New-York tribune., 1905-07-16
EAST SIDE PONY WAGON.

country The narrower and more centralized the
school government is, the more easily it is con-
trolled. Elected boards can be managed, but II Is
a complicated piece Of work to manage ap-
pointive boards. Now, the recommendations OF the
National Educational Association on school books
and courses of study of immense Importance to
the boards of education over the country. They
think these decisions the ripe judgment OF the
assembled educators of the country, The papers
tell Of forty thousand teachers present at con-
vention of 81 100000 left in town by National
Educational Association convention. The people
are impressed by the bigness of it. They don't
know that these resolutions are gotten up and put
through by thirty or forty men, half Of them
agents Of book companies. Agents Of book COM
panies were passing circulars and helping to put
through the measure for Capitalization at the con-
Vention at Ocean Grove. The women teachers. whose
money has supported the Nationa! Educational AS
sociation. and whose numbers have given 1t its
power, are beginning TO sit up ana take nouce.
They are beginning to outgr6w their childnood
They are beginning to feel responsibility for
the action and position of the National Educational
to remove all power from their hands and place 1t
IN the hands of a small centralized. easily man
IF you de not think know what I am talking
about, let me give you few incidents in mytOwn
experience. There has been terrible fight between
the teachers of this country and the drawing book
are to a large extent a nuisance to the teachers @
knows anything wants her pupils to draw from OBJ
In Chicago there is certain book store near
did not buy drawing books The head of the store
house, which has all the school children OF Chicago
agent went to the superintendent of that district
and complained that the children of that building
tendent INQUIRED the reason and was told that both
principal and teachers considered the books nui-
dered the children to buy them. The district
books to be- bought and he IS Leading rectog
and trustee of the National Educational Associa-
There were probably one thousand children in
that school and at 20 cents apiece, it makes $500
tribute to the pockets Of schoolbook company for
The The parents Of this country ought to know now
directly through the free schoolbook fund, for
In the high schools Of Chicago at one time there
were forty teachers teaching algebra out of
demned this algebra a poor unsuitable book.
They asked the superintendent OF high schools TO
which he should choose the one to be used in the
We're one OF the three nominated by the teachers.
accept 1t without murmur The superintendent
formulating the petition lost his position -
On the committee in this algebra affair was a
teacher In one Of the high schools I myself heard
work on this committee ne would refuse to recon-
mend her for @ He further said in
terteTed with him as principal The teacher re
because she tried to remove algebra which forty
out or the forty-ssven persons who taught Il pro,
principal tell teacher that II was no business
OF hers TO criticse the textbooks when the teacher
/ complained that certain important geographical
features were not TO be found the ps In their
Biographies. Now, who is to know whether book
is good or not II ii is not the teacher who Is using
i every day and marking its effect the child?
But II Is moro important that the schoolbook COM
panies should make sales than that the children
should have suitable books. Books not placed
in our schools on their merits They are placed by
politics. The book companies pay campaign
penses They secure nominations and elections and
s appointments They put teachers out who oppose
theiE gubhcations One great company finally sue
the chicago schools who had international repu-
tauon In her profession. She opposed this com
pany's drawing books their merits, and her
had TO withdraw
This same influence seeks to control the Ma
tional Educational Association The Massachusetts,
agent OF great book company was president OF the
National Council. to which Il is proposed to turn
over the control os the National Educational Asso
ciauons during lsS-O4 The chairman or commit