Evening journal., 1901-10-12
NO OVERWORK.
| SAYS TEACHER
Plans Of Educational Board
Are MiSCOlStruCd
INSTRUCTORS ARE RESElTFUL
Think Articles Published in News
papers Are a Reflection Upon
Their Intelligence

In speaking of the controversy concern
ing the coarse of professional study out
lined for the teachers by Professor Twit-
myer, one OF the bcst-known and success
ful teachers in the city, and member Of
the High School faculty, expressed him
self thus;
"The patrons of the public schools who
hnye followed with active interest all
that concerns their welfare, have cause
to regret the reflections that have been
cast upon the intelligence of the teachers
/ 10y various articles printed in the daily
papers during the present week. II has
been publicly charged upon alleged au-
thority that months study upon
twcnty-ninc pages of pedagogical work
with optional references to certain pages
of allied literature, has physically and
mentally incnpncitated number of the
teachers, and that unless relief comes,
designations may be expected. If any
such cases exist at the present time they
have not been called to the attention of
the Board of Public Education, and are
known only to those from whom the in
formation of their existence comes.
"What the teachers are Indignantly
agitatcd about ~ the sweeping assertions
p which include at least nincty-nine per
centum of the entire staff that has intelli-
gently mastered both the letter and spirit
of the present educational movement,
looking for the increased proficiency of
our schools and who are as intolligently
4 engaged In pursuing the course Of study
y outlined.
"The Board Of Public Education was
led to adopt the course after It's necessity
n was made apparent by the personal re-
1, port of each teacher upon the amount of
n her professional work done during the
year. The principals voluntarily took up
/. the work, and Superintendent Iwitmyer
in order TO make the course as logical as
!. lnoesibic -ias.cn,leavoresl at The same time
y to systcmatize the study to iis minimum
~ land in public conference held on Oc
- toher 3. he stated in the plainest English
y at his command. that he expected no inn
j. possibilities, and that NO teacher. MOI
corps of teachers was expected 10 do al
the work suggested i'm his monthly syl
laM His statement was both lucid an,
sufficiently emphatic 10 admit of no mis-
~ construction other than a wlful one. Tn
i list of twcnty-four books appended TO thu
October syllabus is designed for thos
who mny at any time desire 20 have a
M their command references TO the hes
I'm modern literature upon specific topic
ir- without having 10 spend time IN lookin
acl up the authorities themselves.
ell Superintendent Twitmycr has hrough
mel TO the work of the schools tweniy-liv
lnl years of experience in school manage
he mcmt. and he al least should be crcdite
oil with knowing what constitutes % ration'
ngl course of study and legitimate qualities
NAL tions for corps of teachers.
MS "Thc criticisms upon the Board of Edl
Mel cation. its methods or those of the supe
,htl nlcndcnt. as published, are untrue wit
n possibly the exception of the occasioni
cases referred 10 above and 1t is due
the patrons of the schools that they kno
that those who are entrusted with I'll
~ education of the children Of Wilmingto
~ are neither mentally nor physically il
~ capacitatcd."