Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-25
A SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS
The Schools Versus the System-Inefficienc
of Double-Headed Arrangement-Pro
sional and Business Departments Unco-
ordinated-Is Board Undemocratic?
| v

rTIlE schools are one thing the school
l. system quite another. There is not
only line OF demarcation but wide
divergence between the two. They are
like potatoes In a bag: they touch nut
do not cohere. They are merely supple
mentary. not closely Complementary.
They are not integral in proper degree
as they ought to be and as they could
he very easily. with little or no leg'sla'.
ton. since the due and desirable con-
facts can readily he established by
thoughtful and intensive cooperation.
Consensus OF opinion -monE teachers
of all classification is that the schools
are doing good work are functioning
properly. Not by virtue OF the school
system. but in spite Of II.
The distinction is this The schools,
through their intrinsic force, momentum.
energy and enthusiasm, are educating
our children and educating them pretty
well the school system (whicn includes
the school code. the Board of Education.
the various collateral business depart.
ments such as the superintendenctes of
supplies and buildings. the secretarlal
bureau, and, 10 some degree, the profess
sionally pedagogc department of super.
intendence proper, with its school super.
and ten district superintendents) while
not exactly or even approximately a
dead weglr and while not arbitrary or
premeditatedly unco.operative, uncon.
sciously and through certain inherent
flaws and fallacies at least passively
hampers the schools under it's jurlsdic.
ton instead of actively forwarding and
inspiring their labors.
In other words we could get along
very tolerably at a pinch without the
entire elaborate governmental structure
and the schools could keep going after
a pretty fair fashion, because their meth
ods and ideals have become standard.
ized and natioualized; but the schools
are vital--we could not get along with
out them.
A TANGIBLE DISTINCTION
This Is why the teachers make the
somewhat loose but very tangible and
tenable distinction between schools and
system. and why they consoentiously
and convincingy defend the former
Although willing to admit deficiencies
and places for improvement in the
schools not one teacher could be found
TO concede the bulk of the hard things
said and drastic recommendations made
by the school critics Resentment was
expressed by some discerning teachers
at the lack of discrimination which ap-
parently leveled schools and the system
under which they are operating under
the same volleying fire of criticism.
AS a matter of fact, Mrs. Grice's
article. taken as a fair summary OF the
views Of school critics and represent
/ ing the platform OF the Home and School
League. the accusatory portions of
which were quoted in the first article
of this series does not directly charge
| that children are not being properly
taught and trained. What IT seems TO
attack specifically is the system, yet to
all appearances it condemns the school.
as schools
| The school system is legislative. ex-
ecutive and Judicial. The schools as rep
/ resented by the teaching body. are
simply administrative The consensus
of opinion is that their work is well done
and what weaknesses exist are due to
| the hampering effects of the system
which Is bulky, top heavy and decen-
tralized. The professional side made
up of the department of superintendent
/ proper, Is a fairly capable mechanism
/ for conducting the routine OF the schools
but it Is handicapped in several ways
| few of the personnel are of the inspira'
tional type. most are of the conventional
hard working. unlmag NATIVE, unvision'
/ ing class Of men. who have risen either
routinely or through favor to then
posts, and they lack what Is called pep
or punch; there are hints OF variance
in the department and the seeds ol
jealousy and playing int, rnal politics
the department Is badly organized, II
the view of a number Of teachers, who
assert the classification by geographical
sections should yield to classification
by specialties. since the present line oi
division inevitably tends toward en-
phasis on statistics and unvital matters
not toward ideas and the infusion of en-
thusiasm in the teachers under super.