A history of the city of Cleveland by James Harrison Kennedy

Author:James Harrison Kennedy [Kennedy, James Harrison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Geschichte
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2018-03-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII. MANY EVENTS OF A FRUITFUL PERIOD.

This determined fight for the high school system, that was so successfully made by its friends, is of especial interest because the arguments that were made in opposition then have been heard with equal emphasis but less effect in these later days.

The matter was taken into the newspapers, and upon the rostrum. A mass meeting was called in favor of the school, at which addresses were made by Dr. Fry, principal of the West St. Clair street grammar school, James A. Briggs, and Bushnell White. The school managers placed themselves upon the record with the declaration that it was their firm conviction that the system was " essential to the success of the public schools." and added: "It is the only way in which they can be made in truth what they are in name—common schools—common to all; good enough for the rich, and cheap enough for the poor—such schools as will meet the wants of all classes in the community.'' This was the deliberate opinion of Charles Bradburn, Truman P. Handy, Samuel Starkweather, and William Day. Does not that striking sentence—" good enough for the rich, and cheap enough for the poor "—sun-' up the public school system of Cleveland in a word?

The school was allowed to run along in its own way until the following winter, when a legislative enactment was secured from the general assembly by which the City Council was "authorized and required " to establish and maintain a high school department. That settled the question of legality, and an ordinance was passed as directed. The support given, however, was half-hearted, and for some time the appropriations for support were kept down to the lowest possible sum—about nine hundred dollars per year.

The average attendance during the first three years was about eighty. Two teachers, only, were employed up to 1852, when a third was secured. A lot for a high school building was purchased in 1851, and a cheap wooden building put up for temporary accommodation. In 1856, a stone structure was erected, and after many years' use for school purposes, became, at last, the headquarters for the Board of Education and the Public Library, in which useful service it still continues. It cost about twenty thousand dollars, and was dedicated on April 1st, 1856.

As has been shown, the management of the early schools was in the hands of a board appointed by the City Council. This continued until 1858, when a change was made. After 1841, the secretary of the board was paid a small salary, and was called the acting manager, the executive and clerical work being left largely in his hands.

Visiting committees were appointed from time to time, whose duties have been defined thus: "These committees are recommended by the board and appointed by the Council, but represent neither. They are the representatives of the people, appointed to examine the schools and to make known the results of the examination through their reports to the board.

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