Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-01
VII

iOschools was sought at the National
Education Association convention from
an eminent educator deemed best quail
fed to give frank, objective consldcrh-
ton to the question involved in sur
vey Of the schools Discussion was asked
Of the validity OF current adverse criti-
Cism of the schools, th-ir status in the
opinion OF educators elsewhere how they
compare with schools in other cities, the
quality OF the department. Of superin-
tcndencc. value OF the methods in use
and whether the teachers gay" an inn
!. preston OF efficiency. This educator was
singled out for statement ON account
Of his national reputation and country
wide experience ~ teaChcr pf a specially
as n professor uf pcdaEog.', 0a a l"ctur"'
: g. teachers at summer schools In various
universities aa n college president. "a
the incumbent of executive NpnsittOnE
bringing him into contact with teacher.
I in this as we'll rs many other cities ana
, as the Writtr OF humauistic works ~
we'll as standard pedagogical textbooks.
! \ part of his experience with teaching
and teachers has given him opportunity
for close observation Of .he Philadelphia
> schools,
p ask, as | often do. the teachers to state
some now ideas put in operation in their
e schools" he said. 81 would have 10 dis
J miss the Philadelphia teachers contribu-
| tions with the remark that what was APP
: parlrt'y fresh there had been tried III
= Chicago ten years ago ur IA Cleveland
, or in some other cities. IN other words.
the methods in PHILADELPHIA arc not up
e to date. They lag behind from year to
deCadc--main a decade. Methods
/ have progressed greatly i'm recent years,
T but Philadelphia is just awakening to the
n fAct This is probably due to what Phil
Q adclphiaus take pride in as their con-
servstism but what th" rest Of the
country jcsts at as philadelphia slow
= ness Conservatism Is good as check
rein. hut II ought not hc permitted TO
q he a hohblC.
p CREATIVE INSPIRATION NEEDED
"Of course, this is not the individual
' teachers fault; II IL tho defect of the
. system under which they do their work.
. Your system needs some reorganization.
II iAuch regeneration and a whole lot oc
inspiration. Inspiration comes from the
= few at the top. in this case the depart
. ment of SuperinteudenCe, and it must
u lcaven the teaching body, in which 1t
=, cannot originate, Consensus Of opinion
~ among educators is that the department.
Of supsrintcndeuce Is not insp,rinGly ere.
' ativc and constructive, though there arc
some very capable and enthusiastic men
Q connected with it. ON tho whole, Il Is
commonplace aud routine. II does not
concern itself with large vital things
II but with tho conventionalities of admin
r istratiOn. Apparently the Superintendent
Of Schools considers that it Is his Job to
t execute tn" wishes and policies Of the
Q Board of Education, not to initiate pOli-
cies and keep the board abreast Of ed.
I. ucatIonal progress This outside view
fancy. is shared by many teachers
l. Judging from one OF your early articles
d The department of superintendent
should he composed Of big, energetic
Il thinking, forward-mindcd. achieving
It mon. not men content 10 match one day
with another and let the DAYS work 20
& at that Marking time means stand.
ing still, motion without advance, using
e energy without making progress. Il Is
=. a prime function Of a superintendent
il department to translate its energy !Cy.
d pended into forward accomplishment
u This is every whit a. important as super,
u vision and administration.
philadelphia teachers whom ! hay,
=, observed seem efficient Intelligent and
n enthusiastic. but there can be no doub,
= that they are hampered by the more .,
n less antiquatCd methods under wllcl
l. they perform their work and that thcir
ls enthusiasm is dampcncd by the lacl, ct
inspiration in the quarters from whial
4 they have every right to expect it. auC
"a the community has every right To de-
- nand IT, Your articles have made :
~. seemingly warranted distinction betWecI
the schools and the system, and haN,
buttreSsed the conclusion that the chill
dren are getting pretty fair education
u by testimony Of parents, business ane
II professional men ana college teacher.
VINO have opportunity to gauge the fin
ished product, as well rs 10y your per
! 2onai observation ia ClaSsruOmS The
children could get even better training 4
methods abreast Of the pedagogical time,
were adopted. Progressive cities ar,
taking stock of their educational system!
to bring them into alignment and co
- ordination with the progress and TIE de
mands of other activities, industrial
commercial and otherwise. Philadelphi:
IN is peculiarly in need of such n survey
NJ though cannot agree from what hay,
Or heard WITH the critic who says, 'Fe ha
Us travelled but little who has not met IT,,
is snrug of the shoulders and the liftet
X. brow when the Philadelphia schools ar
y; mentioned Salaries as well as teach
81 ing. and particularly executive method
o. should be moderni2ed. First class citio
ne are paying much more than an averag
$1,000 to men and $3.50 to women. takinj
i'm them all into the count, High and low
II which means that the majority do no
III get anything like those sums which 70,
state are from the Board of Education
Id handbook. Cleveland pays its superin
lg tendent $4,000 a year. and he is wort
III II. and $4,000 salaries are not infrequeut
W II cannot agree with your conclusion
III in an article that seventy Is too low
n passing average II II is rigidly enforce
,e. and really means that the pupil has aC
at quired seven-tenths Of n perfect educa
tional score. A mark of seventy-tiYc 4
IN all studies but one and seventy in tina
sk might be too lofty an ideal, though
'I would tug up tlh standard a lot If
n were required, as once II was IN man
be schools However on the present loos
and unstandardized marking a require
ment of eighty would not be too much /
no ,m ask. | agree with your desire for res
ret toration OF the examination plan @
testing knowledge and making promo
"a tions. Exemptions should be an incentiv
~ and reward for industry and scholarshi
of and an average Of ninety would not h
he too large to ask for exemption from eN
ly. animation In subject
ch DoUBLEHEADED SYSTEM EVIL
TX "The 'doubleheaded' leadership OF II
nd school. in which the business side is MOI
n iiu aggressive and powerful than the pr,
re fessional side, Is evil. There should be
al qualified business manager, but
ks, should be subordinate to live superb
lch tendent The method of perpetuatlng Il
to Board of Education through appoin
Ihe ment by Judges Is not good There