Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-09

would have had to walk long dis
tances.
Fourth, in planning the open
ing we have always had in mind,
| same view, that the center of the
city was to be taken care of by u
third junior high school just as
soon as the Board found it possible
to construct it, and in the mean
time the schools in the center of
the city would be conducted under
the usual S-4 plan of rganization.
Fifth, the plan now in opera
ton conforms to the ideas of the
expert employed by the Board, DIR.
James II. VanSickle. who recon-
mended the entire junior high
| school system.
| II do not know what individual
members of the Board had in mind
as to the plan of organization of the
present schools, but l do know that
the superintendent and principals
who have been responsible for the
planning have never had any other
conception of the plan of organiza-
ton than the one 1 have outlined,
which is the one now in operation.
When the plan was incidentally
mentioned and informally discus
sed in the spring in the presence
of some of the members of the
Board (the budget committee,
think) the present criticism was
forecast, and it was suggested that
all of the eighth and ninth grades
of the entire city be taken care of
in the new schools and that the
seventh grade continue as in the
past. While this did not appear to
me as fulfilling the full purpose of
the schools, still, the possibility of
this plan of organization was stud
led carefully, and it was found that
by such a plan we should be un-
able to accommodate anywhere in
the upper end of the city. between
two hundred and two hundred fifty
of the seventh grade pupils who
would be affected.
Having thus outlined briefly the
| basis of the action already taken,
l will state that our organization at
present is as follows: The Edison
school is accommodating all of the
pupils of the seventh, eighth and
ninth grades in the school build
| ings east of the Pennsylvania rail-
road and also all of the ninth grade
pupils west of the Pennsylvania
railroad and on or south of Locust
street. The Camp Curtin school is
accommodating all of the seventh
| grade pupils west of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, on or north of Ham
ilton street, all of the eighth grade
on or north of Reilly street, and all
of the ninth grade north of Locust
street. This leaves our approximate
| ly five hundred pupils of the sew
enth and eighth grades living in the
central section of the city below the
limits mentioned.
"I appreciate keenly the disap-
pointment occasioned. The criticism,
I think, is but natural and was to
some extent expected. / have no
explanation to offer, so far as I am
personally concerned, except that 1
desired to see the schools organized
| in accordance with uniform educa-
tional practice, and it seemed impos-
sible to do this and at the same time
| accommodate all the pupils of the
city who were concerned. In other
words it was impossible to gee 5000
pupils into buildings of 2,400 or e.
| 500 capacity. To state it another
way, it was impossible to get into
two buildings as many pupils as
were supposed to be provided Tor
eventually in three buildings.
However, I am very desirous OF
| having the Board take some steps
locking toward supplying, to some
| extent at least, to the pupils in the
central section OF the city who are
affected. the advantages of which
they have been deprived. Many sug-
gestions have been made to remedy
the difficulty, but most of them nave
been found to be impracticable,
Only two, / think, are at all feasible.
They are as follows:
| The After School Plan
"By this plan the regular sessions
of the Junior Schools would open at
$40 and close at 3.15. The pupils
affected of the central section would
be dismissed from the grade schools
at o.l5 and would then go to the
Junior Schools to pursue such studies
under regular schedule, as they will
not be able to pursue in their grade
schools. All pupils of the seventh
and eighth grades on or south of
Locust street would go to Edison
an dali above Locust street would go
to Camp Curtin. Acceptance of the
| privilege should be optional with
| parents in order to avoid the forcing
| of children of this age to go such
long distances to school. OF course
| in instances where the privilege is
not accepted, pupils would remain
in their regular schools until four
o'clock, as usual. The studies to
| De taken III LlllS way "Oulb
commercial branches, Latin or
French, algebra, general science,
physical training, sewing, cooking
and manual work for boys, all, of
course, in accordance with the pu-
pills grade and the prescribed course
| of study. The plan would involve
the added expense of remunerating
such teachers as might be concerned
for the extra service rendered. 1t
also has the disadvantage of impos-
ing a slightly longer school day,
estimated to the time of dismissal,
upon the pupils involved. In actual
time spent in the schoolroom, how
ever, the day would be exactly the
same length as the regular Junior
| High School day.
"Plan two is for the changing Of
J the present organization. ] am pre-
senting this plan by request, even
though it does not have my approval
1t has been suggested that If we
should drop out the 7B grade en-
tirely we could this year accommo-
date all of the IA grade and also all
of the eighth and ninth grades in the
] entire city in the two schools in reg
ular organization and without after
school work. This is doubtless true.
The plan has the advantage of talk