USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1938 > Part 28
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The courses of study are modern. To keep them so changes are constantly being made. The work cannot be properly taught with- out the necessary equipment. One of our great dangers, and it confronts us daily, is the lure of the "good enough". Another prob- lem confronting the school system is the cafeteria situation at the Central Junior High School. This has been brought to the attention of the Committee on several occasions. If we cannot have new quarters for the cafeteria at that building, we should give our best efforts to improving the old. The equipment is inadequate and obsolete and should be replaced by new and up-to-date equipment.
Shop Work for Boys in the Quincy High School
The shop work for boys at the Quincy High School is outmoded. Both the equipment and program needs our immediate attention. The junior schools which feed into Quincy High School have modern shops and splendid equipment. The elements of several trades are taught in the junior high schools which give the boys an opportunity to explore their talents. When these same boys come to the Quincy High School and select the Civic curriculum their shop work is confined largely to woodwork. This is dull and uninteresting unless they have a liking for woodwork. Many of the boys at the Quincy High School would take greater interest in shop work, in fact they are eager to get it, but before they do we must modernize the shop facilities.
I recommend that the School Committee give these items their earnest consideration.
I would like to put out an annual report depicting the school life, this report to be an entirely separate report from the traditional and statistical. It would have suitable illustrations for popular con- sumption. It would serve the same purpose that the film, "The Quincy Schools at Work" has served. I am asking your considera- tion on this project.
Commercial Work
There are 316 typewriters in the Commercial Department as of December, 1937. The life of the typewriter which is used six or seven periods a day by a different pupil each period is three years. At the end of three years we make an exchange. The exchange price in this time limit is $30 a machine. It costs $10 a year to keep typewriters in good condition and without extra expense dur- ing the three year term after the original machine has been pur- chased.
436
CITY OF QUINCY
Some of the larger machines are becoming obsolete and need to be replaced. This costs money, but it costs more money to continue to repair worn-out machines, such as calculating, billing and tran- scribing machines. These have been in use in Quincy High School for the past ten years and some were second-hand when we pur- chased them. In addition to this, to do efficient work in this depart- ment, we need additional and new machines.
At the present time our commercial department is rated as one of the very best. Let us continue to keep it so. It is not only eco- nomical, therefore, but good business to keep our equipment up- to-date. I commend this to your careful consideration.
Improvements
The School Committee has made several improvements during the year in the school plant which have meant much for the health, protection and safety of the children of the public schools.
The renovation of the showers and locker rooms at the North Quincy High School, the fixing up of the large ground floor room for the new body mechanics room, and the remodeling of the health service room have made for greater efficiency.
The bleachers that the Committee installed at the Quincy Point Junior High School were a great improvement in that school.
Many of the playgrounds were surfaced and some resurfaced and fenced.
The remodeling of the shops at Central Junior High School was a great improvement. It has given us an opportunity to modernize the shop work and has given the boys at Central Junior High School an equal opportunity with boys in like courses in the other junior high schools. They now have an up-to-date equipped shop comparable with the other junior high schools of the city.
The report of the Director of Health Education contains valuable data and will be printed in full in the Annual Report.
Conclusion
We continue to be grateful to all those who have done their work well and have helped to make the year a successful one.
Respectfully,
JAMES N. MUIR
Jan. 31, 1939
Superintendent of Schools.
437
REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
MR. JAMES N. MUIR, Superintendent of Schools, Quincy, Massachusetts
MY DEAR MR. MUIR:
I submit the following report on the Trade School, Continuation School, Evening Classes, Evening Vocational Classes, Standardized Tests, Mentally Retarded Children and Special Classes.
The Day Trade School
Vocational Education is moving forward with great rapidity all over the United States. Quincy shows the general trend. The num- ber of students enrolled in the Trade School would have been much larger had there been available space to accommodate the pupils who desired to enroll and teachers to take care of them.
The cooperative efforts of the Advisory Committee and the School Committee to obtain an addition to the Trade School build- ing are greatly appreciated. If Quincy is to meet the demand for vocational education, more room must be provided.
By using federal funds a new teacher was employed in the ma- chine department beginning February 1, 1938 and a new instructor in the sheet metal department began September 1, 1938.
There is still a large number of applicants on the waiting list but in most departments boys can now be enrolled only when other pupils graduate or withdraw from the school. The actual member- ship on November 23 (the last date for which comparative figures are available) was 258, an increase of 13.6% over the membership figure of November 24, 1937. The Trade School increased its mem- bership while the North Quincy High and Quincy High Schools decreased their membership.
The table below shows comparative enrollment figures for the last five years :
1933-34
1934-35
1935-36
1936-37
1937-38
Enrol.
Av.
Mem.
Enrol.
Av. Mem.
Enrol.
Av.
Mem.
Enrol.
Av.
Mem.
Enrol.
Mem.
Auto Mechanics.
75
53.43 32.92
85 47
58.88 35.42
77 44 20
54.52 37.63 17.26
79 43
54.00 36.13 17.28
79
55.06
Electrical
41
Machine.
22
15.56
21
18.40
34
26.97
Machine (Co-op- erative)
2
1.
1
.10
Plumbing
43
34.69
52
34.14
48
34.27
47
34.94 17.53
39
34.76
Sheet Metal
23
16.78
25
18.42
22
17.81
21
19
18.71
Woodworking
68
54.62
68
56.84
75
55.14
78
54.08
74
48.54
Total Enrollment Total Average Membership.
274
299
286
289
287
209.00
222.20
216.63
213.96
219.31
Av.
42
35.27
21
438
CITY OF QUINCY
The figures for 1934-35 are misleading. During that year we tried to accommodate the large number of applicants by increasing the number of boys allotted per teacher in shop and class. It was an unwise move giving rise to so many additional problems that the membership had to be decreased. Even now the wisdom of the large enrollment in some departments is questionable.
The continued growth of the school and the addition of two more classes has made a teaching load in the subjects taught by the Di- rector impossible for one man to carry. In some departments the teacher of related work has been qualified to teach English and Civics but in most cases since the related work teachers were em- ployed primarily for their trade experience they are not qualified to teach academic subjects like English and Civics. Also it is un- wise to expect any teacher to teach steadily for seven hours a day as after a long period the quality of teaching will deteriorate.
The administrative duties have also increased so that Mr. Web- ster, the Director, is being asked to do tasks beyond the limit of one man's ability. He just cannot be in the classroom teaching, or in the office handling an administrative problem, or about the build- ing supervising at the same time and he cannot teach successfully in two rooms at the same time. The related classrooms are so small that in most cases it is impossible to combine the classes of two departments in academic subjects.
The total cost of running the school for the school year 1937-38 increased slightly to $46,352.48. With the increased enrollment, par- ticularly from February 1, 1938 on, insufficient money was spent to give the quality of instruction to which the students are entitled. Actually the net cost was less than it was the previous year as the table below will show:
Tuition for non-residents
1936-37 $10,952.06 783.47
1937-38 $11,504.02 726.11
Cash for products made in the school
Aid from the Federal Government.
1,842.31
3,926.67
Aid from the State of Massachusetts
14,834.28
13,606.12
Miscellaneous receipts
138.90
29.25
Total Receipts
$28,551.02
$29,792.17
Net cost to City of Quincy
17,005.42
16,560.31
Ever since 1933, due to reduced appropriations, the Trade School has been neglecting to replace worn out and obsolete tools and equipment at an economical rate. Eventually it will cost more to equip the school with up-to-date modern tools, etc. or the boys will receive training with equipment no longer used in industry.
The Continuation School
The table below shows the Continuation School situation for the last ten years.
1928 1929
1929 1930
1930 1931
1931 1932
1932 1933
1933 1934
1934 1935
1935 1936
1936 1937
1937 1938
Boys
82
72
45
29
13
Girls.
65
54
47
42
32
24
25
18
9
9
Total
147
126
92
71
45 .
24
25
18
9
9
Hours of Service
7996 7148 6132 4056 2208 1524 1560
896
392
360
439
REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Although nine different girls were enrolled there were four or less in all but one month. These girl are guided and helped by com- ing to junior high school one day a week on the day when they can obtain cooking and sewing. Once in a long time a different adjust- ment has to be made to take care of a girl who is doing other than housework.
Practically all costs of the Continuation School are pro-rated charges and would go on even if there was no so called Continua- tion School. As it is, the city receives a few hundred dollars it would not otherwise have and the few girls between fourteen and sixteen years of age who must leave school to work continue to re- ceive guidance and help from the school.
The total pro-rated charge to the Continuation School for the school year 1937-38 amounted to $639.50. From the State and Federal Governments Quincy received $371.75 making the net cost only $267.75.
Evening Classes
The following table will show that the Evening Academic Classes from October to December 6, 1938 were almost the same as for the same period in 1937.
The total enrollment of 1037 was 73 pupils less than that of 1937 but the average membership was 42 pupils better.
Mechanical Drawing 80
Grammar School Arithmetic
46
Grammar School English 66
Elementary Typewriting
272
Intermediate Typewriting
114
Advanced Typewriting
114
Elementary Stenography
169
Intermediate Stenography
68
Advanced Stenography
89
Intermediate Business English
102
Advanced Business English
200
Intermediate Business Arithmetic 55
Advanced Business Arithmetic
148
Classes for Adult Aliens in English Citizenship
and
173
The evening school curriculum should be enlarged, but not at the expense of the day school pupils. Until the City Council ceases cutting the school budget it does not seem wise to start courses in October of one year that we might be unable to pay for in the next year. Evening classes are discontinued for the winter before the Council has passed the budget and adjustments of the Evening School program to the budget can only be made in the ten week term from October first to Christmas.
The enrollment of adult aliens in English and Citizenship was 173, eighteen less than the enrollment in the fall of 1937. Since evening classes were resumed in 1935, only one-third as many aliens have attended evening classes as attended similar classes in 1933. If classes were held in the Quincy Point Junior High School and the South Junior High School as was done before the depres- sion, more aliens would probably enroll.
440
CITY OF QUINCY
We should be reaching a larger number of the foreign born in Quincy with an evening program leading toward good citizenship. It is not a question of educating or not educating them-those not enrolled in school are being educated by someone. It is a question of good education versus bad education. The community must accept the responsibility of educating the adult alien in properly organ- ized classes, which cost money, or not complaining when the un- educated alien does not react properly to our democratic form of government.
Evening Vocational Classes
The Evening Vocational Classes always offer a difficult problem to solve. Electrical Code classes and Plumbing classes started in the fall of 1937 were discontinued in January, 1938, because of small attendance and insufficient registrations were received to open these classes in October although a Plumbing class was opened later.
The following table shows the enrollment and membership for the fall of 1937 and the fall of 1938.
Fall 1937
Fall 1938
Enrol.
Av. Mem.
Enrol.
Av. Mem.
Auto Mechanics
20
15.4
18
16.55
Electrical Code
32
18.3
....
....
Machine Shop Practice
35
29.28
39
29.2
Plumbing
29
17.65
20
14.42
Sheet Metal Drafting
25
19.3
50
39.4
Display :
Window and Interior
...
53
49.44
The Auto Mechanics and Plumbing classes were not started until late because of lack of interest while Machine Shop Work and Sheet Metal Drafting are increasingly popular. The money saved by not having classes in Electrical work was used to pay for an- other instructor in Sheet Metal Drafting. More men would have been enrolled in both Machine Shop Practice and Sheet Metal Draft- ing if we had had better facilities and more money to pay for instruction.
The evening class in Display was started at the request of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce and was made possible by the use of Federal and State funds which by new legislation can be used for Evening Extension classes in the Distributive Trades. For this class Quincy will pay about one-fourth of the cost, the State about one-fourth and the Federal government about one-half of the cost.
It is difficult to anticipate the full needs of Evening Vocational classes. On the basis of the enrollment in the fall of 1937 and the attendance up to Christmas, funds to provide for six evening classes seemed to be ample. Actually in the fall of 1938, ten classes were opened and other classes in Machine Shop Practice and Sheet Metal Drafting could have been filled.
The total cost of the Evening Vocational classes for the school year 1937-38 was $1,077.58. The State reimbursed the City for this
441
REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
work to the extent of $481.59 and $114.40 was collected for tuition making the net cost to the city $481.59.
Twenty-five men were enrolled in Boston Trade Extension and Apprenticeship Classes during the fall. Fourteen were enrolled in electrical work divided among classes in alternating current, direct current, and code work. The other eleven men were scattered among classes in nine different trades.
Standardized Tests, Mentally Retarded Children and Special Classes
The use of standardized tests has become one of the best means of discovering mentally retarded pupils. Present plans call for the use of group intelligence tests every year in grades one and six and the group testing for intelligence of children in any other grades from two to twelve inclusive for whom there is no intelli- gence quotient on file.
Standardized achievement tests have been given in grades four to nine inclusive and beginning next spring will be given annually in May in grades three to nine. Detailed reports have already been given to all interested in the results of the standardized tests. The most recent tests indicate very clearly that better teaching has grown out of the use of standardized tests.
One hundred eighteen pupils were referred to clinics for individ- ual examination to ascertain their intelligence. Many more children were referred to the Habit Clinic and Guidance Clinic but for other purposes than obtaining an intelligence quotient. The following table shows the broad general findings as to mentality.
Broad Findings as to Mentality
Name of Clinic
Normal or Better
Dull Normal
Three years or more mentally retarded
Case Incomplete
Total Referred
Wrentham Travel- ing Clinic
7
27
53
....
87
Habit
5
5
7
....
17
Guidance
....
2
9
1
12
Other Clinics
....
....
2
....
2
Totals
12
34
71
1
118
Although fewer children were referred to clinics because of sus- pected mental retardation they were selected with more discern- ment.
On December 1, 1938, there were 231 children in the Quincy Public Schools with intelligence quotients of .78 or lower which means that they are or will be three or more years mentally re- tarded. One hundred fifty-four of the 231 were in special classes as follows:
Opportunity Class for older boys 36
Opportunity Class for older girls 18
Six Ungraded Opportunity Classes 100
442
CITY OF QUINCY
Forty-seven of the seventy-seven mentally retarded children not in special classes are in various secondary schools. All of the forty- seven are overage for the grade in which they are located but because of many other factors are adjusting fairly well and are getting great benefits from their social contacts and the discipline of the school.
Thirty known mentally retarded pupils are scattered among the regular classes in nine elementary schools. Many of the thirty should be in a special class but the thirty are so scattered that it is impossible to get a dozen of them within a reasonable walking distance of any one school. All the opportunity classes we now have are filled to capacity so we could not take care of them by trans- portation with the present number of classes. Most of the retarded children in the elementary schools not placed in special classes are too young to travel by bus or trolley without supervision.
Physically Handicapped Children
By State law every community is required to annually ascertain the number of children of school age and resident therein who are physically handicapped and, if there are five or more children so physically handicapped as to make attendance at a public school not feasible, the School Committee must provide for instruction at home or at such places as the committee may arrange.
In accordance with the laws Quincy during the school year 1937- 38 provided for the instruction of eighteen children in a class for handicapped children at the Thomas B. Pollard School and sent teachers to the homes of fifteen children. Nine of the handicapped children were able to return to the regular schools in the fall of 1938. In December 1938 there were twenty-four children in the class for handicapped children and eleven receiving home instruction.
Before a child is admitted to the class for handicapped children or allowed to receive home instruction, a certificate, signed by a physician or the social worker of a hospital, is required, showing that regular school attendance is not feasible. In most cases one of the school nurses visits the home of the handicapped child and when doubt exists as to the proper placement of a handicapped child the Director of Health Education, Mr. Carter, discusses the matter with the child's physician.
Most of the handicapped children receiving either home instruc- tion or who are transported to the class for handicapped children are suffering from various heart ailments or are victims of in- fantile paralysis. This office and the state supervisor of handicapped children agree that it is not the intent of the law that children suffering from sprains, bone fractures, or convalescing from oper- ations receive home instruction or be transported to school.
No child is changed from home instruction to the class for handi- capped children or to regular school attendance or from the handi- capped class to the regular school without the approval of the attending physician. Children in the class attend from two to five hours per day-the time depending on the recommendations of the physician and the exigencies of transportation. Handicapped chil- dren receiving home instruction receive three hours of personal instruction per week with the visiting teacher assigning work to be done at such times as the condition of the pupil will allow.
443
REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
As far as I know, Quincy is the only community in Massachusetts transporting and teaching the larger per cent of its handicapped children in a special class. The class has received very favorable comment from the state supervisor of handicapped children who has urged other communities to follow Quincy's example. The suc- cess of this class is largely due to the wise guidance of its teacher, Mildred B. Frye, who brings to this work unusual qualifications and the painstaking care with which Mrs. Marcus Wight transports the children.
At the present time the twenty-four children in the class repre- sent all grades from two to eleven inclusive. If more children rep- resenting other grades become candidates for instruction in this class it would be doubtful if one teacher could continue to give adequate instruction to so many children over so diversified a range.
The scarlet fever epidemic of last year left many children in a physical condition which forbade regular school attendance and thus increased the enrollment in the handicapped class. It is hoped that the number of handicapped children in Quincy has reached its peak and that time will bring about a decreased rather than an increased enrollment.
Many individuals and organizations in Quincy have given time and money to make the lives of these children happier and more comfortable for which all who are responsible for them are very grateful. The establishment of this class in 1935 is an act for which the Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee may well be proud.
Respectfully submitted, ALBERT H. COCHRANE, Assistant Superintendent of Schools.
444
CITY OF QUINCY 1
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH EDUCATION
MR. JAMES N. MUIR, Superintendent of Schools, Quincy, Mass. MY DEAR MR. MUIR:
Following is a report of the work done in the Health Education Department for the year 1938.
During the early part of the year we experienced the worse Scarlet Fever epidemic in the history of Quincy. All members of the health education staff made every effort to protect the large number of children in the schools and often were the "target" for irate parents who failed to realize that extraordinary precaution was necessary during this crisis. Most of the cases were so mild that parents failed to call a physician and children were sent to school with early symptoms of the disease and exposed other stu- dents. In some cases the school physicians diagnosed the disease and we accepted the finding and acted accordingly. I found it necessary to establish a strict policy regarding the cases in school. In my opinion there is only one way to control an epidemic of this proportion and that is to immediately separate all children who have the least sign of illness from others who are well and keep them out of school during the contagious period. With this premise, all workers were instructed to handle cases in this way. A special exclusion blank was printed and sent home with each pupil ex- cluded because of symptoms of a contagious disease. It stated that the child would not be re-admitted to school until he presented a doctor's certificate or until the contagion period had passed. This policy has been continued for all symptoms of contagion. A car was purchased by the School Department to convey these pupils to their homes.
The schools where the largest number of cases were reported were, Massachusetts Fields, Montclair, Quincy, Atherton Hough, North Quincy High, and Central Junior High.
Physicians and nurses were sent to these schools and all pupils present were given throat examinations two and three times each week. In classes where several cases were reported the pupils were examined daily by the nurses. During the worst part of the epi- demic cases were reported as follows:
Week ending January 28 cases 92
Week ending Febraury 4
cases 96
Week ending February 11 cases 107
Week ending February 18 cases 119
Vacation Period
Week ending March 4
cases 89
Week ending March 11
cases 102
Week ending March 18
cases 76
Week ending March 24 cases 70
Week ending April 1 cases 47
Week ending April 8
cases
38
Total number of contagious cases reported for the year: Scarlet Fever 933
Measles 156
445
REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Whooping Cough 15
Poliomyelitis 3
1107
The health workers justly deserve the thoughtful and timely recognition given them by the Superintendent of Schools in his last report to the School Committee.
Physical Examinations Not Cursory
The physical examinations given to the pupils of the Quincy schools are more complete than in most public schools and compar- able to many private schools. All pupils are undressed to the waist during the medical examination, with the shoes removed so that conditions of the feet may be noted. In addition to the regular medical examinations, hearing tests are given with the 4 B Audio- meter, and the Betts Telebinocular instrument is used to supple- ment our eye tests. All candidates for athletic teams are examined at the beginning of each season and beginning in 1939 all of these pupils will be given a chest X-ray to locate any early cases of tuberculosis which might otherwise pass without detection. Health record cards are kept up to date for each pupil. Physical Fitness Tests are given to all pupils in the 7th to 12th grades inclusive and are invaluable in determining the health status and needs of the student. A pre-school clinic was held again last June for free medical advice to parents or children entering school in September.
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