The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-01
EXPECT HOT TIME OF STAMFORD
 WILL DISCUSS
Alleged Assault on Negro Pupil Only One of Matters Scheduled For Public Meeting Next Thursday Evening.

Hot times are scheduled for the meeting of the Stratford school board next Thursday night. for not only will the matter of the alleged assault upon a pupil of the Center school by a teacher be the subject of discussion, but it is probable a protest will be made against the denerit system in use at the high school.
 The public will be admitted, and it is expected many will go to the meet ing to listen to the evidence in the hearing on the assault case. George A. F'airchi1d, member of the board, said thsi morning that if any of the pub lie come they will be admitted. Su- perintendent of Schools William B. Kelsey said the meeting will be public.
 A large and vehement protest is ex- \pected to be made at the meeting con- corning the demerit system at the high school. It is claimed by some parents that it is being abused, be- cause it is felt to the discretion of the teachers and the principals as to what constitutes a demerit.
 Robert Brandt, Bridgeport engrav- CT, who lives in Stratford, has pro l tested to Superintendent Kelsey about the system. His daughter, Lillian, 6 | years old, has been suspended from school for six weeks, because she re- | ceived five deme erits. Just before this 1 suspension she was out two weeks. for l the same thing. Mir Brandt is ex- 1 pected to appear before the school committee to register his protest. l According to allegataions, discip- line in the high school is so lax that | a Yale student, home on his Easter l vacation, recently visited the school l and stcalled on'' one of the girls in a class room. While the <class was 1 supposed to be going on, it Is said 1 he chatted with the young woman and bothered other girls who were at l tempting to get their lessons. In re l sponse to many questions, Miss ] Brandt is said to have spoken a few
 words to the visitor just as the teach
 CT was looking. She received a de
 merit for that.
 It is asserted that a rummage sa1' | was held by the seniors of the schoo l recently, beginning at 10 o'clock fl
 the morning, when the sessions are
 supposed to be going on. Some O
 the girls went to the sale, amone 1 them Miss Brandt, and she received a demer1t. A ball game was being
 played one afternoon, 1t is said, whel
 the pupils were supposed to be "mak T ing up" studies ,and many went t
 that and received ,denaerits.
 It is expected MT. Brandt will no
 oppose the detnerit system at tn
 school board meeting. He said tfi
 morning that he Is in favor of 1t an.
 discipling children, provided that
 proper standard of discipline is main
 tained and the demerit system b
 made an actual system. As it is nov he said, a, demerit is gauged by tn state of mind or body of the teacher
 If she has a. headache, 1t means de
 merits for the pupils he declared.
 When suspended, the pupils ar sent to their homes and they mis
 the work being done at the school. I is asserted, that failure to be up to tn rest of the class, on return from a sus
 pension term, means another demerit
 but Superintendent Kelsey denied Uni today.
 Citizens are stirred up today b
 school affairs in Stratford and it i : expected many will be present at tn , school board meeting to air thei views