Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-04-25
SCHOOL MATTERS.

Board in refusing to make any al
lowance to teachers in this district
for the purpose of attending the
Winchester Summer Normal.
A prominent resident of the
County has called our attention to
another little matter that we think
Justifies publication. The editor
was aware of it before it was men,
toned by the gentleman referred
to, and we were only waiting a
favorable opportunity to lay it be-
fore the public.
Ponder over this:
The Fourth Annual Educational
Conference of the Seventh Con-
gressional District was held at
Harrisonburg on April 5 and 6.
Among the speakers were some of
the most prominent educators in
the State. 1t was an enthusiastic
and representative gathering.
Some time previous to that meet
ing (before the program was made
up Prof. III. ID. Wolff, Principal of
the Berryville High School, was
honOred by an invitation to deliver
an address at the Conference.
1t appears that teachers cannot
leave their posts without permits
sion from the district school board.
That is perfectly proper, and as it
should be.
When Professor Wolff asked
permission of the Battletown Dis
trict School Board to attend the
Conference at HarriSonburg, he
was told that he might go if he
would agree to make up" the
two days lost from school by the
trip.
As we think anyone ought to
know, the work of teachers is in
creasing rapidly at this season of
the year, on account of the APP
preaching examinations, and just
when or where or how the school
board thought Professor Wolff
could make up" the lost time, is
more than our brain can compre-
bend.
As the writer has no children in
the public schools, perhaps we will
be accused of beings "disinterested
spectator" but we have always
taken an active interest in the mat
ter of public education, the CoU-
RIER probably pays as much school
taxes as any member of the Battle
town District School Board, they
are public officials, and as such
their official acts are open to criti-
cism.
For some time past the editor
has been investigating some rumors
concerning the acts of members of
the Board with reference to public
school matters, and this is probably
not all we will have to say.
This writer is not bidding for a
position on the School Board, and
would not accept it if it was offered
to us, as we believe the editor of a
newspaper should be absolutely
free from connection with any
Office, in order that he may present
public matters to the public with
out having an AXE to grind"
Every taxpayer and every citi-
zen who has children in the public
schools should be deeply interested
in the welfare of the schools, and
should use every honorable effort
to see that men best fitted for such
positions are made members of the
various school boards.
We hope the members of Battle
town District School Board will
realize this.
1t is our firm belief and opinion
that the Battletown District School
Board should have excused Pro
fessor Wolff for the time mention
ed; if thought necessary, they
should have employed teacher in
his place for the two days of his
absence; they should have assisted
him in every way, by paying his
railroad fare to and from the Con-
ference, if necessary; and his salary
should not have been 'docked" for
it.
1t is not every teacher who is
honored by an invitation to speak
before such a meeting, and that
invitation speaks in the highest
words of the ability of Professor
Wolff.
We think the action of the School
Board was very cheap" to say
the least.