The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-23
THE OTHER SIDE.
A Latter In Defence OF Teachers and Super
intendents.

luteH0cutSs
Editor OF The Times:
Sir,-I am glad to notice that CORE
spondeuts of The Times on the subject
OF educa ton in Virginia are displaying
more liberal, conservative spirit
This is WELL since without conserVa-
tism in expression Of public opinion we
cannot, hope to know the truth. me
naked ttuth does not appear IN the dls-
ouisition of persons who speak as II they
had a copyright on the Superlattye al
jectives.
But when one begins to pose as a re-
former; of other folks shortcomings
he is liable to do this.
1t appears to me that some parties who
are prescribing so freely for the cure
of our free school impotency are admin
istering their physic to the wrong party.
The writer was hearing recitation IN
hygiene a few days ago, and asked
a boy of ten years what he would pre-
.cribe if he were called to see q man
threatened with pneumonia, and found
his windows broken and the wind and
rain beating. in. He replied, L would give
the windows a full dose of glass. The
hottest fire in the opening of the present
lisIst for better facilities educational,
was directed at the public school teach
ers But the great trouble does not lie
here. AS have before said through
your columns. the district school teachers
indolent class of people which they have
been represented to be. l indct no
man, but wish to say this to show the
inconsistency and unfairnesS show
by one of your correspondents recently
in speaking OF aur un rim
lie said in substance that these officers
did only about what could be done by
clerk.
But" he continued 1.-The superinten-
dents receive clerks wages and they do
| the work of a clerk This in defense of
the superintendent. have no charge
| to bring against the superintendent or
any other class of officer of our public
school system, but will observe this: Our
F.! county superintendent receive not less
| than five dollars per day for all the work
| they do in connection with the public
| schools I think this estimate is cor
rect If it is not I hope to be correct
ed But the average teacher gets one
| dollar and fifty cents per day for about
| one hundred days in the year; or, in
| other words, he works one hundred days
for less than one-half of what the SUI
| perintendent makes In two-thirds the
| time Then if the superintendent may
| be excused for not doing greater
| amount Of work (and am certainly will
| ling to excuse them), are not the teach
| ers due some little excuse on the same
| score?
| If we notice carefully the criticisms di-
| rected against our district school teach.
| ers we will find that they come chiefly
| from teachers Of normal schools and col
| leges. On this point I wish to say
| thing: 1t would not require a dligent
| search to find teachers in the above nam
| ed schools who have had some experience
! in teaching district schools. and wht
! have been far more successful in the eyes
| Of the public in the former than In the
| latter. Nor is this strange when We ex-
| anime the subject intellisently. The dis.
I trict school teacher has under his con
| slant care everybodyss children, and the
| majority OF them are of an age wher
| they learn least and require the most at
| tention. But on an average only about
| 20 per cent. of them have the innate abili-
| ty to take an education in the proper
| sense of the term. With this class the
| teacher has little trouble, and If tbs
! whole number attending our district
/ schools were of this type. I venture that
/ IS per cent. of our teachers would be OF
! good repute. But the most promising
/ half or two-thirds of this so per cent
! eventually enter some normal school or
/ college, and as matter OF course do
/ well and add to the reputation OF the
/ professors as able educators. while the
| public-school teacher is Iaboring hard.
! though theoretically. with the 20 per cent
When the writer was student at
Athens, ". Va, he took mathematics un-
der a newly appointed professor, who the
year before taught district school. and
1t was commonly repeated In mountain
4 phraseology that .'tIs school did no good
/ at ALL But his reputation as a teacher
i Of mathematics and other branches in the
i rcrrnal was c.,od. This Is simple Illus
tration of my point which is not taken
into consideration by those who criticise
! the teacherof the ungraded public school.
Their work often does make q posr show