USA > New York > Bronx County > The Bronx and its people; a history, 1609-1927, Volume II > Part 12
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New and Old Background-All this gives us something of the back- ground of education in the New York colony of which Westchester County and the territory of The Bronx partook. The Bronx of our
535
EDUCATION
times represents something of a new world in comparison with the times and the larger area with which we have been dealing, but what is now The Bronx shared in the cultural advantages enjoyed or borne by the whole colony and the State and the tradition of education has remained the same throughout. To make a contrast we will cite the words concerning education just above the Harlem uttered in the last decade of the last century: "As regards the number and character of our educational institutions there are few places more highly favored than the North Side," wrote J. A. Goulden in 1895. "The kindergarten and university have found a congenial home; here boarding school, academy, and college hold out the strongest inducements to the youth of both sexes. The healthfulness of this section, the charm of land- scape, the historic interest of the territory, and the intelligence of the people are powerful attractions to those in search of a home. But there is another attraction which the future householder might study- nay, the effete denizen of some downtown ward might ponder over to some purpose-let both think of this: that at no distant day this whole region is destined to become the educational centre of New York. "In the two wards there are twenty grammar and twenty-six primary schools, including departments. A new High School has been estab- lished and is in successful operation at Third Avenue and 158th Street. The principals of these schools are teachers of ability and of wide ex- perience and their efforts are seconded by a corps of zealous and efficient subordinates. The kindergarten system, physical culture, and manual training are prominent features in many schools and there is likewise ample provision for military skill in the case of the boys belonging to the advanced classes. We have one evening school, No. 62, at 157th Street and Cortlandt Avenue; there five hundred meet and for five whole months devote themselves with praiseworthy ardor to the study of the English and mathematical branches, including book- keeping and stenography. Our people have reason to be proud of the success attained by the school. The discipline is excellent and the instruction unsurpassed. Under the auspices of the Board of Educa- tion six courses of free lectures, delivered in G. S. No. 64, Fordham, G. S. No. 66, Kingsbridge, in the new school at Bedford Park, at Wakefield, and at Westchester are proving a great attraction to the people of the North Side. The lecturers selected for the purpose have been so far exceedingly successful in their work. The halls are invariably so crowded that hardly standing room is left. The boards of inspectors belonging to the two wards deserve more than a passing mention. All have done their duty faithfully and well, and deserve a share of credit for the excellent showing made by the pupils of the North Side at the entrance examinations held each year for admission
536
THE BRONX AND ITS PIJPLE
to the two colleges. as well as for the high character of the schools in these wards.
"The school officers have not been idle inthe matter of procuring new buildings, repairing and enlarging old des, and more especially in the purchase of sites for the use of the comig generation of scholars. At Kingsbridge. Bedford Park, Morris Height. Mount Hope. Tremont, Fox Estate, College Avenue, and 145th Stres St. Ann's Avenue, and 148th Street, Union Avenue and 149th Stret. Cypress Avenue and 135th Street. Burnside and Andrews avenue. etc .. the land for school sites has been already secured and new builings completed or under contract. Those who come after us will threinre have no reason to complain that we of this day and generationhave been blind to their interests in not making something like surable provision for their children and their children's children. Oi ne higher institutions of learning, the 24th Ward bids fair to have amething like a monopoly. First, there is the Ursuline Convent Academy. charmingly situated near Bedford Park, with everything that c= be desired in the shape oi classrooms. dormitories. hall, chapel. rectory, and playgrounds. The convent school is of recent date, har , four years old, but the sisters have shown what it is possible to d within that time; thanks to their skill. perseverance. and unselfishnes they have achieved a most gratifying if not marvelous success. Upwar of two hundred students are receiving an excellent education at thi popular institution.
"The Webb Home, a costly and beautiful tructure situated on Sedg- wick Avenue, one of the loveliest spots in reation, stands a monument to the noble philanthropist whose name it cars. The art of designing ships. etc., is surely one of the most useful « arts; it deals with a great and highly important industry, besides heping us to take part in the carrying trade of the world. The man who cakes such provision for the students of that art, who supplies them with means to pursue it, that man is deserving oi great praise and gratude. St. Joseph's Institute for the Care and Instruction of the Deaf ad Dumb, situated near East 184th Street, Fordham, is an institution crated for a truly noble and beneficent purpose. It receives State aid & course, and never, let me say, does the civil power appear to greateradvantage than when help- ing to lives of usefulness those unfortunaes who, through no fault of their own, are forever cut off from the who! world of sound. As regards methods of instruction and the results attmed, St. Joseph's is in every respect up to the highest standard.
"St. John's College, beautifully situate in a spacious park fronting on Pelham Avenue, is, as we reckon tire, an old and highly favored seat of learning. For nearly three score cars the College has been in charge of the Fathers of the Society offesus and the fame acquired
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EDUCATION
has been such as to attract students from nearly every part of the habitable globe. Young men from Canada, British Columbia, the West Indies, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Central America, Mexico, are there in considerable numbers, and as for the United States, hardly a State is unrepresented. There is nowhere a better type of polyglot college, for amongst its four hundred students you can hear all the languages of the civilized world.
"The New York Catholic Protectory at Westchester, recently an- nexed to New York City, is one of the best known institutions in the country. Its special purpose and aim is to care for the homeless of both sexes and it is ably presided over by that noble and self-sacri- ficing band, the Christian Brothers. Two thousand boys and one thous- and girls here find a comfortable home and are taught useful trades. Tailoring, shoe-making, printing, farming, care of horses, gardening, are all taught on an extended scale. A regiment of cadets, armed and equipped, and a magnificent brass band, are connected with this excel- lent institution. Brother Eusebius is in charge of the whole matter, and Sister Anita, of the Sisters of Charity, of the girls' department. The Sacred Heart Academy for boys at Classon Point has one hundred and fifty pupils in charge of the Sisters of Charity. The excellent edu- cational facilities of the North Side, with its grand system of public parks, its healthful and invigorating climate, its kindly disposed and hospitable people, and the many other substantial advantages, must make this section of the Greater New York the centre of refinement and intelligence, as well as of a contented and happy people."
Public Schools in The Bronx-Thus appeared educational progress in The Bronx as it was known to the ordinary dweller in the borough in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Admittedly it was not until 1874, when the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth wards were annexed to New York City and the schools passed under the control of the Board of Education, that they began to develop real efficiency. "Since the consolidation of the Greater City in 1897, the public school system in the Borough has reached its highest mark," wrote H. T. Cooke, in 1913. "From a small number of scattered schools with a few thou- sand pupils there has grown a school population of 86,000, housed in fifty elementary school buildings and one secondary school. There is a class for crippled children in Public School No. 4 at Prospect Avenue and One Hundred and Seventy-sixth Street. They are transported to and from the school by means of two stages. Open-air classes are provided for anaemic children, who are supplied with free lunches and sitting-out paraphernalia. Besides these schools there are within the Borough limits twenty parochial schools and two great univers- ities-New York and Fordham. The New York University, founded in
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THE BRONX AND ITS PEOPLE
1831, ranks amongst the foremost institutions of learning in the United States. The founders had an idea of grandeur and beauty when they selected this spot for the celebrated college. It is charmingly situated on a forty-acre elevation on University Heights and overlooks the Har- lem and Hudson rivers as well as Long Island Sound. Its environments are ideal and invigorating for the educational advantages and physical opportunities provided under the experienced and able supervision of Dr. Elmer Ellsworth Brown, Chancellor, and a most distinguished faculty. About five thousand students are distributed through the fol- lowing departments: College of Arts and Pure Science, Graduate School, School of Pedagogy, School of Commerce, Law School, and Medical College. Adjoining the Library Building is the 'Hall of Fame,' where are recorded on bronze tablets the names of America's immortals in science, literature, art, law, politics and other fields of noble endeavor. These names are selected by a committee of men who are themselves leaders in their respective professions, and who are thus best qualified to pass judgments upon such matters." (See Universities.)
Early in the century people in The Bronx were congratulating themselves on the progress which education was then making in The Bronx. No greater evidence of the healthful conditions which prevail on the North Side can be found than in observing the children of the public schools on their way to and from the schoolhouses, ob- served a writer in the "North Side News" in 1901. "Nowhere else in the world perhaps can there be seen so large a proportion of boys and girls who are pronounced specimens of rugged health. In fact very seldom is there seen here a child who is an exception to the rule. Not only are their little figures sturdy, but their complexions are clear, their eyes are bright and their evident high spirits are indicative of cheerful dispositions. Their round cheeks, their good color and their neat appear- ance show that they come from homes where they have all the comforts of life. In hardly an instance is there any evidence of neglect on the part of their parents. How great a help to school teachers is the proper home care of children is often not fully understood. A strong child possessing the mental alertness which is the result of good physical conditions, makes a much better pupil than a child whose disposition has been made irritable by an inherited nervous temperament or by home conditions which withhold the stimulus to study which pleasant surroundings and parental devotion give. Experienced instructors of the young can tell at a glance what prospects of success in teaching them are, and the teachers of the borough certainly have reason to congratulate themselves on the nature of the children placed in their charge.
"Reasons for congratulation are, however, not confined to teachers.
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EDUCATION
They extend to parents and children as well. Uniformity in school conditions throughout Greater New York is sought by the Board of Education. That body, however, while regulating the sanitary condition of schoolhouses, the courses of instruction and the general machinery of school management, cannot provide the children of downtown schools with the opportunities that exist here for giving good institutions to children of naturally frail constitutions and improving naturally good institutions. Perhaps no better illustration of the advantages derived by children from residence in Bronx Borough could be given than was furnished last fall when a ball nine from Public School No. 69, in Fifty- fourth Street, came up here to play a game with the ball nine of Public School No. 60, which is at College Avenue and 145th Street. The boys from downtown were accompanied by their principal, Mr. White- side, and he was asked to act as umpire. He accepted the position with reluctance, because, as he afterwards said, his boys seemed so big in comparison with the representatives of The Bronx school that the latter appeared to be no match at all for the former. The No. 60 boys however, showed their ability to do up their visitors in great shape, and Mr. Whiteside came to the conclusion that bulk was not the only essential in a baseball team. The Bronx boys averaged much less in years than those from Manhattan, but they represented the same grades in scholarship, a proof that living in The Bronx makes boys not only strong and active, but is an advantage in the development of their minds."
While The Bronx suffered, with other sections of Greater New York, from the centralization of school government, it had advantages, the writer went on to remark, which in some measure were an offset to the adverse conditions. That the fact was realized by parents was shown by the great increase in the total population in recent years and by the increase in school attendance. "The figures concerning the latter are difficult to believe: In a Western boom town such a percentage of increase as has occurred here might not cause great surprise, but in one of the oldest settlements on the continent it is more than surpris- ing. On January 1, 1874, when this part of what was then Westchester County was made a part of the county of New York, there were but seven public schools of any considerable importance, there being only some two or three others with from two to three teachers each. Now there are about fifty public schools in the borough. In 1874 the total attendance was only about 3,000. Today schools Nos. 90, 154, 85 and 63 have from 2,500 to 3,000 pupils each. As late as 1880, six years after annexation, the total number of pupils in the Twenty-third Ward was no greater than the number at present in any of the schools above named. The total in all the schools in that ward now is between 23,000
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THE BRONX AND ITS PEOPLE
and 25,000. Between 1880 aand 1890 the number increased a little more than a hundred per cent ; and between 1890 and 1900 the number trebled, the increase in twenty years being about 700 per cent. The growth in the last-named decade was directly due to the improvement of the district inaugurated and partly carried out during the period of home rule. The growth at present is more rapid than ever before. When in 1889 Public School No. 85, on 138th Street, was opened, many of the school authorities pronounced its location a poor one, and predicted that the building would not be filled before ten years had elapsed. In less than three years every seat was taken and since then the demand for accommodations in the immediate neighborhood has resulted in the erec- tion of schoolhouses at 141st Street and St. Ann's Avenue and the South- ern Boulevard and 135th Street. Both of these are filled to the doors today and the Board of Education is preparing plans for more than doubling the capacity of each to accommodate the children now ready to enter as soon as they can be provided for.
"What has been said of Public School No. 85 is equally true of No. 90. The erection of the latter at 163rd Street and Eagle Avenue was pronounced a folly, but its accommodations, then pronounced unreason- ably great, have long since proved inadequate. To meet the demands for additional accommodations the capacity of the school at St. Ann's Avenue and 141st Street, that at 149th Street and Union Avenue, that on the Fox estate and that at Third Avenue and 169th Street, will be doubled before the opening of the fall term. In conversation a few days ago, Mr. Elijah D. Clark, principal of Public School No. 60, spoke with regret of some of the results of the centralization of school control adopted a few years ago. This centralization, said he, is all wrong. 'The American school system was established with a belief that it should be closely in touch with the people. The centralization of control has placed the schools in charge of men who know nothing of the needs and requirements of individual sections. Parents who formerly showed an active interest in the progress of their children at school are, by the present conditions, discouraged from showing such interest. Formerly we had many visits from parents, and the result was that teachers were encouraged by the appreciation of their efforts. That interest has entirely died out, and can be renewed only when parents are again able to easily secure attention from those in power.' At present the system throughout the entire city is one which withholds from parents and teachers the incentives they formerly had to work in harmony. The home influence which a parent exercises is of incalculable help to a teacher, and parents who desire to have the children make as rapid progress as possible without overstudy can be aided greatly in exercising their home influence by the advice of those by whom their children are
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EDUCATION
taught. A restoration-or at least a partial restoration-of former con- ditions is made probable by some of the provisions of the new charter, and every teacher who is conscientious and enthusiastic-and there are very many such in the Borough of The Bronx-will heartily welcome the change. One defect of the present system is the lack of control a principal has over appointments to his staff of assistants. His control in this respect is limited to one vote in a total of seventeen, each of the sixteen assistants of Superintendent Jasper also having a vote. This 'sixteen to one' rule practically robs him of any effective voice in the matter.
"But whatever defects there are in the school system in this borough, identical defects are to be found in all the other boroughs, and the children here have as compensation advantages which are found in few other sections of the city. The pupils here are better situated than are those of Manhattan in regard to light and ventilation, nearly all of the school buildings here being of modern construction. After school hours the school boys and school girls of The Bronx have playgrounds far better than any available in Manhattan, there not only being many vacant lots, but numerous public parks. From 1842, when the school system was established, until 1895, the control of the schools in the several wards was largely in the hands of Boards of Trustees. In most sections, particularly in that above the Harlem River, this was attended with very satisfactory conditions, but in some of the wards of Man- hattan the trustees exercised their power in a manner which led to criticism which was fully justified, 'political pull' being of more im- portance to a teacher seeking appointment or promotion than was either ability or faithfulness. In remedying this condition of affairs, much which was of advantage to the schools was lost, but the new charter promises a partial restoration of the old conditions, which were desir- able. The power of the present school inspectors is very limited, but the provisions of the new charter increase their authority very material- ly. The plan is to divide the borough into eight inspection districts with a board of inspectors for each district. There are to be four school commissioners for the borough and each one of the commissioners is to act with two boards of inspection. One superintendent is to be put in charge of two schools. The commissioner, the superintendent, and the inspectors are to form a board with powers much greater than those now exercised by inspectors. One improvement which school prin- cipals have long advocated, but without success, is that eligible candi- dates be given certificates as substitutes and shall then serve as sub- stitutes for forty-five days, thirty of which shall be reported as satis- factory by the principal or principals under whom the service is given, such reports resulting in placing the candidate on the eligible list for regular appointment."
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THE BRONX AND ITS PEOPLE
The following gives the elementary school register for the period of from 1913 to 1919 in The Bronx as compared with Manhattan :
Manhattan
The Bronx
1913
247,844
78,534
1914
254,970
83,787
1915
267,131
94,175
1916
266,921
98,102
1917
262,765
102,560
1918
261,680
104,547
1919
263,427
106,214
Increase in Register
15,583
27,680
Per cent of Increase in each
Borough
6.28
35.24
Per cent of Entire Increase
14.71
26.14
In recent years there has been great difficulty in The Bronx in the way of providing accommodations for pupils such as would keep pace with the increase in population. William L. Ettinger, Superintendent of Schools, wrote on this subject in 1920, suggesting the following consid- erations :
"That the present lack of school accommodations with the resultant part-time devices and make-shift double session programs, is a great impediment to the efficiency of our educational system. The existing congestion also makes impossible the normal extension of the system with reference to such projects as the proper development of inter- mediate schools and the establishment of local probationary schools. That as the present condition has resulted from political control and divided financial responsibility, the law be amended forthwith so that, in connection with the purchase of sites and the construction of school buildings, the statute make it mandatory upon the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, when requested by the Board of Education, to issue corporate stock to provide yearly a fixed minimum amount of money for such purposes. Such a law would at the present moment and for several years to come take from the Board of Estimate and Apportionment a power which at times it has been able to exercise to the detriment of the school system. That the delays in acquiring sites and procuring equipment for the rapidly extending educational needs of the city have shown the failure of divided responsibility and the need of giving to the Department of Education full control and responsibility for such extension. That long years of experience in attempting to obtain sufficient lighting for our schools in the evening, in order to in- struct the adult foreign-born in American duties and responsibilities, has shown that our buildings should be but are not as well lighted as is consistent with health and comfort. The conclusion is inevitable that no agency other than the Department of Education can secure with adequate dispatch and satisfaction repairs and extension of lighting facilities. Full control of this feature ought to be given to this depart- ment. That the efforts of the present city administration to finance a
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EDUCATION
liberal building program, the conditions resulting from the war and continuing during the present period of adjustment, such as the control of building materials by the priorities board, the scarcity of material due to increased production and poor transportation, the scarcity of labor, and also the greatly enhanced cost of both labor and material, have operated to prevent the early completion of new school buildings. How- ever, the prevalence of such conditions at the present time should not be considered as sufficient reason for any hesitancy in either financing or planning future building operations over and above those already organized."
Dr. Ettinger then went on to say that Associate Superintendent Shal- low had done excellent work in studying with a clear, impersonal vision the needs of the city as a whole, and in developing basic considerations for the determination of the "order of necessity." The factors to be considered, he declared, were the following :
1. The percentage of excess register over sittings. 2. The number of pupils attending on part-time and on double sessions below the 5A grade (fifth school year). 3. The growth of public school population within the previous five years. 4. The prospects for increase in school population, e. g., increase in transit facilities, increase in building of homes, development of new residential tracts. 5. Present residential neighborhoods changing to business or manufacturing, or designated for such change as shown by zoning maps prepared by the Committee on the City Planning. 6. Recommendations from superintendents, local school boards, principals of schools, civic associations and others. 7. Present buildings in part unsanitary and unfit for use.
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