Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1925-09-11
OUR BRAIN FACTORIES

Seattle is ali agog over her man
lfacturing plants, One daily pa.
per is publishing editorials Of diff
ferent factories and their output.
The NewsyRecorQ cannot follow
he procession so far as Vashon
island and her material manufact-
lring plants are concerned, but
feels that the greatest factory in
Washington is being overlooked
her brain factories--her public
schools.
Vashon island has a splendid
grade Of schools scattered all over
her dominion and two high schools
that are hard to beat. We once
heard the late John B. Denote
say that the one thing that consti-
tuted a good school was a good
teacher, 1t was James A. Gar
field who remarked that Mark
Hopkins on one end of slab and
a pupil on the other end constitut-
ed university. Mark Hopkins
was one of Garfield's old teachers,
The Burton high school has man
as principal who has lived on Wash
on island many years, He is man
of culture, a man of character,
and a man who can take his place
|among men with credit. No one
ever need apologize when he
points out the Burton Principal as
"their teacher" The News.Re-
cord honestly believes this will
prove true of the new principal of
1.-THE Vashon schools. Mr.. Smith is
a man Of culture also. He is a
"he" man who can take a place
with any other men in the com.
munity and at the same time be
interested in schools and school
work. He starts the year under
two handicaps-first he was secur,
led as teacher on the very dawn of
the new school year and hasn't
had any time to acquaint himself
with local problems. But this pa
per believes he is going to take
charge of the schools with an eye
single to the welfare of the entire
district, and that he will be toe
|wise to listen to any tales that
either bless or blight the days
that are gone. The past has de.
(parted and the present is all he is
expected toywatch. The second
handicap is the fact that to large
extent his teaching force was pick
ed before he was chosen, and il
| may not fit entirely his present
| plans. He takes what's given tt
!. him-and he will be too just t.
: embarrass any innocent party by
placing an obstacle in the path o.
anyone.
f We fancy his program isn't ex
: actly the program he'd map on
| had he prepared his plans for TIKI
coming year last March. For thai
reason he will have to do the bes
, he can this year. The News-Re
cord commends most heartily hi
policy of cutting out the petty con
: tributions of parents for the sup
Iport of the gymnasium work. L
a teacher is good enough to fine
employment in a school, that teach
er should be paid out of the public
monies of the district. With sucl
a start there should be little caus
for complaint.
This paper will back to thu
limit every attempt on the par
of our two high schools to put on
schools at the head of this section
of the SYSTEMATICALLY, moral
ly, and as young citizens. Will
such teachers as Miss Oberg ant
others, and firm hand at tn
head of each school, it should b
easy for Burton and Vashol
schools to close the year next Ma.
with colors flying, lot of happ,
I young folks, and best of all a unit
i ed parentage who will acclaim
| the year 1925-26 the best on Wash
on island.