The Washington herald., 1909-11-08
CRITICS POINT OUT
NEED FOR SPELLING
Find Fault with the School
Methods Now in Vogue.
DICTIONARY BUT LITTLE USED
DIR. Chancellor, I'm Letter To The
Washington Herald, Joins Those
Who Desire More Attention BE
Paid To the Three "R's"-PrOmO-
ton of Teachers scored.

Failure properly to impress the ele-
mentary studies upon the grammar school
pupils. combined with inadequate legis-
lation in the matter Of promoting teach
els. has stirred up a storm of criticism
among the citizens Of Washington.
The complaint, which began in the form
OF a critical letter by former SuDerintend-
ent Of Schools William Z. Chancellor 10
TIE washington Herald. has been
heard from Ia all parts OF Washing
ton. Business men say high school pupils
come 10 them unable to construct
a letter or accurately add column
OF figures. Spelling is found by them TO
be a sort of hit or miss operation on the
part Of the graduates.
The methodical drilling found in the
schools OF twenty years ago has been
superseded. they say. by a system OF
general education wherein the pupil takes
up a variety OF subjects and studies
them superficlaHy. without devotIng the
necessary time 20 spelling, arithmetic
and American history
Promotion System Bad.
Supt Stuart and Capt. Oyster. Of the
board Of education, agree the system OF
promotion now In vogue among teachers
is not all that IL should be.
Under the existing laws teachers Of
pronounced efficiency IN the lower grade.
cannot be kept there AZ raise in salary
/ II they are promoted, II means they are
transferred 90 a higher grade and thei'
pupils are instructed by normal schoo
graduate. Old teachers are kept on the
pay roll because no pensioniug CLAUSE
provides for them when they have out
/ lived their usefulness.
] Neither the superintendent nor th'
board of education is willing 10 common
on the curriculum. Supt Stuart has as
/ serted that he would give no cOmpeu
/ tive tests 10 show the rating of pupil
/ from the sixth grade 20 the second yea
/ In high school. unless there Is a gen
/ eral demand for il on the part of IN,
public
/ Two letters recently mailed 10 Tn,
/ Washington Herald. one from John J
/ Schenck and the other by Dr. Chancellor
which are among the most recent com
plants. criticise the educational method
/ In vogue. attacking especially the mani
/ fest inability Of most graduates 20 spei
/ correctly.
/ DIT Chancellor's letter, which follows
Is severe I'm its arraigument OF both cur
/ riculum and methods Of advancement 10
| teachers.
DIR. Chancellor Cites Facts.
Editor The Washington Herald.
Possibly your paper win allow me as pcro
I 81 g a..
Of others as well, ard who Is not tied down
oflciaI bonds that De may not speak what
knows. 20 tell the exact facts
The trouble In respect g, The practical studies
the Washington public schools dos not lie in Oh
high schools. doubt whether anywhere else IN o.
| country Is there as good a corps Of teachers 10
found in the high schools as may Re found in VAS
ington Tor the obvious reason that there is a Lr.
/ class Cf famiic- ~ superior intellectual and soG
I qualities from whom teachers may D. and az
/ matter q fact are taken.
The tr5uble does NOT hc IN the Uadcs ~ The
own desire directly. I mean that Il Washington l1
the standard school organization the suclirg and d
grammar and the arithmetic would Pc properly taUsl
before entrance 90 the high schools
But. thanks 90 Congress there are two ueaEu
that make a proper srh00l Management I'm respect
gtudics and o. an ether things directly cllcatlnra
absolutely impossible ThCrc is imposed upon q
Washington schools schedule Of salaries law th
Is utterly offensive % common sense, n that 10 =
Cuires virtually all the bright. enthusiastic ylm
teachers 20 teach i'm the lowest grades. and all q
odd worn-out. ard routine teachers % teach II q
highcs. grades.
AS a matter Of fact. the average age Of the FIR
| and second grade teachers in Washington IS scarce
tweuty-0ur years while the average age OF the his
| est grade teachers is more than fifty yCarN It
. necessary that in the highest grades az least
third-ard better a half-of the teachers should
young women under thirty. and better under tweut
seven. IL the highest grammar grades IN Washlu
ton the work done is pot very poor. Tor 10 lac
life and enthusiasm. A few exceptions relieve d
do not substantially change the general situation.
The other feature Of the situation is that Was
b iugCu has no regular examinations rigdy enforc
/ by which 20 staudartlize the grammar schools al
% hold teachers and pupils up % the mark. L
easy for q pupil 90 drift along through all Q
schools. including the normal schools. and %
into the elementary schools again as a teacn'
That is the principle uIon which Congress opcrai
- the schools as the statutes show. Getting upon
L-gh-schuol IayrC.ls is q very different matter.
There are other things that are wrong IL
Washington public schools ard wrong with no sir
lar wrongs elsewhere. But these two features
the ones that mako the educational troubles.
Very respectfully VOLTS.