The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-20
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
An Assault on the Integrity OF tho
Present Promotion System.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: As
there Is no probability. however srght,
that Thomas W. Churchill will comply
with your request for a full valedictory.
perhaps you will let another educator
tell the causes that deadened the live
wire-for a live wire he promised to be.
But no live wire carries Juice" enough
to electrify an ocean or to move a
mountain such operations must be left
to elemental force.
Plain ordinary honesty Is the one lack
In h system. Mr.. Churchill might
not say Il, though I personally believe
that he thinks II. 1t Is not honest to
promote pupils whose attachments do
not warrant 1t no pupil should be pro-
NOTED whose record Is not 81 per cent.
or even 90 per cent. regularly during
the term. Superintendent McAndrew. In
a report hat evidently came to the at
tention Of ex.President Taft. refers to
the evil effects Of long continued 90 per
cent. promotions. Just what other III
Of activity would permit Of 90 per cent.
attainments3 I know Of none yet Or.
McAndrew is bold enough to put It in
print. page "a. report Of July 1. 1916.
This trick Of the educators trade
Is a sorry way to teach the youth OF
our city the virtues that u colossal
expenditure is supposed to bring TO
them. Superintendents in each district
permit II, and approve" for graduation
and admission to high schools pupils
who do not even attain hat.
About three years 9 the curriculum
was almost halved just why II Is hard
to see. since the principals. supervised
by district superintendents. were re-
porting Increasing rates Of promotion.
It would be worth while for the seeker
Of light to read the thirteenth annual
report of the city superintendent; on
pages 4l0-470 the rates Of promotion are
given. In many cases 100 per cent. l04
per cent. and 40 per cent. 1t cost me
my reputation for veracity when I as
serted. In print INT otherwise, that these
Identical figures were In an oficial re-
port. Yet the figures are there. In Just
that shape. and no educator" principal
or superintendent. was ever called to
account.
Nor Is II on record that any principal
was punished for false reports on his
success" In putting five dollar educa-
ton into Ave cent heads. even after We
read on page 251. eleventh report. that
many principals, In order 10 win favor
at headquarters. report favorably OH
new devices regardless OF facts" These
are the identical words Of the report.
and II 1t was not putting a premium on
dishonesty TO let It 20 at that. then
I do not know how a premium could
be SO put.
The various other educational prac-
tees, such as coaching for examinations
for higher license by master coaches
who could forecast six or eight ques-
tions' (admitted by the highest au-
thority in an i~nvestlgation). do not
tend to make a rejecting mind incline
TO class educators as a reliable pro-
f~ession. They have not yet established
a court Of honor or ethics. to test
the claims and reports OF professional
practices. as the lawyers and physicians
have done. The latter two professions
are occasionally stirred up to apply their
codes Of ethics in the punishment Of
offenders; the educators will never
attain n place in the sun as "A profess
sion till n similar code. applied to
their numerous charlatans and quacks.
pretending to turn into silk purses ma
terial adapted 10 other but not better
purposes. announces to the world hat
they will no longer try TO fool people
into tho belief that education can be got
by any royal Dad.
We have ttained III proud position
OF being Columbia the gem Of the ocean.
largely by means OF our educational
practices. But the gem II pinchbeck.
and We need n Booker Washington for
the white race. to show the pinchbeck-
ness of what passes for Education"
and the wisdom of honesty as the first
step toward reform. But | greatly fear
We shall have no full valedictory from
Mr.. Churchill. Prudence. after all. is
not n bad quality. ROBERT =. GREEN.
NEW YORK. December IS.