CHAPTER XIV

THE SECOND PHASE-THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHARLES E. CHADSEY (1912 TO 1919)

Charles Ernest Chadsey1 came to Detroit with an enviable reputation as a progressive educator. After taking his doctor's degree at Columbia University he became superintendent of the Durango, Colorado, schools, leaving there in 1900 to become assistant superintendent in Denver, and then superintendent from 1907 until 1912. He was well equipped, both professionally and socially, for the rather difficult position of public school superintendent. Dr. Chadsey was a type of administrative schoolman new to Detroit, non-political in character, but handicapped by not having the exact and highly desirable knowledge of local conditions. The school board, on the other hand, was political, for within six months deaths among inspectors had SO changed its character that the new superintendent early found himself in a rather delicate position. All of the work was done by committees of the board, even to the appointment of teachers. The superintendent could recommend, but not having the power of his predecessor, could not make these recommendations hold if contrary to the personal desires of the board members. From the beginning, however, he possessed the support of one of the strong

1

The seventh superintendent of the Detroit public schools, Charles Ernest Chadsey, was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska, October 15, 1870, the son of

est men in public life. This was Samuel C. Mumford, inspector from the first ward, a man without political ambition and actuated only by the desire to develop the very best public schools. During the remaining five years of the large board's existence Mr. Mumford fought, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, for the superintendent's program, supporting every progressive movement.

The public feeling against the large, ward-elected board took concrete form when the legislature of 1913 passed an amendment to the basic law by which Detroit was given the privilege of reducing its board of education to a body of seven members, to be elected at large, provided the majority of electors so willed.2 This amendment did not come before the people until the general election of 1916.

Educational Policy. Dr. C. E. Chadsey's educational policy was one of continued experimentation. In 1913 he favored the extension of such industrial or pre-vocational junior high schools as were developing at the Norvell and George schools. Dr. Chadsey said of the industrial junior high schools in 1913:3

"Educators are coming quite naturally to recognize that so-called elementary education should properly cease at the end of the sixth grade and that the seventh grade is the proper place for a more or less distinct differentiation of school courses. We should not be satisfied with the school organization of Detroit until it is possible to offer all of our Franklin and Sallie Marie (Barnum) Chadsey. Finishing his elementary and secondary education, he entered Leland Stanford, Jr., University in 1888, and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree with the class of 1892. He returned the next year for graduate work, and had conferred upon him the M. A. degree in June, 1893. He then came east, matriculating in the graduate school, Columbia University, and received his M.A. there in 1894 and his Ph. D. three years later.

He was appointed principal of the Durango (Colo.) high school, in 1894, a position he held for three years. In 1897 he was appointed superintendent of the Durango schools. That year he married Callie Worth Price, a Colorado girl. One son, Charles Price, was born to them.

In 1900 Dr. Chadsey was made superintendent of the North Side schools in Denver. He served until 1903 in this capacity, and was then appointed assistant superintendent. Three years later he was given the superintendency, which position he filled until he came to Detroit in 1912 as superintendent of Detroit schools. In 1919 he was offered the superintendency in Chicago, and accepted, but resigned a few months later, going to the University of Chicago, as professor of educational administration, during the summer quarter, and next fall to the University of Illinois as dean of the College of Education, where he is now located.

2 Public Acts of 1913, No. 251.

* Report of the Board of Education 1912-13, p. 68.

children the training that their probable future activity seems to demand. This will involve not merely the extension of junior technical high schools, as they may be called, but similar schools for those who are going into commercial or clerical pursuits. It is not sufficient to offer this specialized training merely to pupils in the high schools. Our industrial and commercial ranks are continually being recruited from those who are unable to take advantage of the educational opportunities afforded by our high schools."

The lack of articulation between the eighth and the ninth grades was further emphasized when one of the high-school principals reported failures in ninth grade subjects as follows: algebra, 33.7 percent; English, 24.8 percent; Latin, 54.2 percent; and physiography, 9.3 percent. This alarmingly high failure

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION FOr the Deaf

was due to the fact that "the whole spirit in the teaching of the subject leads to failure rather than success."

At the end of his second year Superintendent Chadsey advocated continued experimentation along lines leading to the organization of a 6-3-3 system, or a six-year elementary school, a three-year junior high, and a three-year senior high school. At the same time he advocated the development of the six-year high school as a temporary method of effecting a readjustment which would immediately use the available space in the new high school and which would ultimately develop into the 6-3-3 system. The first school that might be denominated a six-year high school was the McMillan school in the old Delray district, of

which Frank Cody had been principal. As a preliminary step to these developments, the departmentalization of the upper grades was recommended. Later, the Northwestern, Northeastern, Northern, and Southeastern high schools became six-year schools.

Compulsory Attendance. Further state wide changes were made in the compulsory education law by the 1913 legislature * when the Act of 1907 was amended to make it obligatory upon parents to send to school during the entire school year their children, between the ages of seven and sixteen years, and to have this continuous and consecutive. There were a number of necessary exceptions, such as provision for non-public schools, completion of the eighth grade, physical inability, long distances for children under nine when no transportation was furnished, and for children over 14 years whose services were required by the parents. This law was a big forward step in the protection of the child from premature labor and from insufficient education.

In 1912 Templeton P. Twiggs succeeded George E. Parker as head of the attendance department. During 1913-14 the department of compulsory education was reorganized and the attendance officer, with training equivalent to that of an elementary teacher, supplanted the policeman. The purpose of this change was to recognize the problem of attendance as an educational rather than a police problem.

Assistant Superintendent. In 1914 the office of assistant superintendent, which had not been used since Mr. Robinson's administration, was revived and three of the general supervisors were appointed to this position. They were Frank Cody, in charge of special education, evening schools, playgrounds, and social centers; Charles L. Spain and Oliver G. Frederick, general grade supervisors, who alternated in charge of the east and west side elementary schools. The change was made to relieve the superintendent of the details of routine administration.

In November, 1914, the people voted to create a separate recreation commission to administrate playgrounds and social centers. The result was the establishment of a dual organization Public Acts of 1913, No. 47.