Part 15 (2/2)

”Fourth, by putting applied work in the grades we gave the children a chance to use their hands as well as their heads

”Fifth, we enlarged the school systes and courses until there was a place in the schools for every boy and girl, man and woman in Cincinnati anted an education

”That was the su and difficult task”

Mr Dyer's tall forhtened a trifle His earnest, deterlea, purposeful, successful man ”But when it was all over,” he concluded, ”and when the things for which we had striven were accomplished we knew that they orth while”

When Mr Dyer left his position in Cincinnati to become Superintendent of the Boston schools, there was, on every hand, a feeling of loss and of uncertainty a thosethose months which elapsed between Mr Dyer's departure for Boston and the election of his successor there was a feeling that, after all, perhaps he was not replaceable

Then the successor caination that enabled hirasp, readily and completely, Cincinnati's educational need There had been an era of radical educational adjusted,--artfully changed, it is true--but changed, nevertheless, in all of the essential elees had been made with such rapidity that their foundations had not been fully courated needed rounding out for fulfils; and he saw, furthermore, that in a cora as it remained reasonable

The Cincinnati school people ent to Providence for the purpose of inviting Mr Condon to take charge of the Cincinnati schools, felt the constructive power of his leadershi+p Providence had been educationally transformed, and Mr Condon was the man responsible for the transformation

The people of Cincinnati have every cause to congratulate themselves upon the new school head At the outset Mr Condon said,--”I purpose, to the best of urated by Mr Dyer” With the utmost fidelity he has kept his word

There is far more in Mr Condon's administration than aIn the face of a difficult financial situation which co, he is insisting upon additional kindergartens, extended high school accommodations, a h school system, and an extensive system of recreation and social centers It is upon the latter point that Mr Condon is laying the greatest emphasis at the outset of his administration

The Cincinnati policy which Mr Condon has inaugurated with regard to civic centers is ader use of the school house for social, recreational and civic purposes should be encouraged The school house belongs to all of the people, and should be open to all the people upon equal terms,--as civic centers for the free discussion of all overnment, and for the non-partisan consideration of all civic questions; as recreational centers, especially for the younger meyames and sports, and other physical recreations, the use of class-rooms and halls for music, dramatics, and other recreational activities, and for more distinct social purposes; as educational centers in which the more specific educational facilities and equiper or older people, in any direction which reater economic and educational efficiency; as social centers in which the coer social service in behalf of its anizations of social workers may prosecute any non-partisan and non-sectarian work for the ihborhood, rendering any service whichassistance to the needy, disseeneral affording the coanized capacity an opportunity to serve in a larger measure the needs of the individual e social school policy, to which the administrative authorities of the Cincinnati schools are fully committed

The movement for social centers in the schools is to be under the direction of a social secretary appointed by the superintendent Until the organization is hly perfected, principals are free, under certain restrictions, to open their schools for classes, groups, and all other legitimate community activities

Mr Condon's activities in the direction of socialized school buildings finds a ready response ”There was already a large use of a nus--for welfare associations, for boys'

and girls' study clubs, and for ram of extension, rather than of innovation It has already won the approval of the citizenshi+p

Spontaneityconviction that the development of such a social movement should coraiven them, but that they should develop their own” One by one centers are being for, the local social center organization pays the immediate expenses which its activities incur The reat believer in democracy,” Mr Condon says ”The people can be trusted to settle social questions as they should be settled, provided all sides can be fully presented and time taken for deliberation The school house affords the one opportunity where all can hbors, where the question of wealth and position otten, and where what ato do for the coood, counts most”

Such is the spirit in which Mr Dyer, the men and women orked with him, and the men and women who succeeded him, have striven for the advanceressiveisreat city school system

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 21: Much of this inally in Educational Foundations]

CHAPTER VIII

THE OYLER SCHOOL OF CINCINNATI

I An Experiment in Social Education

On the west side of Cincinnati, separated from the nant water, surrounded by factories and a ood thing come out of Nazareth?” queried a doubter Answers, in bell tones, the philosopher, ”If a man can build a better house or h he fix his home in the woods, the world will find a path to his door” Because Oyler has built a better school in a better community the world sits at Oyler's feet to learn of its experiment in social education

The first time that I went to the Oyler School I encountered a Committee of Manufacturers A Co business hours! These men had met to talk with the school principal over the location of a library, which the entire coo before the Park Board over in the center of the city, to secure a playground near the Oyler School, the local bank furnished auto their offices, took the opportunity to endorse the work of the school, and to second its deiven to West End children

The manufacturers have become interested because in less than a decade the Oyler School has changed the face of the co harmony out of discord, and order out of chaos