Goldsboro weekly argus., 1909-03-11
STILL WITH THE PARENT
As to Whether His Child Will
or will Not Break
Down. !"
Superintendent WOItz Makes Plain
the Position of the Beard OF
Trustees, and Superinten-
dent of our City Schools
As to Course OF Study
and as to the
Care OF Pupils
Dear Mr.. Editor:

l have just read in your issue OF
March an article clipped from The
Ladies' Home Journal, and published at
the special request of seven citizens,
who are patrons of the Goldsboro pub
lie schools. Since this method of
bringing articles of this nature to the
attention of the public is not usually
taken. l infer that the article in Ques-
ton is supposed by these gentlemen
to- contain argument which is applica-
| BILE to conditions prevailing in their
| own schools. Therefore. l think it a
duty that / owe to the school board,
| the teachers, the patrons and friends,
and myself, to correct any wrong i'm
pressionS that may have been created
in the minds of the people, relative to
the schools, by this manner Of publish
ing this particular article. 1 would
| have it understood that this is not
written for the purpose of creating a
controversy; but this opportunity is
seized to give the patrons of Goldsboro
some information concerning their
schools, which they evidently do not
possess, anu to correct wrong impress
sions in regard to the policy Of the
school which they evidently do have.
1. 1 wish to say that we all agree
most heartily with the spirit of that
jpart of the article taken from the Jour
nal. And it seems that the article in
question in the second paragraph con-
demns in no uncertain language the
lao /,f in
method Of remedying any grievance
! hat they may have against the school,
| Wien 1t says treferrlng to the par
mt They = Condemn the sys-
tun and WIlte TO this Or some other
magazine Oh paper and ask, What
shall we do? What can our children
! do but obey or break DOWN." Again
But so long as parents take no per
sonal interest in the schooling of their
children things will go on as they
are, and writing to magazines
will avail naught." The writer in the
Home Journal might have added that
SO long as parents never go near the
school building, and never manifest
any interest in the school work ot
their children, further than to watch
the reports from month to month and
I condemn the system if the child gets
a poor report and say nothing-nod
one word Of praise-if nothing be
found 20 criticize, just so long will
such articles as the one under discus
sion create in the minds of parents
Imaginary grievances which, in fact
do not and cannot be proved TO exist
2. We enorhatically deny the implied
accusation that the conditions set
forth in this article apply in any ap-
preciabIe degree to the Goldsboro
schools.
3. That the spirit advocated in this
, article, so far as it applies to the con-
. sideration of the physical necessities
, Of the children is almost in exact har-
mony with the policy followed and
practised daily in the Goldsboro pub
lie schools.
4. That the child's health is the first
, consideration in the Goldsboro schools
and no parents legitimate request
concerning the physical welfare of his
child has ever been or ever will be
denied or ignored, as some of the gen
tlemen whose names appear to this ar
ticle can testify.
5. That the Goldsboro schools do not
require more work in the different
grades than other graded schools of
the State require, and not SO much in
the entire course, by from one to two
years, as is required in the schools of
the North and West.
s. That our system Of flexible grada-
ton makes it absolutely unnecessary
for any child to be oyerworked; since
at any time during the session a child
may be transferred to the grade in
/ which he can do the best for himself
II z. That although daily record of
. leach pupil Is kept, it is impossible to
tell juss exactly how much studying
1.-THE pupil has to do at home But when