Liberty High School - Lion Yearbook (Brentwood, CA)

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sions--impressions formed supposedly during the few hours of his visit. It means more than any- thing else that the teachers are cheerful and doing the best they can under the circumstances. and that they represented to the examiner that their col- leagues. their pupils. their board and their patrons are doing just the same thing. Now add to these conditions fair teaching and fair equipment. and accrediting is assured. To the community accred- iting means that the name of the school. the location and the name of the principal are published by the University in pamphlet form and sent to each prin- cipal and to the clerk of each high school board. To the graduate it means that if his work has been satisfactory to his principal he can get from his principal a recommendation that will admit him to the University of California on trial without the formality of an entrance examination. If his work in the University proves unsatisfactory he casts reflection upon the efficiency and good faith of the principal. who recommended him and may discredit the school from which he comes. As shown above. the discrediting of a school by no means implies necessarily poor teaching, and unless the discredit- ing is for this cause the graduate of a non-aceredited school can generally get the same recommeudation and entrance privileges as the graduate of an accredited school can. If the pupil's work has been good and the work ofhis teachers has been good. he will be as ready to meet the entrance examinations as the Christian is to meet death. The bugaboo of an entrance exam- ination has no terrors for a satisfactory pupil whose principal commands the confidence of the University and has their assurance that those he recommends will be given a trial. But some of the best principals of accredited schools refuse to recommend any pupil. no matter how thorough in every subject asked for. and leave the pupil to take his chances at one or more entrance examinations. The only matter ot concern to the pupil looking forward to the Uni- versity is, are his teachers able and painstaking. and do they enjoythe confidence of the University? The rest depends upon himself. There are schools by the score where the teaching is good. and yet accrediting is denied. Wliile the merely passable pupil. or rather the unsatisfactory pupil. is not sup- posed to be recommended for further work, he may do much to keep the standard so low as to prevent accrediting. Slovenliness and lawlessness on the part of the pupils. want of harmony and co-operation among the faculty. discord and obstruction on the

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Our Relations to the N FEBRUARY 28, Professor VV. Scott 'llhomas of the University of California spent the greater part of the day at Brentwood looking into the work of the liiberty Union Iligh School. This was not his first visit. as his signature is found in the register under date of August 30. l905. Professor Thomas was some years ago principal of schools at Petaluma. Sonoma. County. and is now an adjunct professor in the Department of Educa- tion at the University of California. For the last few years he has been the sole representative of the University to visit the various high schools and to report upon the work done therein. llere he found at least one promising feature that was con- spicuously absent on his former visit. Ile went carefully over the new high school building almost completed and expressed his approval of it as in line with progress in school architecture. and con- gratulated us on our deliverance from the inade- quate quarters we had occupied so long. He was favorably impressed by the neat appear- ance. the courteous manner and the general cheer- Universily of Calytornia L fulness of the pupils. and the proficiency shown by those pupils who remained cool and did themselves justice. He was assured that the entire community was now in sympathy with the school and loyally supporting itg that the hoard was unanimous and eo-operating with the teachersg that all was har- mony within our walls. He asked' what pupils were looking forward to a university career. talked with some of them and assured the principal that he would use his influence, as he had done in the past, in behalf of these pupils if they came up later before the committee on entrance and bearing the princi- pal's recommendation. Of course accrediting was out of the question for this year. as we have no graduating class. as the three teachers are not entirely occupied with academic work. and as our library facilities and equipment are so meager. But all he said was hopeful and encouraging, and the chances for accrediting a year hence were certainly enhanced by his visit. Now, what does accrediting mean? Essentially that the examiner was pleased at what he saw. It 'is largely a matter of judgment based on impres-

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part of the board. want of sympathy and support on the part of the community have discredited many a school. XVhile the teachers are primarily on trial. there are three other parties necessarily associated with them in the matter of accrediting-the stu- dents. the trustees. the patrons. The system of accrediting has been a wonderful stimulus to the high schools and discovers and cor- rects many wrong tendencies. However. it is open to many objections and works many hardships. The one examiner can make only hasty and superficial visits. and is himself liable to run in a groove. Put- ting the fortunes of all the high schools of the great State of California in the hands of one man for even one year is too great a concentration of responsi- bility. But the matter is aggravated by continuing him year after year. Ile is human and carries with him each year the prejudices of former years. and people are quick to learn his weaknesses. such as we all have. and play upon them for their own personal emolument or for schemes of revenge. With all its evils we can not afford to abandon state inspection, but each can oder his suggestions for its better adaptation to our needs. In conclusion, the University of California has not, to my knowledge. followed the lead of Stanford in recognizing the equal value and dignity of com- mercial studies. but insists that three teachers be wholly employed with non-commercial branches before holding out any hope of accrediting. No school can be put upon the list without a graduating class for that year. The examiner says our one great need is to set up and maintain a high standard of scholarship. These three reasons precluded all hope of accrediting for the c'urrent year. Four teachers and the rigorous einehing out of all pupils, especially from the upper classes, who can not main- tain the pace set by the best is the price We must pay for University recognition and for seeing our names upon the official list of accredited schools. If we are seeking University approval and aim to bc a feeder to the University. the price must be paid. T. A. LEWIS.