El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-03-01
[B, M. Reads Tells Reasons Why He Thinks Teachers
In Spanish-S peaking Districts ughtt to Kn0tU Spanish

aforesaid countries with more thar
IS, 000,0 900 Inhabitants are our neign'
bors; their trade, not to speak OF the
beneficial results that would re
dound to our country from a more
intimate social and educational inter
course with them would bring US mil
lions and millions of dollars annually,
or all persons interested in the adj
vancement OF humanity; in the en-
hancement Of American prestige, po-
liticaily, commercially and educa-
tionalay the Anglo Saxon pedagogue
should be the first to realize the inn
portance of knowing the Spanish lam
guage, we'll and dramatically; he
should be the last one to object to the
teaching of that language in all our
public schools; he should be the first
to cast aside whatever prejudice, Ii
he happens to have any, he may har-
Dor in his heart against those of the
Latin race; he should, finally, be the
last to arrogate unto himself that
false idea that the Anglo-Saxon is in
Itelectually superior to Latin-Ameri-
can. When that much is accomplish
ed we will understand and treat each
Lother better by adopting as our motto
the principle that the conglomeratiol
o. distinct nationalities and different
languages can not and will not mar
the interest we all have in upholding
that great doctrine proclaimed to the
world by the founders or the Ameri-
can union: that IAN men are created
equal" The enforcement of that
great maxim is what animated the
first board Of education of Santa Fe
to prescribe, officially, rules for the
teaching of both languages in the city
public schools.
When Spanish Was Officially Taught
in Our City Schools
The city of Santa Fe was incorpor-
ated in 1891. 1T had had a municipal
government under both the Spanish
and Mexican regimes; but the estab-
lishment of a military government at
the time Of the annexation changed
her civic status, the city remaining as
a city in name only until the afore-
said date.
The chairman or president of that
city board of education was an ac-
complished scholar, a qinguist, a fin
ished grammarian in both English and
Spanish, a pedagogue of long eX-
perience. a mar of the highest stand
ing in the community; he afterwards
became an attorney-at-law. He was
Of real Spanish and American de-
scent. His name was Larkin G.. Read,
brother of the undersigned and father
Of James B. Read, cashier of the First
National bank of this city, and of Mrs
G. G. Lowe, of Taos. OF the other
members of the board / nave no recol-
lection, except of the secretary and
Messrs. J. d. Sena and ]. F. Ortiz, of
this city. Larkin died in this city in
1897. The secretary's name is Ed
win B. Seward; he Is now living at
Tres Piedras, county of Taos, New
Mexico.
Larkin and the board knew from
personal experience that a bilingual
for beginners was the proper
and most beneficial method that such /
/ system was the surest and the
safest one to accomplish the desired
they knew also that a certain
of teachers-efficient teach
ITS, not would-be teachers who we're,
1t times, appointed on mere favorit-t
SIN, or because of political pull
It least one teacher for each school
lad to know both languages, they, ac-
;ordingly, adopted a set of rules
lmong which was one which provided
hat "at least one of the assistants in
ZACH school will be required to be able
speak both the English and Span-
sh languages"
Among outsiders who applied for !
POSITIONS was a young lady from
Calf, named Carter. Miss
was recommended by one ]. \.
The answer Mr.. Stoops got
rom the secretary of the board of
'ducation (July l, 1892 reads as fol- I
ows: i
Mr.. j. P. Stops, /
"Tustin, Calf.
Dear Sir: There seems to be no {
pening for Miss Carter in the schools
ere and 1 feel that unless she under
lands the Spanish language some
hat she would find it hard to secure
position in New Mexico. {
"Your respectfully, =
"EDWIN B. SEWARD, '
CLERK" {
About the same time a lady from {
Fe, Mrs. M. Swope, well known :
0 me, applied for a position as teach !
r. Mrs. Swope knew Spanish and
well, her mother was a Santa
Spanish lady; but she also receiv- :.
d a letter which read as follows: !
Mrs. M. Swope, I
"City. y
Dear Madam: In reply to your APP
location of July 20 I beg leave to
tate that an examination will be held :
10th for those desiring to
each in the city schools. The board /,
as decided to engage 10 teachers for !
he city schools, and at least one as
istant in each school will be requlr-
d to speak both English and Spanish. T
he school will begin the first Mon :
ay In September and likely last ID
:
Yours respectfully, !
EDWIN B. SEWARD, !
Clerk" :