The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-11-01
TEACHERS
IN ELKTON.
Continued From First Page
SUPT. STEPHENS ADDRESS.


Mr.. Chairman. Ladies and Gentlemen:
am very glad to meet with YOU
AT your opening session and congratulate
both you and the school officials that the
attendance is 50 large. 1t speaks well
for your habit of punctuaty and also
strengthens Il belief | have long enter
tanned that no class of public servants
perform their manifold duties with more
fidelity than ito our public school teach
erS.
The real work of instruction and con
sidrratiOn of those duties which confront
you in your school rooms are really be-
gun the first session of this Institute, and
for good REASONS. The exercises thus far
have appealed to you, not alone as teach
erS. but also rs representatives of a
great school system, responsible i'll
larse sense for its healthful adminiStra-
ton. and it is along this line Of duty |
would speak to you this morning in the
hope that | can point ont some way by
which you may aid III curing some of the
defects which now weaken school admin
iStraton i'll our own State.
YuO have all noticed perhaps that dur
ing the present year our American school
system, and indeed our State school SyS-
tenn have been rulrly criticised. An in
vcStigation was made into the conduct
and efficiency of the State Normal School
an Baltimore. \ committee was appoint
ed by the Legislature to investigate the
matter and the chairman was surprised
to learn that our average county teacher
has more than one grade in her room at
the same time. They had no idea that
oh nt
upon our teachers. and indeed if the
critics will arrange one grade for each
teacher, we will Sho" them the best
State school system in the country. |
wonder if There are not many other mis-
apprphcnSionS concerning our work. |
wonder if our people generally have any
proper conception of the many demands
made upon, and the high character of
work done by the average school teacher.
All of us admire this great system Of
public education. believe in its under
lying principles. and are Jealous to adj
vance the high purposes for the accom-
pliShment of which it was designed. |
care not how poorly he may avail him
self of its advantages, or how Indifferent
ne may appear to the advancement Of
its interests, there is not Il representative
person in the community who would not
defend the system from unjust criticism.
or from the attacks of IN enemy. who
would not protest with all his energies
against the aboliShmcnt of the system rs
:, State institution.
More serious however than any cIti-
ciSm which has come to our State SyS-
TEN was the severe arrangement of the
whole American school system Il few
days ago, by the President of ON" of our
great Eastern Universities in an address
delivered before the State Teachers As
ISOLATION of Connecticut. He held that
public education had not kept pace with
our civilization and social conditions and
laid at its door the responsibility for in
creased strikes. industrial wars, love of
vaudeville, dime novels and indeed law
lrSSnrSs generally. Can You imagine II
more remarkable criticism or one which
will excite greater controversy: Is it
possible that DIR. Elliot has such IL vague
5ica of the mission of the public school
that he holds it absolutely responsible
for the comprehensive education of the
child! No one denies that il is the most
influential, but are we to forget that the
home, the church. the social circle. the
newspaper. the reading book. and many
IL
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