p. 22 | A Word to the Boards of Management of Our Church and Intermediate Schools

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 12, 1908

A Word to the Boards of Management of Our Church and Intermediate Schools

By F. G.

WE have noticed with some concern the tendency on the part of the boards of management of our church and intermediate schools to change the teachers in these schools very often. It appears to be much more manifest than in our advanced schools. This is probably due to the fact that the teachers in these grades of schools are brought more closely in contact with the patrons than are the teachers in our advanced schools. It can but follow that there will arise various matters in connection with the teacher's work with which patrons from time to time may disagree, and it may often occur that the patrons who take issue with the work the teacher is doing have influence enough in the church and on the Board to secure the removal of the teacher. They do this, of course, from the purest motives, truly believing that they are benefiting the school, and without doubt in some instances the school is benefited.

But the constant change of teachers does not result in the up-building of the schools. Would it not be better, where teachers have failings, to use every possible means to have these failings corrected, than to secure their removal? These same teachers carry on successful work in other places, and it would seem that they might make those corrections and there might be those adjustments of conditions or misunderstandings which would enable the teacher to continue his work, and so give that continuity to the work which is so necessary to the highest success. We must seek by every possible means to establish our school work on a very solid foundation, and it is almost impossible to do this if we are frequently changing our teachers. We recognize that these changes are not all brought about by the Board. Oftentimes teachers themselves are not willing to remain in situations where they might do good work. Where this is true, these principles must apply with equal force to them, but it would appear to be the duty of the managers of the schools to seek to adjust and make those changes in the teacher's work which would be for the betterment of the school, rather than to make an exchange of teachers.

F. G.