Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/129

 " THE QUINCY METHOD " 1 1 5

was by no means true of the Quincy committee. The superintendent was given full power to conduct the schools as he thought best. There was, how- ever, one absolute requirement he must succeed ; and the committee was the judge of success or failure. Previous to 1875 the committee had examined yearly the schools in order to ascertain the progress of the pupils ; now they proposed to inspect the schools to find out the efficiency or inefficiency of the superintendent ; and well they did their work. What criterion they had, or upon what basis they estimated efficiency, is not known. Probably they esti- mated the real life of the school, the happiness and earnestness of the chil- dren, rather than technical details and quantity of book work done.

The school board's most important task was to defend the schools and the changes in the work of the teachers.

Good people do not easily alter their ideals of education. I have some- times thought that theology had the deepest and strongest hold upon the human mind, especially in New England ; but that is not true ; educational ideas are by far the slowest to change. Noah Webster is mightier than Jonathan Edwards, technical grammar than predestination. It is useless for anyone who attempts to improve education to complain ; the right way is to recognize the situation and make the best of it. Human progress is measured by the time it takes for a good idea to get into life.

The board of education fought many battles, and fought them all with great earnestness and wisdom. One battle stands out above all others. The battleground was the old Town Hall, which was packed with eager voters. Late-comers were obliged to stay outside, although it was a rainy day. Two thousand dollars a year seemed an immense sum for the taxpayers to spend for a man who walked or rode around from school to school. The leader in the campaign against extravagance moved a reduction of the appropriation that would cut off the man who amused himself by supervising the schools. The motion was carried with a rush. The second town meeting, succeeding the first by a few days, was extremely interesting. I shall not attempt to describe it the memory of it always gives me a thrill. It was a battle royal for the little ones. I thought of the old days of Otis and Patrick Henry. At this meeting a motion was made to reconsider, backed by elo- quence rarely heard in these days. Only the leader voted against the motion, and the original appropriation was carried without a dissenting voice.

' The battle for the common schools is the battle for human liberty, and Quincy was fortunate in the defenders of that which lies at the basis of our republic.

Permit me to interpolate a personal statement. I have been accused of fighting battles. It is not true ; I never fought a battle, unless trying to teach school is fighting. The school committee did all the work of defense, and each member was a host in himself. The superintendent was granted the entire supervision of the town schools. The choice of teachers and their dis- missal, the making of the course of study, the examinations, indeed every- thing that pertains to pedagogy, he relegated to his principals, and they in