Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-02
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Dropped !. ?. Devine and Accept. cd Daisy Bebus' Resignation.


 Devine, principal of the Duggar school, was dropped from the list of school teachers, and the resignation of Miss Marie L. Bebus, teacher in the Driggs school, was received and accepted.
 It was a long meeting. Promptly at 7:3O o'clock all of the members of the board were on hand, but they went into executive session as they arrived and it was near 3 o'clock when they got to business in the open. All that time they had been caucusing on appointments for the new school year which begins next September and deliberating upon the recommendations of Superintendent Tinker. Mayor Thoms was in the chair A few applications for posi- tions as teachers were read and filed and then MT Tinkers long list of re- appointments and changes was read. This was endorsed by the committee on teachers, and for the first time in many long year the entire list was read off, whereas usually l. went by tAC UOdlu, co u OpCohy Ai~iAA Der having previously informed him. self of its contents. It was at the request of Commissioner Gallond that 1t was read. The important part of the recommendation reads as fol- lows:
 To the Board of Education:
 Gentlemen: With the advice and unanimous approval of the commit tee on teachers, the following teach CTS have been appointed and as signed for the coming school year. The only important changes are as follows: Thomas J. Condon, who has been principal of the Barnard school for four years is appointed to the principalship of the Duggan school; Mary A. Cass, who has been principal of the Clay street school for nine years, has been appointed to the principalship of the Barnard school, and Mary E, Kelley, who has been principal of the Town Plot school for six years, has been ap- pointed to the principalsnip of the Clay street school. The work of these prin$ipals in all of their duties has been painstaking, progressive and eminently satisfactory: they leave their present schools in first class condition.
 Teachers have not been appointed tor seven rooms.
 Respectfully,
 B. W. TINKER.
 Taking up the list and laying 1t aside, the mayor remarked:
 "All appointments recommended by the superintendent may, accord ing to the charter, be rejected
 The recommendation was accept ed and adopted and then Principal Devine, who all this time was in the room, stepped up and asked for per mission to address the board. There being no objection he was allowed to proceed. In the course of his ad- dress he said:
 At the meeting held two weeks ago I asked for hearing in order that l could meet what was stated against me in a definite way. As to the things said at that meeting against me all I have to say is that it was the first time I had heard any criticism on my work as principal of the Duggan school for fourteen years. If the supplies that were not there and should be there, have only to say that sometimes d requisi- ton for supplies is not honored for months. The statements were great ly exaggerated. I remember last January asking for supplies and the supplies were not given until March. We must try to be charitable in most things.
 There was no bad blood between us in the school. As to the mixing up the readers in my school, that was owing to the same teacher teaching two or more classes in one room, and the superintendent, be- lieve. was aware of this. At least he did not object. No criticism of his ever reached me. did hear from Mir Tinker. however, about the night school. but as to any repeated warnings l must say they never reached me. This accusation came to me like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky.
 Now as to teachers being trans ferred from my school at their re- quest, l cannot recall any but two teachers who were transferred un- der the circumstances stated, and can't recall but two who were changed at my request. I am glad to hear they are getting along, in- deed I am. One of those teachers came to the Duggan school at her own request from some other school.
 Why teachers do not like to teach in Duggan school there are many reasons. The pupils are not like those who come from Prospect street: they come from many na- tions. 1 do not expect to find in the teachers of the Duggan that same spirit which animated Frances Will lard and Florence Nightingale and other women of that standard. Young teachers have not that dis position of charity that teachers of more experience have. Very little English if any at all Is spoken in the homes of most of the pupils of the Duggan- Their fathers and mothers are very humble people and the children require great patience from those with whom they come in contact
 "As to the department of the pu. pills in the files. l say that the true spirit of the good and true teacher was often at its straining point iu that regard. Children who are mol under home restraint in the language of the country must be borne with a great deal of patience by theiI teachers. They are a cosmopolitan