In Chicago

In Chicago

A brewer brewing a brew, a baker baking a cake, a woman having a gown made, a huntsman buying a horn--all these and many another involved in an operation where it is the result that counts, perform one act in common. They sip the brew, taste the batter, try on the gown, wind the horn. So, thought Chicago's school superintendent, William McAndrew, should those supporting public education be permitted to ladle out a sample of the educational pot and try it to see if the contents have taste, body, zest, quality. Last week he caused 40 eighth-grade pupils, picked at random, to be assembled at desks on the stage of Fullerton Hall at Chicago's Art Institute. He brought together 500 school principals and invited citizens to be audience for the exercises. He chose seven "appraisers" to sit in judgment. He prevailed on a group "who admit themselves to be of average intelligence" to act as examiners and give tests to the 40 "sample" pupils. Each test was conducted by "a citizen with practical knowledge of the subject under consideration." One Elmer Stevens examined the clothes, teeth, hair and general presentability of the "samples." Robbert McMurdy tested them in the use of common tools; he asked them to repair a window screen. John W. Ogren of the Association of Commerce delivered a ten-minute speech on "What the Public Expects of Its Schools," and the pupils were asked to tell what had impressed them about the speech. Carl Bismarck Roden, of the Public Library made them look up the life of John Quincy Adams, to illustrate the use of reference devices. S. E. Thomason, business manager of the Chicago Tribune, brought out a bank deposit slip and made the pupils total it up-- a test of reliability in practical arithmetic. Other tests were given, by qualified testers, in literary taste, good manners, music, history, civics, composition, penmanship, drawing, art appreciation, safety methods. At the end, Superintendent McAndrew declared himself well satisfied. He felt sure the pupils were learning the things expected of them by their parents and the taxpaying public. His seven appraisers shared his view--appraisers drawn from city clubs, the Association of Commerce, the postoffice. Soon, declared Superintendent McAndrew, another sampling day will be held, including a ladleful of pupils from the high-school tureen.