The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-22
THE PLOT TO GUST TEACHERS.

the Third ward on Friday evening to
be member of the Board Of Educa-
tion Of this city for the ensuing four
years. Mr.. Moyle's efforts on the
Board Of Education, as explained by
himself, wero directed to the ousting
of the well-trained and highly~skilled
teachers that he found in the schools
from the East and replacing them with
the less-trained and less efficient teach
ers here in Utah, especially, it may
fairly be added, those who are members
OF the Mormon church. Mr.. Moyle an
nounced to the tnonpartisan' as
semblage that he had always worked
against the employment of the trained
and efficient teachers from the East,
and that their employment in the
schools of this city "has been broken
down to very great extent; in fact,
almost absolutely"
1t has been known for some years
that the efforts of the Board Of Educa-
tion were largely devoted to the ousting
of the strong, experienced teachers that
were at first put into the consolidated
schools of this city, largely imported
! from the Eastern States for their abil-
! ity and superior qualifications. The i'm
| portation Of those teachers raised the
/ grade Of the Salt Lake public schools
| from almost nothing to very high
standard at one stroke. The employ
ment of Mr., Cooper, of Iowa, as super
intendent of the schools of this city was
ho ipfn ,f
! But Mr.. Cooper did not yield himself
readily to the displacement OF the
trained teachers, in favor of tho en-
ployment of those of less experience.
Consequently Mr.. Cooper had to go, and
the change in that office at once re-
lieved the schools of a very strong
superintendent, and opened the way for
the displacement of the better class of
teachers. These were ousted in large
numbers, aud the less experienced and
weaker teachers that succeeded have not
to keep up the grade of work by means
1t is true that efforts have been made
TO keep up the class of work by means
of special supervisors, but there is no
mistake about il, the schools have suf-
fered in the loss of those trained teach
ers from the East.
And now Mr.. Moyle makes a boast of
it, that he has had large share in
bringing about this undesirable result.
We had expected better things of Mr..
Moyle than this; and especially are we
amazed TO find him boasting Of this
evil work TO the disadvantage of the
schools
1t is a well-knowD fact that in the
best educational centers OF the coun~
try, even in such eminent places as Bos.
ton, it is found desirable to have
an infusion of new blood in the teach
ing force; this in order TO get the best
results, TO keep all keyed up to their
best efforts. and TO secure the intro.
duction of improved methods in the
schools. Boston schools make a point !
to get teachers from other States, from
California, from New York, from Wis
consin, Illinois, and elsewhere, and are |
glad to get them. But in Utah we sec !
member of the Board of Education, |
and one who has generally been cred.
tied with rather more liberal and ad- |
vanced views in the cause of educa- |
tiou than those of mis- Fellowship, max |
ing 4 boast OF it that ho has lent his !
efforts to the ousting of the best trained
and most skilled teachers that we had,
and the supplanting Of them by those
of less experience and less teaching
ability. That is, the schools in this
city have adopted a course precisely
contrary TO what they ought to have
adopted. In place of calling in the
best that could be obtained anywhere,
(of course, not excluding Utah teach
ers,) which would have been the ideal
management, to boast that the teach
ers here that brought the schools at
once to the highest possible standard
perverted from the best ideals that one
cannot help being amazed at it's pre-
sentation.
Mr.. Moyle is no doubt good, faith
ful member OF the Mormon church. And
yet we have not supposed that he
would descend to such low plane as to
make any boast such as this, or that
he would consider it an achievement
that he ought to be proud Of to oust
strong, able teachers from the East and
put in their places less skilled teachers
with view to giving preference to
weaker teachers, and TO having the
tithes Of the Mormon church boosted
through the ten per cent of their sal
aries. In this astonishing talk Of Mr.
Moyle's he gives himself away doubly;
first, he destroys the repute that he has
been held in by those who wish to see
the schools of this city the best posi-
BILE, and he betrays his interest in The
Mormon tithe fund in a way quite un-
expected Mr. Moyle, of course, is sure
Of election in that ward. That ward
comedies with him
throughout on both these main propo-
sitions. They do not care anything
about who the teachers aro in the pub