The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-11
WAS NO ELECTION
SCHOOL BOARD POSTPONED CHOICE
OF TEACHERS FOR A MONTH.
PRINCIPALS MADE REPORTS.
THEY AND SUPT. ASHMORE DIS
CUSsED TEACHERS FRANKLY.

Work Is Not AltOg ether Sattsfac-
tOry-The Highest Standard of
Efficiency Must BE Preserved-Su-
perintendent Tells in Report OF
Conditions in and Plans for the
SchooIs-Presence of Bare Quorum
and Desire to Look Deeper Into
the Question Caused POstpOnement
of Election.
The annual meeting of the Board of
Education was held at Chatham Academy
yesterday afternon. This meeting is that
at which the principals and teachers are
usually elected. but on account of the
small attendance and for other reasons
the election was postponed until next
month.
There were present President George
A. Mercer and Messrs. Henry Blum, NJ.
A. O'Byrne and p. A. Stoval and DR.. M
i. Dunn. Supt. Otis Ashmore was also
present. The report of the superintend-
ent. giving an interesting summary of
present conditions in and future plans
for the conduct of the school system Of
the city and county, was read as follows
with the present month the scholastic
year will close, but full report cannot
be made until your next meeting, when
it will be possible to present all the sta
tistical information concerning the opera
tions of the schools together with such
suggestions as to their Improvement as
may be deemed proper from a careful
consideration of all the facts.
1T will perhaps be sufficient for me
upon this occasion. occupied as it will be
with the formal consideration of such
matters as pertain to an annual meeting,
to refer briefly to those questions which
must engage your attention now.
"As | have mentioned in my previous
monthly reports, our schools have been
operated under some disadvantages for
the past eighteen months, which have of
necessity affected somewhat the charac-
ter of their work, and which in a measure
have been unsatisfactory to us all, but
these disa dvantages have not been Sc
rious in their results. Looking back upon
the situation that confronted us when
Chatham Academy was destroyed by fire,
in December. 1899 I am satisfied that the
course adopted by the board at that time,
to meet the emergency, by establishing
afternoon schools was the wisest and best
one possible under the circumstances.
Despite the inconvenience to the public
the afternoon schools have been well
patronized, and the people generally have
accepted the situation with very COM
nendable spirit.
The illness and death of Mr.. Glenn,
the principal of the Anderson Street
School, was serious embarrassment for
about two months. but the selection of his
successor seems to have been wise one
and the school is now in smooth opera
ton.
1T gives me much pleasure to report to
you the fidelity with which the principals
of the schools have discharged their duties
during the year. The management of a
large system of schools, Involving as 1T
does nearly every phase of human rights
and actions, demands not only scholarship
and culture. character and high purpose,
but cool level-headed judgment that
comes only with experience. The princi-
pals of our schools have given me their
loyal support during the year in all mat
tiers looking to the welfare of the system.
and cheerfully commend them for their
faithful work Our teaching body, too,
with few exceptions. l beheve, will
compare favorably with that of any city
in the country. Most of them have
shown a very commendabe spirit of i'm
provement and the results have been
plainly observed in their work. The
principals, who will report upon the con-
dition of their own schools, will give any
information about the individual teachers
that seems proper to them. AS the sue
cess of a school system depends at last
upon the character of the teaching. it is
of the utmost Importance that proper
teachers be selected and retained, and
that every effort should be made to i'm
prove and inspire them. No action of
this board can be of more importance
than that which looks to the wise seIec
ton of new teachers and the constant
improvement of those already In the
system.
THE selection of a principal for the
Thirty-eighth street school is a very inn
portant matter for your consideration. l
have already a number of applications,
but believe il would be wisest for us 20
defer definite action on this matter till
the July meeting. BY that time more APP
plications will be submitted, more time
Will be given me to examine the mer-
its of each applicant, and you will then
have more time to consider the question.
We cannot afford TO make a mistake I'm
this matter. Savannah now has a very
enviable reputation in the selection of the
principals of her schools, and the good
judgment of the board, in my opinion.
can be exercised in clearer light one
month hence than at the present time.
Il think it would be wise for the board
TO authorize the Committee on School
Houses to consider such repairs as may
be necessary to the school buildings dur
ing the summer in order that no unnec-
essary delay may occur
1T is probable that considerable changes
In the district lines will be necessary IN
order TO adapt our new schools to the
increasing population. l have the ele-
ments Of this complicated problem well
in hand, however. and It's best solution
will be found during the otherwise leis-
IRE hours Of the summer months"
Afterwards the principals of the va
rious schools were called before the board
and submitted seperate reports of tn,
work In the schools under their direction
and OF the competency and degree Of dill
gence and attention to duty exhibited by
their teachers. The principals spoke high
Qy Of most Of the teachers and said tha
most of them were doing good work. AL
seemed to be trying. but some there were
who were lacking in efficiency
Both the superintendent and the prin
oipals discussed this question of the per
sonnet Of the teaching force frankly and
freely. They are all very anxious tina
the work of the schools should exhibit
the highest possible efficiency and tina
every teacher should do his or her full
duty.
There was barely a quorum OF the board
present and IL was determined to leave
The matter Of eectinR principals anc
teachers for the July meeting The prin
cipal and teachers OF the new Thirty.