Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

Page 22 text:

more dignity, to the dilemma,i in which they found themselves, due to ccthe disproportion between the duties devolving upon the Commissioners and the means furnished for their accomplishmentfii There was, to be sure, the Cityis distributive share of the school fund for 1825326327328, but this amounted to only $1431.41 and well deserved, when mentally applied to the establishment of twelve schools, the contemptuous epithet of the harassed gentlemen of the Board- iipittancef, tween duties and means presently presented itself to the Council in such a way as to call for further legislation, and accordingly a Supplementary Ordinance was passed in April, 1829. But talas for the Commissioners hopesU the remedy therein designed did not lay in the providing of funds to sustain the schools called for in the original Ordinance, but in reducing the number of schools to'be established-a meager one or moreii now, instead of the ambitious Rsix male and six femaleii! Thus the Board was still in a quandary, for it was an earnest, conscientious, impartial body, well qualified to set a worthy precedent for all future Boards; it considered it necessary, if any schools were established, to establish four at once, one for males and one for females in the eastern and western parts of the city, respectively; and there was the pittancei, received from the Treasurer of the State. And the time was now almost com- pletely consumed! Two motives, however, inspired the Board to act before it was too late, and under this double stimulus it made the decision that repre- sents a true climax in this story. The record of this memorable event gives an enlightening glimpse of one aspect of the cityis life at the close of the 1820is and of the Boardis deep sense of the im- portance of the situation confronting it: fThe BoardJ conscious of the magnitude of the trust com- mitted to them and at the same time aware of the anxiety with which a large portion of their fellow-citizens were looking forward to the commencement of a system of public instruction as the means of an efficient and economical education of their children, at length determined to proceed with the means at their command. The momentous step was taken on July 21, 1829, when it was resolved to establish four schools, relying on the countenance and support of the City Council to carry into execution that which every member of both branches hie, of the General Assemblyl almost XIV

Page 21 text:

PROLOGUE THE STORY BEFORE THE STORY The Baltimore Public School System had been making history for more than a decade before QtHigh Schools, were thought of, and for almost two decades before they were thought of in connection with ufemalesiL-history well worth reading, too, for anyone inter- ested in Baltimore and in education and in human nature. The story began on the last day of February, 1826, with an Act of the General Assembly authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore uto establish Public Schools? and setting a certain period within which this must be done. The Act reminds one of the fairy tales in which a specific. task, like the answering of a riddle or the freeing of a captive princess, must be accomplished within a certain time Cia year and a day? perhapsi or not at all; but it was far more important than any of the fairy-tale provisions! For this Act gave Baltimore the opportunity to secure for herself tche independent organization of her Public School System, free from other legislation than her own, and the appropriation of her revenue for the instruction of her own population? Enter next, Suspense! Procrastination, inaction on the part of the City Council and Mayor of Baltimore, for reasons unknown to the historian, while the time alloted by Act of Assembly uwas fast consuming? . Then, before the time was quite consumed, action! An Ordi- nance of March 1, 1828, provided m for the organization of a Board of School Commissioners iZi for the presenting of an annual report by these Commissioners to the Council on the f1rst Monday in January 60 for the establishment of six male and six female schools on the Monitorial Planibk But there was something else extremely important that the Ordinance failed to provide for, namely, the means for the organiza- tion and support of these dozen schools! And so the newly ap- pointed Commissioners were definitely put Qton the' spoth and Sus- pense made a second entrance. iThe Commissioners refer, with iI.e., the plan of having a large number of pupils under one instructor, who was assisted in keeping order and hearing the lessons by monitors. XIII

Page 23 text:

three years ago, declared by his vote to be for the honor, the happi- ness, and the interest of the city? Along with this admirable resolution went the first of the practical steps to put it into effect: the President was directed to advertise for rooms and for two male and two female instructors. In September the four instructors were chosen-for six months- and their salaries hxed as follows: ccfor the male teachers at the rate of four hundred dollars, and the female at two hundred dollars per annumfbk There had been difficulty in securing rooms-large, light, well-ventilated-and no room at all could be secured at this time for the iifemal? in the western part of the city; but a male and female school were commenced in Bond Street, then almost the eastern extremity of the city, and a male school was opened in Eutaw Street, which at that time was but a little distance from the western limits? Pupils were admitted on payment of the tuition fee required by the Ordinance $1.00 per quarterl or by a certificate from the Board. The Board requested permission from the Council land pre- sumably received itl to prescribe the books to be used by the pupils and the studies to be pursued-in the interests of improving instruc- tion. It also suggested-a number of times before the suggestion was taken-that there be two classes of schools: Primary, for chil- dren from four to seven, and Grammar, for children over seven who had had previous instruction in the Primary division and showed some proficiency in reading and spellingfpk And it likewise expressed its position on the matter of keeping pupils in school until past fourteen lobviously with reference only to boysl: their longer stay would mean ill their assistance to the principal as monitors and teachers, and lZl-even more important- the continuance of the youths in a condition of improvement until they arrive at an age ikIt is especially interesting in this year of 1943344 to consider this concrete illustra- tion of 18295 opinion of the value of the femaleis services in relation to the maleis. The limited term of engagement was not only to test the capacity of the individuals selected but also to give the Council opportunity of considering more fully the subject of public instruction and either sustaining the doings of the Committee by enlarging their means, or of withdrawing their support and Ehere another glimpse of the timesl suffering the hopes of the community to perish; as . . . might best comport with their duty to their constituents and their responsibility to the age of light and improvement in which they are called to act? WThe Primary Schools were to have only female teachers, for a double reason: Hi uThese would be more efiicient in communicating instruction to children of this tender age than even the best mastersii; lZl uwhile at the same time the saving of expense would be very great, as the services of females may be had for a far less compensation than those of suitable masters. XV