The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-08-25

may make Snoulu De met IN spirit
of cheerful acquiescence and OF loyal
helpfulness.
II you feel that you cannot render
the department such loyal service in
any given position, it would become
your duty to ask for a transfer to
some other school.
We trust that you will meet the diff
Guilty in the right spirit, and that in
the future there will be only harmony
between yourself and your associates.
Yours respectfully,
(Signed) JAMES C. DAVIS,
Superintendent of Public instruction.
Honolulu. H. l.. Aug. %, 1905.
Mr.. c. F.. Copeland, Prin. Wailuku
School, Honolulu.
Dear Sir: Through charges pre-
ferred by yourself against Mrs. s. b.
Harry and from other sources, the
condition of things In the Wailuku
public school has been brought to our
| notice.
While recognizing the peculiar diff
| ficulties under which you assumed
your duties as principal of this school,
and recognizing also the vigor with
which you have grasped the situation
| on its academic side, yet we feel
bound to call to your attention certain
| matters in relation to which we be-
| lieve you may be able to improve the
| situation in the future.
1t should be the study of a tactful
| principal on entering a new school,
and especially a school in which he
supersedes a former principal, to rec
| al hat 10 onn6 in the former
working of the schoo'; to praise where
praise may be given, to recognize the
peculiar difficulties which may have
been a cause, or at least an excuse for
existing wrongs. and in all his sug-
gestions for the betterment of the
school discipline or instruction. to
avoid all appearance of harsh criticism.
! And this he should do in all due defer
ence to the feelings and judgments Of
others, remembering that education is
not yet an exact science and that
others have a right to their opinions
as to what is proper standard of dis
cipline and instruction and that what
has been approved by ones conscience
or ones former principal must be corr
rected by a new principal slowly, per-
haps, tactfully and patiently at all
events.
On assuming the principalship of this
school, it seems to have been your de-
termination to have only American
teachers as your assistants. While
this desire on your part might not be
reprehensible, If worked out in a legit-
innate manner, yet you should remem-
ber that the department recognizes no
class distinctions in the employment of
its teachers, and that in our cosno-
politan population there are bound to
rise some, of alien races, who will take
their places in positions Of society and
state through sheer force of energy
and character.
Many of this class have risen to po-
sitions in our foremost schools, and
when wisely directed by their princi-
pals they have developed into teach
ers of high rank
1t would certainly seem to have been
the part of wisdom If, on entering upon
a new school, you had offered a help
ing hand to the teachers of this class
in your school instead of trying to
have them removed, since by so doing
you could not but arouse spirit OF
, discord and rebellion in both schoo
and community.
Since, therefore, you seemed to have
failed to grasp the situation in all Its
, details in so much that the proper dis
cipline and loyalty to its teacher.
) seemed lacking in the school itself, and
, that a feeling of discord seemed t.
have arisen in the community, w
: judged that the best interests of tn,
: Wailuku school demanded your trans
: fer as well as that of Mrs. Harry be
$ tween whom and yourself Their
3 seemed to he an open rupture
e But in view of the fact that a larg
number of the citizens of Wailuk'
/ have petitioned this department 70
. your retention in the Wailuku school
: we defer to their Judgment to this ex
I tent
= That you will be allowed to retail
y your position on trial until such tim
o as the department becomes satisfies
that you are or are not able to materi
ally improve the situation in you
school.
o 1t VIII be necessary for you to d
p all in your power to bring about cor
n dial relations both between yourself a
/. principal and each and every one Q
your assistants and also among you
c assistants themselves.
4 To this end we believe that mutua
Il apologies viii be necessary. at leas
between Mrs. Harry and yourself, an
n also between Mrs. Copeland and Mr.
q Harry.
!. To this end we have addressed
=. like suggestion to Mrs. Harry, VIII
will. we trust, meet you half way
:. this matter.
| g