Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-17


thing Of the great responsibility rost
ing upon this body, a responsibility |
greater than usual because Of the pc
culiar conditions at present confronting |
this Board.
need not say. that we are entrusted
gentlemen. with great power and tls
great power brings with II correspond I,
lngly great responsibilities. We are
intrustcd with power commensurate
with government itself: we are given
power to levy tax upon the people
Of this city whether they will or no:
and collect from the people of this cit
vast sum of money pIch year for the
maintenance of the schools Of the city.
and more than two thirds of this rcyc-
nue. is paid out monthly To the employ
cs Of this Board for personal services
rendered. We collect each year from the
people of this city about Sil0.OOO and
wc are trustees Of that fund. an1 1t is
our sworn duty 10 account to the pco-
pie Of this city for the manner in
which that money * expended. In
other words. IL is - business PROPOSE
ton. and tile people OF Akron cNprt
dividends from their Investment: and
II is the duty Of this Board and ii is
within its power 10 see that il is a
dividend paying Investment. and more
sentiment. or any other reason. must
not stand in the way OF securing the
largest returns possible.
We are not dealing With money. rev
cnuo, dollars and cents only, but with
something vastly more important: as
much more important as manhood and
wonanbood and good citizenship is
above and beyond and more important
than brick and stone and mortar and
money
| We are dealing with minds that are
| tender and ilnpressiunnblc aa sculpiurs'
clay. and while so tender and impress
siouablc. yet the impressions made are
more permanent and enduring than The
finished bronze statue: thcy are etcr-
nal
! Hence it Is that the first and most i'm
portant matter that this Buard has to
deal with is its teaching force. and no
ono should be employed or retained i'll
its employment whose word and whose
motives are not above ana beyond sus-
| picion or rcproach indeed. this must
| be the case in order that there may
be even II measure of success. The
employees must be men and women
that the scholars will respect and re-
we're, and il is only by having such
employees that the Board can hope to
make this vast investment dividend
paying. And while the personnel of
the teaching force is OF great import
ancc il is equally important that after
Il teacher is once empIoycd, that that
teacher should be encouraged. and that
the conditions Surrounding the teach
or should be such that ii will create
confidence on the part of the teacher
that her efforts and abilities win be
appreciated, and thus incite the teach
er to self-improvemcnt.
over our difficulties one day said to
me, you can't treat teachers with
any degree of consideration. They are
never satisfied with anything. The
only way you can handle them is with
IA club
Now, do not believe this is the way
to get good service from any employees
or class of employees. do not believe
ii is the way to get good service from
the teachers do not believe it is the
way TO handle II dog.
| am thoroughly of the opinion that
a teacher should be hired for proba-
tionary period but after the employ
ment is continued certain length of
time, the employment should continue
during good behavior ana satisfactory
service, and as the law now exists the
annual hiring of teachers should he II
mere form so far as Tho old teaching
force is concerned, and there should
not he this periodical nervousness and
uncertainty Oh the part of nearly all
the teachers. | believe that after q
teacher has once been admitted into
the school as n regular teacher, that
there should then be adopted Il careful
; ly prepared scheme of promotions; the
promotions depending upon length OF
service efficiency of service, and al
yancement in scholarships You viii
then have teaching force whose ten
ure of service will not be unccrtam
who will have something TO work for
whose identity with The schools is
practically liked, ana who will be en-