Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-05-28
ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
"Patron" Has Something More TO
Say on This Subject
He OUTLINES THE WORK DONE
And insisls That The Schools are Better
Organized and Conducted Tnan al
Any Time Before.
He OUTLINES THE WORK DONE
Martinsburg, May 26.

ACAt aOihES vi ttN EOhAaNASH ~ 49,
school board, behind closed doors.
plainly calls for an open door policy,
as the need of the hour.
When the notice of dismissal to the
head and organizer of the work of our
whole system of city schools. was to
be determined upon, the president and
all the members of the board, should
have had part in matter so vital to
our schools. Instead the three gentle
men, Messrs. Paulding, Seibert and
Whetzel. with no regard for advice,
aud protests of President Rusler and
Mr.. Snowden, by mere force OF one
majority, placed on the minutes OF
that meeting record of an action, the
most unreasonable to be found on it's
pages. can scarcely believe that
these gentlemen will urge the full force
and effect of their action when they
have reflected upon the enorinity OF
their crime against good public policy.
Gentlemen, the searchlight Of an in
teiligent public criticism that always
finds in erring officials the ways that
are dark and the tricks that are vain"
is upon you. He whom We have iRnor-
antly wronged / will declare unto you
and the public. Prof. G. II. Cole in
response to an invitation from the
board of education came to this city.
He came with reputation as an edu-
Gator, and so well sustained it before
our board of examiners that the mem.
beers of that board understood, at the
scope of his knowledge, the correct
ness Of his theory Of the art In
teaching.
The first four years make up the
primary department.. The second four
years in the ward schools furnish the
elements of all the common branches,
and the work is closrly graded and
carefully laid out, SO that the papil
NAV receive the greatest possible bene-
fit from the time that he is in school.
The High school is organized wath
four courses, viz: the English, the
modern language, the scientific, apdl
the classical; all of which, but the
English lead to corresponding courses,
in the University of West Virginia,
In announcing this work Prof Cole
tells that ';It will be the endeavor of
the board Of education to maintain a
well-graded school, having the best,
tried and approved methods, methods
in accordance with the laws of child
development, a school having the
highest type of instruction and gener
al management: to bring the highest
moral and intellectual in nuencss to-
bear upon it. that tie pupils entrusted
to their care, may, to the greatesc
possible degree, be animated and guild
ed bv spirit of noble manhood and
womanhood. This completed work
was published in 1898 in connection
with the catalogue of the Officers and
teachers of the Martinsbure public
schools for the years kl89S and 1899.
This work was heartily approved by
the board Of education and the entire
corps of teachers of the city schools.
1t stands TODAY as the most complete,
schools ever published. Several at
tempts have been made by smart mem
bers of the board to improve ION the
High school curriculum, and the order
of work therein. These curriculum
thinkers found that they were about as
we'll qualified for such work ne they
would be to enter pursuit of medical
science for the discovery of the photo
zoon of smallpox and its antidote.
He entered upon the Ia borious duties
of arranging course of studies cover
ing a period of IL years, with 12|
grades, apportioning to each term of
school just so much of each subject as
might readily be appropriated by the
average pupil.
The school law does not impose such
duties on members of the board. The
act of December 26, 1878, reads thus:
hC OOhiN chdht hofO POWCk w Cc-
tablish one high school for the DIS
trict. in which shall be taught such
higher branches of learning as the SUI
perintendent( with the approvalof the
board OF education) may designate.
The law does not contemplate the need
of curriculum committee on High
school course, but says that the SUI
perintendent may designate. Why?l
Beca use he should be a learned gen.
tleman, at once capable of performing
this duty. In Prof. G. H. Cole both
the law and the board have a friend
worthy of their confidence. His work
has been well done. Shall his seven
years work heyundonef Shall new
man Ia Brindle possibly be turned in
to tear down what has been done?
Do the parents Of this town want to
buy new school books, possibly, to