Year: 1867

Mr.. Zach Montgomery is busily engaged
in advertising his absurd ''plan" for the re-
form of our present public school system
His plan, as might be expected from his an
tecedents, is nothing more or less than
measure calculated if it should become


law, to first demoralize, and then destroy
the admirable school system which is to day
the crowning glory Of our Golden State
By his plan teachers and the course Of study
in the schools in every neighborhood in the
State would be controlled or changed at the
caprice Of a bare mjority of the parents
sending to the various schools, and such
parents as might be displeased with the reg
ulations established would have the priv
lege of transferring their children and
certain proportion of apportioned money
from one school TO another. Such course
would inevitably result in chickering's
and contentious, and would demoralize the
schools and drive teachers Of character and
Independence from the profession in disgust.
In neighborhoods where Catholics were in
the majority Protestants would oppose
in localities where PROTESTANT denominations
predominated Catholics might have occasion
to complain of the con luct of the schools.
II times Of political excitement Democrats
would employ only such teachers as believed
in their political creed, in the districts where
they were in the majority, and Republicans
would follow a similar line Of action in IA
7or of teachers protesting their faith wher-
ever they possessed tie numerical prepon-
derance


Any person Of sense can see that this new
plan is very absurd humbug. If adopted
it would result in setting neighborhoods by
the Cars and ruin the schools by the wrang-
ling Of parents over teachers and the various
matters pertaining to the management of
schools The ability and competency of tea
chers would become a secondary consider.
alton compaLed to their political or religious
beliefs, aud competent men and women
would either retire from teaching oy seek
States where the chances for employment
and preferment rests on basis Of education.
al qualification.


Teaching is profession, and those who
spend years in fitting themselves for the
calling are certainly far more competent to
judge of tie duties and requirements Of the
profession than those who have little or no
KIN 10 pityn pf ba of
teaching. Intelligent parents prefer to have
their children tutored by competent teachers
who follow the educational path marked out
and recommended by the most experienced
and distinguished practical educators of the
age. Our present public school system is an
excellent one, and has received the plaudts
of the leading educators of the country and
cannot be repealed without great detriment
to the cause Of education in the State I'm
der the present system all sectarianism and
sectional ideas are prohibited from being
taught and teachers are selected in each dis
trict by a board Of trustees elected by the
legal voters Of such districts for the purpose
Of attending to their local school interests,
and trustees so chosen are not likely to
force obnoxious teachers on their constit
uents. Abuses may, and doubles have crept
into the present system, but such abuses are
in violation Of the law and may be abolished
by enforcement the provisions Of the law,
by the proper officers, whenever complaint is
made therefore, such abuses are no argu
ment against the system, and only reflect
discreditab!y on those officers whose neglect
of duty has allowed them 10 occur


The present system of public schools is the
special heritage and dover of both the rich
and poor children of the State. and its
material change or repeal will be the Ger
tain defeat of the party that permits the act