Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-14

All our citizens. We propose TO dlS-
GohnnIn cuss it from time to time III our
oSAhOOAo editorial columns, to mention the &C
Invites Of our School Board, and to
sneak of our City Council in It's deliberations and general
motley towarelspubc education We believe our schoos
should never be lost sight Of but we realize at II te
day press of private affairs citizens are apt TO lose
sight Of those things which, being everybody business
are oftentimes nobodys business 1t IS one OF the luc
lions Of newspaper to be gant in its care OF puohc
interests It is indeed its chief function, aside from
it's news columns:
We have examined into our public schools and their
administration recently and preparing further IN
vestigaton that as stated will include the School 5oafo
and the City Council.
We have learned, with no little pride that the pupils
graduating from High School, go to the colleges ana
agher Institutions with mental equipment fully equa
10 their most rigid demands No less than seventyIlV
per cent Of boy high school graduates go 10 me o
yerstv of Virginia and the George Washington UnVer-
sitv Our superintendent Mr. Sweeney, with most praise
worthy interest follows the OF his graduates III
their college studies and finds them in nearly every m
stance making good and reflacng credit on AeXaadIas
schools and their administration Some OF our graduates
"a 10 West Point and Annapolis where they hold their
own with their fellows from all over the United States IN
fact one of our public school boys of the High School class
of 1915 went direct West Point and graduated NUMBER
one in the class of 1918 This IS an instance OF winch
alexandra may well NC PloGu.
ONLY twelve wears AGO Alexandria had but two small
inefficient primary schools and high school, She mad
.hor thousand pupils Of school-age Today we nave
he Washinetqn Lee, West End and High Schools with
capacity Of 1900 but with attendance OF 2zO0 Inc
)ast wear modern colored school was erected with
apacity Of z5O,pppils. =
We shall make no extended allusion today to the
owded condition and inadequate facilities OF the CITY
public schools reserVing this topic for future editorla
}ut is fact that have six alternating school classes
With ONLY halliday EACH and eight halliday classes IN
which one teacher does the work OF two.
,Our average number ST pupils per teacher IN the 1rla
nary grades more than fifty Our average number Of
2piis per teacher in the High School IS 81 otef these
proportions greatly in excess OF what theeaang ed
atoIs AL over the country have fixed upon Weafe thus
committing two grievous errors we are depFVlng otf
children Of their 5rthrigt equal educational oppor
untes with the children Of other states and We are over
working our teachers whose salaries by the way are IN
no wise equal to those of our efficient skilled Workmen
right here at home
We shall just touch today on the self-sacrlficng de
qotion Of understanding corps from Superintendent
Sweeney down 0te newest young lady who teaches the
little ones their a=b-cs. Nh. Sweeney has no clerk no
secretary and does all the work that in other cities OF
equal size ganeally allotted to suborlnaes. lie is
modest manipulating gentleman, who turns his hand
to whatever he fs do and does IT, tie buys the sup
plies he looks afteFahe teachers he maintains personal
relationship with the pupils he substitutes whenever
teacher is i'll absent, and ne keeps In intimate touch
with the needs and requirements of more than two thou
sand of those and bigger ones nearest and dear
est to the heasaf Aexandras motherhood and father
hood ThairsWsfare is his chiefest solcitude They
to be our citfens day the cys fathers and
mothers: they are to keep up and maintain the proud
traditions that have been handed down to them through
two eventfu centuries
Mr. Sweeney has been the leader of our educational
forces For twelve years Under his efficient generalship
thousands of our young and women have received the
most abiding impressions Of their childhood and youth.
The impetus and direction given their characters thei
ambitions their tastes for the higher things of lfe,-m