The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-02
The Reorganization of the High Schools


John L. Tildsley associate superintendent of
the New York city schools, presented the follow
ing discussion of the high school problem before
the National Educational association:
James Russell Lowell declared democracy to
be that form of society, no matter what it's poll
teal classification, in which every man has a
chance and knows that he has.
The free public high school, in the opinion of
many, is the greatest American invention. For
100 years it has made it possible for every man
to have his chance and to know that he has a
chance. 1t has taken the child of the poorest
parent, of the most ignorant arrival from a for
eign shore and opened to him the possibility Of
every career, of every position of honor and trust
Notwithstanding the marvellous growth of
high schools during the past two decades, the
high school has had but a faint vision of its
rightful place in democratic state. 1t has been
content to see millions of children pass by its
doors, other millions enter, remain but brief
time, and 60 forth with possibility not prob
ability of realizing the chance that was theirs.
With this record of service not rendered, it has
prided itself on training the leaders in Ameri-
democracy.
The war just closing has witnessed the great
est achievement of democracy. A peacelovlng
people has modified itself in its entirety for war.
For every man, woman and child it has sought
to find the task suited to it's age, its strength its
special ability. 1t has conscripted our young
manhood and devised means of classifying these
young men on the basis of experience, of abilities
shown by tests, and has trained them quickly
and effectively to discharge the duties of care
fully defined positions. 1t has found something
for each to do in the common cause.
The lessons taught by the war must not be
lost with the coming of peace. American in
dustry has justly prided itself on its scrap pile.
The American army has abolished the human
scrap pile. The American high school has here
tofore scrapped it's children when it should have
scrapped it's aims, it's methods its organization.
The American high school must henceforth
mobilize the entire youth, not selected portion
of it for the service of democracy in peace. 1t
must take every boy and girl from Ii to IL, dis
cover his apttudes, his ability by system OF IN
telligence tests, and give him training which
shall so enlist his interest that he shall develop
a habit of success, not failure The supreme task
of the high school is to abolish the long estab-
lished, cheerfuly accepted habit of failure.
Boys and girls alike have one vocation in COM
mon, that of citizens in ademocracy-soldiers OF
the common good. During the past months we
have learned as never before that the supreme
good is good government. In America we have
assumed good government to be free good, OBJ
tanned without effort, without sacrifice. We now
realize that good government is the product OF
good citizens and good training. Whatever else
it may do the American high school must give
every one of it's students definite training fol
the duties of the citizen. He must study the op
erations of government local, state and national
+bo
trial life to which the actions of government are
but the reaction; he must study the events move
MEMS measures and men which have made Amer
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