New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-09
Upset Schools
Turn Teachers
Into Martyrs
Women and Men Bravely
Keep Doing Good Work
in Spite of Split Sessions
and Packed Classrooms
They Keep From Fretting
Instructors Regard 1t as
Duty to Garry On Re-
gardless of Discomforts

School teachers Of New York have
accepted dificult conditions in over
crowded buildings as challenge Of
their abilities. Nothing SO impresses
the visitor TO these damp dingy build
ings as the courage and optimism of
principals and teachers. Noise and
confusion is even harder on their adult
nerves than on those Of their pupils,
but it is seldom they complain, in the
presence Of the children at least
A visitor found the principal Of one
girls high school in a small room,
with her desk behind screen, with
telephones, typewriters and babel Of
voices outside making it almost i'm
possible to maintain conversation in
comfort Yet she was afable and en-
thusiastic, Pollyanna who was con-
vincing.
I'VE just go on and do the best we
can" he said. eve know the conditions
are not ideal, but fretting about them
wish it were not quite so hard on the
girls-the early hours and noisy rooms
and we don't like to have them
going up and down stairs so much. but
we try to teach them to climb stairs
in way that is not injurious to their
spines. We are hoping that our turn
will come soon for new building. The
way they put up with this"
The New Utrecht High School for
boys is an old frame building. with out
side stairways leading to the various
wings which have been added during
the last fifty years as the school grew.
Old stores across the street have been
fitted up as an annex. What does the
principal say of it?
This place is challenge" he says.
$1.
q lot Of things. 1t is our job to build
for character and citizenship and the
citys job is to give plants to do it
IN. We aren't falling down on our part
Of the contract. The great event Of
our year is when the boys come back
in the fall to get their credits for col
lege entrance-then we know we have
not failed, no matter what kind of
building we have or how crowded we
have been"
Up in crowded P. s. "a, where 300
children have to be accomm odated, the
principals and teachers have accepted
making endurable the physical condi-
tions which surround the children.
The older and more reliable boys are
appointed marshals to watch the lines
OF little children crossing the streets,
some on their way home, others just
starting their days lessons.
I've don't like it," said the principal,
standing tired, but one might almost
say trium plant, at the end of his day,
but we must go on and do the best
we can, for the children are worthy of
the best we have. Looking into their
bright, eager faces is our inspiration.
We will just go on working hard as
we can for these children until the
city can give them better conditions,
rooms that really belong to them,
place where they can have feeling Of
homeness. Put flower or plant into
the schoolroom and within week you
hear stories of flowers in the homes
Only teachers know what close con-
nection there is between home and
school. and how much some of these
homes need the inspiration of sunny,
beautiful, orderly schoolroom. What 8
ra;.- OF give II "a thern -