The Falls City tribune., 1910-07-08
CRITICISMS BY THE LAETY
Address Delivered at Boston By J. W. Crabtree Be
fore National Educational Association.


points or upon organic weakness.
Those who criticise because Of
some personal grievance and for 9th
er selfish reasons are the cause of
most of the more deep-seated difficult
ties. These people are the more
dangerous because they are often able
to conceal the real motives from the
community. They claim to have and
are Cften supposed to hayega genuine
interest in the growth and pros
perity of the schools. They resort
to al kinds of extremes to get even
with the superintendent, teacher or
board member. 1t sometimes looks
as if a man will fight harder to
punish someone he hates than to
protect one he loves, that he will
devote more time energy and ingen-
uity in an effort to retard the pro-
gre8s of the school because of some
trifing grievance than an equally
strong man deeply interested in the
schools will put forth in defending
the teachers and the school. A man
actuated by the motive of revenge
has little difficulty in ferreting out
real mistakes of those managing the
schools and discovering organic weak
ness of the school itself. Then pre-
senting these with earnestness and
apparent sincerity he easily con
vinces his neighbcrs that there is
something radically wrong. His mo-
tiyes may not be discovered in time
to prevent disastrous results.
City superntendents search for the
motive and often find back of criti-
cisms something like the following:
% Defeated for a place on the board !;
(2) daughter failed to secure a posi-
tion in the schools; (3) the super
intendent or teacher belongs to the
wrong church; (4) a relative or
political friend not chosen as janitor;
(5) competitor given the contract for
coal or school supplies; (6) child
received low grades; CD boy punish
ed for some school offence.
However contemplate, these peo-
pie are likely to discover defects for
the superintendent that he would not
know without their assistance. But
the creates good comes not from the
worst, but from the best people. To
the school ii comes from<those most
deeply interested in young people, in
their education and efficiency.
The. following questions were sent
to over three hundred business men
in various parts of the western
states. The aim being to get the
opinion of those having young men
in their employ as to whether the
schools do their part as at present or
ganized, in preparing young people
for the places they must occupy i'm
medately after leaving school.
Question /. In the case of a boy
entering your employ, would you
consider his school record of any
value? OF the 210 replies, the tabula-
ton shows 207 yes, no.
Question 2. Would you give high
school graduates the preference over
boys who have not taken such a
course? Some answers were "Ev-
erything else being equal, | certainly
void" at depends on the kind of
work done in the high school. Some
high schools lead pupils to despise
! honest toll 81 seldom make inquiry
as to scholarship, but it would be bet
ter, | think If l should" Again many
.mention that the high school might
give a better preparation. 1876 prefer
the high school graduate, whereas IA
are either uncertain or prefer those
who are not graduates
Question 8. Is a college education
desirable for business man? The
answers are always desirable ;
Desirable but not essential" "That
depends on the man and the college
Not essential to the business, but tC
outside life" Graduation from tech
nical colleges means more than grad
uation from general groups" The
tabulation: $50, yes; 20, no; 80
don't know; 8, no answer
/ The result of the investigation
shows that the great majority o.
business men are pleased with tn,
work of the common school, the higf
school and the college, but like the
educator in that respect, they thinl
they see where improvements ma!
be made.
The following question was sent t
each of the 10 representatives 0
the laity in order to get at speeifi,
weakness OF the school.
In your judgment, what is th'
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