Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-04

~
" Angeles, there is nothing the
matter with the teachers. The super
intendent of schools is important, the
high school teacher is also important,
but neither of them ranks in power
with the teacher of the grade school.
The grade schools teach everyone and
the teachers in these grades, who teach
pupils not only how to read, but to
read well are the great benefactors or
mankind.
These were some of the ideas which
DIR. u. c. Moore presented in his lee
ture before the members of the FRIDAY
Morning club yesterday morning. HIS
subject was the schools of Los An
geles and he left no point of interest
untouched, and with concise, graphic
touches depicted the trials of school
board, teachers and pupils under the
double master system which prevails
Los Angeles schools are controlled by
the city and the district state laws
and city laws conflict and under the
double service the schools can please
neither master.
Financial handicap by a rule which
pays teachers here about 5000 less than
cities of the same class in the north
pay, and laws which prohibit any
preparation Of lessons at home by the
pupils of the grade schools were both
decried by the speaker. DR. Moore de
clared that the schools did give moral
instruction and that the teachers did
show constantly by example and pre-
cept the difference between right and
wrong. 1T is not fair to accuse the
schools of lack of moral instruction,
he declared, Just because we are pro-
hibited from teaching a catechism of
some one creed" "
A resume of the high school system
of the Los Angeles district shows
many opportunities for specialization
upon the part of the pupils. Hollywood
| has a domestic science course which Is
excellent, Los Angeles high offers the
| best classical course on the Pacific
coast. The apparatus for technical
work at Polytechnic high is complete
and offers training in all handicrafts,
and San Pedro with its opportunity for
marine study and Gardena with it's
spendid agricultural school will furnish
instruction of whatever kind the stu
dent desires.
DR.. Moore deplored that interference
with the issuing of school bonds which
had delayed the erection of the Man
ual arts school until building material
was advanced so greatly that the
building could not be entirely COM
pleted now. But he considered the
present high school outlook of the dis
trict generally satisfactory.
Boys and girls who cannot learn to
spell may take some comfort from the
quotation from a Spanish savant that
he could not learn English, a language
which did not spell the words as they
were pronounced nor pronounce the
words as they were spelled.
1t is satisfactory to know that the
public schools of Los Angeles no lon
ger use either the public drinking cup
nor the common face towel. paper tow
els being used, which may be de-
stroyed after one using.
The value of personal interest was
one point which in DR.. Moore's mind
should be pre-eminent in all teachers.
He would not agree to the fact that
the teacher is born, not made, since it
is to be part of his vocation to make
teachers, but he insisted that the teach
ers must know both children and
books. He quoted the Latin sentence:
"The teacher teaches John Latin" and
called attention to the fact that the
teacher must know John as well as
Latin, and one who knew only the Lat
| in and not John would be a danger
Gus companion for any child. In clos
ing DR.. Moore quoted the old-time ep-
itaph of the German school teacher,
of whom it was written: He was a
nothing for himself-blessed be his
name"
Mrs. Clark, president of the club,
added few words appreciative of the
distinction which the Friday Morning
club has had in addresses by both
DR.. Dorothea Moore and DR.. e. c.
Moore, and said "If we felt sorry last
Friday, we are sorrier this Friday,
when we realize that the Moores are
to leave California.
s.
The annual election of the Friday
Morning club took place yesterday.
The tellers were Mrs. Burbank, Mrs
Jane Spaulding and Miss Laura w.
Emery. Miss Harriet Mercer and Mrs
G.. w. Wadleigh were the judges.
The ticket which was probably elect
ed has been announced for several
weeks and includes these names: Pres
ident, Mrs. o. w. Clarke; first vice
president. Mrs. Charles Farwell Edison;
second vice president. Mrs. David
Chambers McCan; corresponding secre-
tary, Mrs. George F. Bugbee; record
ing secretary, Mrs. Jules Kaufman;
treasurer, Mrs Frank Garrett. There
are five candidates for directors, of
whom only four will be elected. The
candidates are Mrs Berthold Baruch.
Mrs. o. Shepard Barnum, Mrs. Helen
Henderson Steckel. Mrs. Hampton l..
| . oo5 NIrs