USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > The Schools of Brookline Fifty Years Ago and Today 1958 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
THE SCHOOLS OF BROOKLINE - FIFTY YEARS AGO AND TODAY
Prepared for the Brookline Historical Society, January 19, 1958.
Ernest R. Caverly, Superintendent of Schools
-
.
٠
THE SCHOOLS OF BLOORLINE FIFTY PERLE ASO AND TODAY Prepared for the Brookline Historical Society, January 19, 1958,
Ermest R. Caverly, Superintendent of Schools
When it was suggested to me that I address you on some historical aspect of the Brookline schools, I thought at first I would deal with the past quarter of a century, during which I have had the privilege and the honor of serving as educational leader of this distin- guished Town. The more I studied the matter, however, the more I became convinced that a little deeper look into the past and a comparison with the present would render a greater service to the purpose of this meeting. Fifty years ago there was a School Committee of nine members, as there is today; and there were subcom. mittees on buildings, finance, hygiene, teachers, and textbooks, also as there are today, with only two slight changes. The subcommittee on textbooks is now named the subcommittee on instruction, and a subcommittee on public relations has been added . Both these changes have taken place recently, the first in 1946, and the second in 1948. The significant fact, in my opinion, is the persistence of & practice once adopted, often in the face of changing procedures elsewhere . Brookline has been particularly independent about following its well-established traditione; unmoved by new theories or neighboring practices.
Brookline has had only aix Superintendents of Schools, beginning with William T. Reid (father of William T. Reid, Jr., a member of this Society) in 1872.
From 1900 to 1919 George I. Aldrich was Superintendent, and to him we are indebted for many words of wisdom, sound advice, and effective leadership, the results of which are still apparent in the schools today . In a single report (1907) be dealt with these subjects : State laws and local implementation of them, enrolments, the value of kinder- gartens, the size of classes, teachers' salaries, High School courses, manual training, physical examinations "specially of eyes, cars, and teeth), dramatics and debat- ing at the High School, graduates entering colleges, vacation schools, evening schools, school gardens, free shower baths, and retiring allowances for teachers. Most of these subjects are discussed from time to time in the School Committee's reporte today. Let us examine a few of them.
In 1905 the people of the Town numbered 23, 000; 1× 1955, 57,000, an increase of 150 per cent. The school population increased from 3700 to 6700, an increase of 81 per cent. This is evidence of the well-known fact that Brookline has become increasingly a community of adults .
The High School increased from 400 to 2000, an increase of 400 per cent. This is the truly spectacular fact of the past 50 years . It registers the tremendous valve which our people place on education, as much educa- tion as possible for as many people as possible. It enplavizes the extraordinary appreciation which our people
1
-
3 .
have of secondary education, evidenced also by the exceedingly small number of students (about 2 per cent of the High School enrolment) who drop out of school entirely in any one year. The drop-out figures of 50 years ago are not available, but these together with the number who never entered High School must have been enormous .
The Report for 1907 shows that 59 were graduated from the High School, and of these 24 entered higher institutions, including 5 each to Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and 3 each to Radcliffe and Wellesley. All the colleges were within 100 miles of Boston! How different is the situation today.
In 1957, 393 were graduated and of these 290 continued their education in advanced schools or colleges. These included 36 who enrolled in Boston University, 22 in the University of Massachusetts, and 18 at Northeastern University. There were Il who went to Harvard, 6 to Tufts, and & to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In
all there were 217 in higher institutions in Massachusetts, 21 in other New England States, and 52 outside New England . Four girls are married and 19 boys are in the armed forces.
Fifty years ago a table showing the size of 86 elementary school classes was published. "Its purpose, " according to the report, "is to give prominence to an advantage enjoyed by the local public, because of the small number of pupils assigned to each teacher.
In only seven instances does the enrolment exceed forty- five." The classes ranged in size from 20 to 50!
Fifty years later the clasnes ranged from 11 to 36 pupila, and in only six instances did the enrolment exceed 33. The total number of the classes waa 181. The maximum salary paid to a Brookline teacher in one of the first six grades was $600 in 1907 and is $7000 today . Seven thousand dollars was the salary the Superintendent of Schools received from 1924 to 1945. A High School teacher received a maximum of $1200 in 1907, and he receives a maximum of $7700 today. You could spend a great deal of time, if you were interested, in computing all the changes in economic values which have taken place in 50 years. If you do, will you tell me whether or not the Brookline teacher is now paid as adequately as he was in 1907 ?
In 1908 che State Legislature authorized cities and towns to establish a pension fund for the retirement of teachers in the public schools . To be retired at one- half salary, but not in excess of $500, a teacher hed to be at least 60 years old and must have served the community at least 25 years. He made no contribution to his pension allowance . In 1914 a contributory system was established by the State, and teachers beginning work in Massachusetts after July 1 of that year were required to have a deduction of a small percentage of their salary (now 5 per cent) assigned to the Teachers' Retirement Fund. Teachers may now retiro on an annuity and pension, which in the case of
teachers with very long service may amount to as much as 80 per cent of their final salaries .
Fifty years ago there was a man on the School Committee who had served in that capacity for 33 years and was destined to continue until his death 19 years
later. He was Michael Driscoll, whose name was given ço the school erected on Westbourne Terrace in 1911. Hr. Driscoll was the principal speaker at the dedication exercises . Also on the Committee in 1907 was Mrs. Edith C. Baker, who served as a member from 1900 to 1942. The new
school on Beverly Road was named for her in 1937. How wonderful is our Town that citizens serve it so long and happily! How gracious is our Town that it honors its distinguished citizens while they are living!
The Brookline Education Society, organized in 1895, was a powerful ally of education for many years . It existed "to create an intelligent interest in the wel- fare of the school, to inform the public as to present theories and practices in teaching and through the sub- committees to reinforce the work of the schools and bring to them something of the community's best life; to supple- ment public with private initiative, to create a sound public opinion in the best educational movements of today, in a word to bring into a natural and helpful relationship the home and the school. "" Unfortunately for me, the Society did not exist when I came to Brookline in 1930, and I know of it only because of its glowing reputation.
*ETOm The Brookline Education Society (1895-1908), pp. 17, 18.
1
€
Some of you have a first-hand knowledge of the Society. I mention it because I believe it was a factor of great importance in promoting the welfare of the Brookline schools, and its contributions should not be forgotten. The Brookline Council for the Public Schools, organized in 1951, bas within its power the possibility of becoming a modern "Brookline Education Society." In its short life it has given evidence of such a desire, and under competent and enlightened leadership will give a good account of itself to the community. It has my blessing and encouragement.
Fifty years ego the School Committee repeatedly called attention "to the unsatisfactory results obtained in the evening schools." Apparently about 100 attended at a cost of $2000 or less . Instruction was given in the Lincoln Building and in the Pierce Building in English branches, carpentry, stenography and typewriting .* Today there are 2000 enrolled in 50 subjects. The most popular courses are those in clothing and in painting, with enrolments of more than 200 in each subject. Only slightly less popular are the claages in typewriting. Other courses provide a wide variety of offerings in general and business education, in homemaking, and in vocational arts such as automobile care, cabinet making, and radio building and repair. The annual cost of the adult education program is approximately $49,000, of which $13,000 is reimbursed to the Town in State-aid and
Felistration fass. Today's objectives are to help Brookline
Sco05: 250 1909, 9
-a
citizens (1) to improve their earning power, (2) to develop hobbies for use in their leisure time, and (3) to broaden their cultural background.
Medical inspection of the public schools began in 1894%, under the direction of the Board of Health. Dr. H. Lincoln Chase, agent of the Board, was a prominent figure in the early days of medical inspection and his reports are interesting reading.
In 1906 the State Legislature enacted a law calling for (1) medical inspection of all schools and (2) an annual examination of each pupil as to sight and
bearing. The 1907 Report of the Superintendent of Schools set forth at great length the results of examinations not only of eyes and cars, but of teeth also. Without going into the details of these studies, it may be noted that 50 per cent of the teeth were found to be in poor condition and 25 per cent in fair condition. Today the situation is not much better.
Dr. Chase served as Chief Medical Inspector from 1394 to 1913, Dr. Robert W. Hastings from 1913 to 1921, and Dr. David M. Hassman from 1921 to 1955 . A11
these men rendered service of great merit .
In 1955, under authorization of a special act of the Legislature, the School Committee appointed Dr. Robert H. Hamlin, the Town's Health Director, to be the Director of School Health Services, and Dr. Maurice M. Osborne, Jr. as School Health Physician. In this way
#School Committee Report for year ending January 31, 1907 .
The Comm! den secured for our schools not only the services de kompetent penader: cian but stra the resources of the Weak Achick Dela trent, of the Children's Medical Center, . il of the Harvard School of Public Health.
The nere we study history, the more we come to taini that there is nothing new under the sun, Bac
Guidance. For the purpose of supplementing wat the teacher can de as a personal counselor and an educational adviser, come into existence in 1930 when John V. Jewett was appointed the first guidance caselor ever chosen to assist the students of Brookline
Digitized by the Internet Archive® Cupolated to have charge of abild placement in all schools in 2015
and Ictor became Director
Placement, a position
he still holds . He is responsible for the admission of underage children by mental test, promotions from grade to grade (particularly in doubtful cases), the proper intesuction of atypical children, and the overall progres of guidance both in the elementary schools and in the High There are four full-time guidance counselore ir the High School, all prepared by temperament, training, and experience to serve the particular needs of nearly 2000 students. Our first duty to the individual child is
to treat him es individual.
Earlier in this paper I mentioned the growth of the High School from 400 to 2000 students in 50 years.
https://archive.org/details/schoolsofbrookli8118erne
9
and was increasing rapidly, the challenge of size began to be felt , For how many students can a Headmaster exercise a direct administrative responsibility without lesing sight of the individual? Not as many as 1600, it was clear, and for this reason the House Plan was created. I believe it to be the first auch plan in a high school, though Harvard College had had a House Plan for a number of years. With a housemaster and an assistant housemaster in administrative charge of each class (now known as a house), four schools within a school came into being, with the housemasters responsible to the Headmaster. Thus the administrative unit is kept manageable and careful attention to the individual maintained.
The first mention of a school librarian was in 1907 when Helen B. Russell was listed in that capacity among the High School faculty. Thirty -seven years later a librarian was appointed for the Baker School, opened seven years before, and in subsequent years school libraries with professionally trained librarians have been opened in every elementary school except the Pierce, which is a very short distance away from the Public Library. Rooms with books, called libraries, had existed earlier, but were ineffective until formally organized with a competent librarian in charge. For the pioneer work that has made the school libraries an indispensable part of our educational system we are
Indebted to Miss Elizabeth Butcher, Town Librarian, and Mios Dorothes K. Watherell, Supervisor of Elementary School Libraries. Today we have 13, 000 books in the High School library, and 55,000 books in the Libraries of seven elementary schools.
School lunchrooms in Brookline began in 1895 with the opening of a new High School building. A kitchen and a lunch counter in the basement, operated by a concessionaire, provided food reported to be "monotonous"; but with the passing years raporte indicated that the Lunchroom was giving satisfaction, that more and more attention was paid to quality and variety in foods served, and late in the 1920's Mrs. Elvira Z. Potter, a faculty member, was appointed supervisor of lunchrooms in all schools. Now every school (except the Baldwin and Sewall primary schools) has a lunchroom supervised by Miss Marion L. Croman, Director of Homemaking, and a competent staff of homensking teachers, cooks, and other lunchroom workers. Hot, nourishing food prepared La class, attractive kitchens, the best milk procurable, menus planned to meet the needs of growing bodies, and service in pleasant, uncrowded lunchrooms are our continuing objectives.
The first Assistant Superintendent of Schools 738 appointed in 1946 -. Dr. Merford Souder, a graduate of Glassboro (New Jersey) State Teachers College, and of Teachers College, Columbia University. The position
- 11 -
is held today by William F. Young, Jr., previously Princi- pal of the Runkle School. Chief among his duties is the program of instruction, including subjects to be offered, modified or discontinued, courses of study (their praparation, use, and revision) , textbooks, methods, and results . He has certain other duties, such as the direction of adult education, the extended use of school buildings, and the making of such investigations and reports as the welfare of the schools may require. my absence, he acts as Superintendent.
The Brookline schools have & great history, only a small part of which I can deal with today. history reveals the men and women of monumental size who have served on her School Committee and in her classrooms. Lack of thesa estimable people have been the citizens of the Town, who have always been able and willing to pay for the best in education, and who have received more than they paid for.
That
J
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.