division 4the county,,
was called on. In the county Ihe has white
and colored schools east of the Anacostia