Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-09
DOWNES TO WORK
OUT NEW SYSTEM
FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Pupils Already Attending New
Buildings Will Not Be
Barred

Following q suggestion made by
Sunerintendent F. e. Downes as a
Jsmakeshift whereby the children OF
the seventh and eighth grades III tne
central part of town, II they SO ue.
sire, may attend at least III pai
the two Junior High Schools or the
citv the school Board yesterday at-
ternoon adopted a resolution au-
thorizing DR.. Downes and his as
sistants "if possible" to work out a
plan whereby that can be accom-
plished. ot-
II was brought out at the meet
ing that while there was some us
satisfaction with the arrangemen,,
whereby the pupils of the ceh'lai
mart of town were not able 10 at
80 Tho two new schools, there is
aIso q feeling on the part OF many
narents of young children that tney
wou,d not care to send them eltheI
60, the lower end of the city TO
tho scbool on Nineteenth street OF
fron, the central part of town 10 tWne W
faraway Camp Curtin bullolns,
Dr Downes said he thought thaI .u,
tion for the pupils outslue Ine ,gSt =
,,ior Junior High School zones ouet
uiat ,tional with them and their
ron+s and this was deemed Wis.,
Dr. Downcs' Statemcht n
r.,,I.,,;ne the meeting OF tne
poard last night, the action OF VIZ. iI,as
mas the endorsement OF IL ,s DR.,
mas The school principals
nownes a issued the following s'''''
roent covering the situatloh' of the
~ think the resolution reason-
BOARD as finally draw dU rrske every
aDle aiu Man to ACCOMMODATE aii
enoit of the seventh, eightn an, an
pupin.' rrades in the central ~
my. ~ city. who care to aIIenu of
o. oL. IN schools. by making uso &c
J,t Juniu looms in adjacent puliuinSH s,r
va hone we shall sucCeee Use ~
Canning. The result VIII itt ot hut
r. successful, be q mahadar.tand mahesidt
narents will doubtiess .ion We
this and accept the STU" ,,uder the
shall do the best we can 'iiU
circumstances ,.,,, maintained,
1N tba+ there should be a iull
~. ~, orpanization; ca, that the pu
~ of the 7B grade who are ny
eenrolIed should not be eASiuoon' 80
1ai that pupils excluded IN Ihe I'D n
tar of the city should not pe III ,,ing
To attend the Junior Schools ~ not
to distance; (D that ,or tne uigh
soon, in the present Junior 'tsn r.
'na;ras 10 accommodate all the
,,niis of the seventh, eighth anu
.,;nth GRADES in the city. THESE coi,- COZ,
tantions the Board has recoshlEeu
The resolution opens a poSslpIo -
- overcome all my objections anu
&c have said, l hope, even tiou6n - =,
not fully satisfactory to patrons ii'"'
solve the question: ., Co., tho
'"The resolution proVloes Ior 'ne nc
a-year organization. LOT keep,1, pn1,od
t.o scboois all pupils now enroiieu'
Sor the optional attendance OF puplie
fror, the center of the city, now eA,
Guided. and for the use of adoltloiiII
school rooms outside OIL the Juiiioi
High Schools. 20 solve
Tho nroblem. In the meantlme eeN
enth and eighth grade pupils OF the
center of the city will attend lne
Schools to which they have peeI
ss;gned The corresponding with
narents. the selection of courses Oh
study the reconstruction of pro
groms. etc. cannot be worked out
Parents Appear
Five parents of children from the
central part of town appeared 10
ask the board to find way TO get
them into the Junior high schools
and after considerable discussion
during which the president Oh lhe
Roord Mr.. Enders, Director Keen
md Dr Downes made suggestions,
n was brought out that room might
ha found in the Cameron ana the
Forney buildings for the housing OF
some of the seventh and eighth
grade pupils who might be given at
iaast mart time in the junior schools
bv the use of the auditoriums, but
it was pointed out that this VIII OF
necessity cut down the efficiency OF
the two schools by reducing the
periods and cutting out some forms
of study.
THE Bower resolution as original
Iv passed called upon the school au-
thorities to work out plan to take
care of all the 500 pupils outside
OF the junior schools but later on
motion of Mr. Stamm it was amend
cd to read "if possible" and to make
optional the attendance of seventh
and eighth grade pupils, so as not
10 force any who do not desire TO
make the long trips.
DIR. Downes in commenting upon
the matter said that in some of the
newspaper reports-those of the
Mccormick papers-such words as
arbitrary" and personal were
used inadvisedly and that certain
other assertions were false in their
entirety. He said that if he chose
he could relate a very personal
side to the contrary, but did not in
tend to do so in public. He said 1t
is impossible not to discriminate in
the matter of education and that
progress in education methods is
impossible without discrimination"
In his report he said:
First, our thought of course from
the beginning was to organize the
junior high schools according to the
best educational procedure else
where as to grading, namely by
housing in them the pupils of the
full three years beyond the sixth
grade.
Second, the schools were or
ganized as regional schools, also in
accordance with established prac-
tice, with the exception that the
ninth grade of the entire city was
provided for. The ninth grade
could not be accommodated in the
senior high schools, and hence it