The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-23
DRAWN BATTLE
IN COPELAND
HARRY CASE
Both Contestants Are Admonished by Supt.
Davis, but Are Permitted to Keep Their
Positions in Wailuku School.

and which has divided wailuku into
two factions. The letters follow:
| Honolulu, H. l.. Aug %, 1906
J Mrs. S. B. Harry, Wailuku, Maui.
Dear Madame: Your reply to the
charges brought against you by your
principal, Mr.. C. E. Copeland, has been
carefully considered by the depart
ment.
= Your frank avowal that, as regards
certain of the charges, you were at
fault, has impressed the department
in your favor.
However, the department cannot
overlook any INSTRUMENTATION on the
part of any of its teachers; such insub-
ordination forming a just cause for
dismissal
AS you are aware, any friction be-
/ tween principal and assistant must
! have a bad effect upon the children,
| causing them to take sides in the con-
| troversy and rendering them disloyal
| to their teachers and their school,
! This state of affairs We feel must not
! be allowed to continue in the Wailuku
school, and If we allow you to remain
| in your present position, we must in
| sist that you do all in your power to
| bring about a reconciliation between
| yourself apd Mr. Copeland as well as
| between yourself and Mrs. Copeland.
| To this end we feel that there should
| be mutual apologies made, and we
| have written to Mr. Copeland in such
| tenor that we feel sure that he and
| Mrs. Copeland will be glad to meet
| you half way in the matter
| In the future, you must remember
! that Mr.. Copeland lis the principal of
| the school, and hence responsible to
the department for its conduct, and
that all reasonable requests that he
may make should be met in a spirit
of cheerful acquiescence and of loyal
helpfulness.
If 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. e. 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 it's 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.
It should be the study of tactful |
principal on entering a new school, |
and especially school In which he |
supersedes a former principal, to rec |
ognize all that is good in the former
working of the school; 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 a proper standard of dis
cipline and instruction and that what
has been approved by ones conscience
or ones former principal must be cor
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
if worked out in a legit-
innate manner, yet you should remem-
ber that the department recognizes no
class distinctions in the employment OF
it's teachers. and that in our cosmo-
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 g
the part of wisdom if, on entering upon
4 new school, you had offered help
ing hand to the teachers of this class
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