The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-01
SCHOOL VALUES.
Does New York Get One Hundretr Cents
Of value for Each Dollar spent?

To THE EprroR OF TIL SuN-Siri In TIE
Sun Of April % you printed my letter SUM
marking the section on evening schools In
the annual report Of Supt. Maxwell. In q
letter which appeared In THE Sun Of April 20
"Morningside- criticised the facts and
figures Of tho report. While his letter app
peared TO place US in opposition, j am sure
that we are animated by the same considera-
tion-a desire TO know the truth about New
York oity's school administration.
-Mornin gside" In puzzled 10 account for
the statement that the large group OF nom
English speaking pupils is 'dlstin guished by
q genuine desire 10 take advantage Of the
opportunities offered. an enthusiasm that
means steady progress toward a definite
end.' =" In view Of the fact that tho percentage
Of their attendance is lower than the average
attendance percentag &c OF all night school
pupils. The fact IL 10 be here noted that this
group Of pupils presents perhap s the single.
certainly the chief. exception to the rule that
attendance avera ge ia the most satisfactory
test of efficiency in result producing admin
Without ca taio guing the circumstance in the
lives OF these non-English speaking pupils
that initiate against the ma lntenance by
over, this deficiency in regularity Of attend
ance should be counterbalanced by the zeal
with which they naturally enter tier , upon a work
the standard by which progress. Is measured
apply to the other, What Is properly er-
pected of a native child, accustomed to the
u%se.hOWever faulty-oi the EnElish Ian am
In our schools, could not be demanded of the
foreign born child, or eyer 1s ,bs the S, Ghiid Oft q io Of iEa
one is an acquisition Of the other, The for
eign born child has to travel, some distance
TO reach the starting point OF the native pupil:
little inskis and ,Owskls do excellent work:
but they are WORKING, under a handicap: .,..,o.
In nrn his .ide! ! made S5 u SSm Of reports s Whieh !,
not being a school man, had not at hand;
and / am glad that my letter was the, means
s 81 6sIPIs'fEs AVE ssf Sees TO w 1sS RRsd9NtS TO f fe the rel 3:
our schools. We should know Of TIA. peyver-
st tendance cef in View York, il Il. plus; OF the FIVE
cities: cited by "Mornin gside.' 90 plus. In
that statistics show percentages for various
cities running from 20 TO % per cent, Can
this great discrepancy De &c ave to ae GiSsI a.
sssl GsPGFt Of inS6G sslsn' Did y 70 s,,M Nor ins seIS'' 81 9.
I bStn6 his at cS 5snIa%m'rn q" Zach h r ssy . or vent wi1h
to The. extreme indicated by his special inter
est, what is the fair balance OF tact between
l@s sw York or T asnres a 9s'f print I'd e S"S a an rsspo o%e
sible SIGNATURE, which ought TO be a guarantee
quotation. Some one who has access TO city
and national school reports should be able to
give us exact Information.
"Mornin Rside's contention fs that. New
York, In its evening schools. with the highest
| per capita cost OF instruction, meets the
supreme test OF actual average attendance
| on the part Of It's pupils least satisfactorily:
II IA O surprising fact that in his table OF
comparative attendance and cost the ono
column rises without, a break, while the
other as evenly declines-a homoReneity
OF value relations that appears Significant.
New York. with the lowest figures for, per-
| oenta &c OF average attendance, has the high
est per capita cost; Washington, with the
least cost, claims the. best attendance, AZ
there Ia no test available better than this OF
| comparative expense and attendance. thts
| dilemma confronts us: Are there fundamental
differences In conditions that fairly, account
for the difference In apparent results. or -
there something wrong with the New YORK
Ia the difference in cost due to unpro-
ductiye extra va eance, or Is the explanation
simply this: that the richest city In the conn-
try uses It's school funds more literally than
others, TO Just and proper, endsf
These questions are worth the, asking, ana
worth the answering; for certainly we should
know the truth about. our school system,
which uses millions of dollars every, year for
the training In citizenship OF our hundreds
OF Thousands OF children, Does the city get
one hundred cents Of value IN return for
every single dollar Of those millions2 II not
there most assuredly ia something wrong
with the New York system. L.
| K YORK. April 80.