USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1901 > Part 14
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In the Latin School 317
In the English School 762
In both high schools. 1,079
In the grammar schools .5,292
In the primary schools 4,080
In the kindergarten 19
There are 1,653 pupils now in the private schools of the city, an increase of 267 as compared with last year. Combining these numbers, we have an increase in school attendance throughout the city of 545 pupils since December last.
Out of the theoretical school year of 200 days, the high schools have kept 182 days, and the elementary schools 180} days. The four weeks lost during the year are accounted for as fol- lows :-
There have been seven legal holidays.
Five days have been lost by the striking of the storm signal.
The schools were closed on the day of President McKinley's funeral, and on the day of the meeting of the Middlesex Teach- ers' Association.
Five and a half days have been taken for the extension of va- cations.
Five per cent. of the pupils did not return to school in the fall until the second Monday in September, or thereafter.
Teachers. There are at the present time 283 teachers em- ployed in the city, twenty-six of whom are men. Twelve men and thirty-two women serve in the high schools, ten men and 214 women in the elementary schools, eight in the kindergartens, and two men and five women are at work as supervisors or spe- cial teachers. Twenty-one teachers have left our employ during the year. Ten of these resigned to engage in matrimonial ven- tures, six were drawn away by the allurements of larger salaries, four others left us on account of health or other reasons, and one, Miss Annie L. Savage, to whom allusion is made elsewhere, died in November last. Of these teachers, we could ill afford to lose
all but a very few. They were among the most efficient and valu- able of our teaching corps. It is not an easy matter to replace such teachers by others of equal merit, yet it must be done if we would maintain the standard of excellence, and not lessen the effi- ciency of the schools. The twenty teachers who resigned served the city on an average less than three years and a half, and were rendering their most efficient service.
To replace these teachers and to fill new positions, twenty- nine teachers have been elected. Twelve of these are graduates of the Somerville High School, and the others were found teach- ing with excellent success in other cities and towns. The fact that we pay a larger salary than most other municipalities has in-
179
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
creased the number of applicants, and given us a wider range of selection. It has not, however, diminished the difficulty of mak- ing suitable selections. Not all teachers who apply for positions have the requisite qualifications, and there is danger lest the avidity of applicants obscure somewhat the question of adapt- ability and merit. The quality of our schools is dependent upon a rigid adherence to the principle that only the best teachers avail- able shall be employed.
Nor will the recent increase of salaries wholly prevent the loss of our best teachers. We cannot hope to compete with the demand that will always exist for superior teachers. There are higher and more lucrative positions to which our best teachers will constantly aspire, and which they are sure to reach sooner or later. It is well that it is so. It would be deplorable for every teacher in Somerville to feel that she had reached the top of the professional ladder. She would not only cease to climb, but cease to grow. Stagnation and sterility are pretty sure to result from satisfaction with one's lot. Open doors and larger salaries are stimulating and strengthening; they create ambition and impel to professional improvement. Changes in the teaching corps give opportunity for the infusion of new blood and fresh vigor and for the application of the latest pedagogical principles,-an opportunity that should never be wasted.
Latin School. The membership of the Latin School at the present time is 317, forty-eight per cent. of whom are boys. One year ago the membership was 279. The increase is owing to the admission of a larger number from the grammar schools, the entering class being 114. Fifty-six pupils,-nineteen boys, thirty-seven girls,-were graduated in June last at an average age of eighteen years, nine and three-tenths months. Twenty-six of these graduates entered college, and three normal schools. It is interesting to note that this class that graduated fifty-six en- tered the school in 1897 numbering eighty-nine. It seems that thirty-seven per cent. fell out for various reasons during the course of four years.
There are now in the school ten teachers, including the sec- retary, the most of whose time is at present spent in instruction. This is an average of thirty-two pupils to a teacher, a larger num- ber, perhaps, than the best results warrant. Another teacher will be needed in September next. This will exhaust the capacity of the building, for, while there are seats for 500 pupils, there is op- portunity for only eleven teachers to instruct at one time, and even this involves the use for recitation purposes of the so-called physi- cal laboratory, which is hardly suited to the purpose. There seems to be nothing to prevent the use of the physics laboratory in the English School by Latin School pupils, so long as the work is all done on Friday afternoons. As has been said elsewhere, if necessary, the capacity of the school could be increased twenty
180
ANNUAL REPORTS.
per cent. by the division of each of the two large classrooms into two smaller rooms.
In June last Miss Sarah W. Fox, for thirty-three years an honored and highly successful teacher in this school, was granted a much-deserved leave of absence for a year of rest and travel. Her place is being satisfactorily filled by George M. Hosmer, a graduate of the school, and of Harvard University, 1901. The school has suffered the loss during the year of its efficient teacher of English, Adelaide R. Witham, who was drawn to the Provi- dence High School by a largely-increased salary. Her place, however, is being well filled by Grace T. Pratt, a graduate of Smith, 1892, with an A. M. degree at Brown University in 1901. Miss Pratt came to us from a successful experience in the Paw- tucket High School. Two student teachers, both graduates of the school, are at present employed in it, Ethel B. Harmon (Tufts, 1900) and Mabel E. Bowman (Wellesley, 1897).
We have spoken elsewhere of the needs of this school, and have made suggestions of possible changes in its organization.
TABLE SHOWING LOSSES OF CLASSES IN LATIN HIGH SCHOOL EACH YEAR SINCE 1896.
MEMBERSHIP.
Class of 1899.
Class of 1900
Class of 1901.
Class of 1902.
Class of 1903.
Class of 1904.
Class of 1905.
December 15, ist year
79
89
77
64
103
111
2nd ‘‘
67
67
80
73
47
93
. ..
3rd
66
63
57
64
64
49
4th
..
57
53
65
62
...
. .
Graduates
55
48
56
. .
...
...
...
Loss per cent. 1st year
·
15.2 15.0
10.1 20.0
5.2 12.3
26.5
9.7
.. .
2nd
3rd
4th
35
7.0 10,4 39.2
13.8 37.0
...
...
. .
. .
Total
-
..
. .
...
...
. .
English School. In the face of extremely crowded condi- tions, the work of this school has gone steadily on without diminution of effort or enthusiasm on the part of either teachers or pupils. As nearly as could be ascertained, there was every probability that the school would number S25 in September, and seventy-five additional seats were therefore crowded into various parts of the building, additional teachers were provided, and sup- plies ordered. As a matter of fact, 828 different pupils have been connected with the school since the first of September. There has been a large transient element in this number, so that to-day the school contains but 762 pupils, sixty-two per cent. of whom are girls. A year ago there were 729, showing an increase for the year of thirty-three pupils. The increase last year, measured in
...
...
9.5
...
3.1
...
.. .
. ..
.
6.0
181
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
the same way, was thirty pupils. The membership is divided among the classes as follows :-
In the freshman class
261
117 boys.
144 girls.
In the second year class
178
57 boys.
121 girls.
In the junior class
178
67 boys. 111 girls.
In the senior class
120 42 boys. 78 girls.
Special students .
25 5 boys.
20 girls.
The school graduated in June, 1901, ninety-six students, twenty-six of whom were boys. Eight graduates have entered technical schools, nine normal schools, and one has taken a col- lege course. The average age of the graduates was nineteen years, one month. The class numbered 211 on entering, and lost 115 members, or 54.5 per cent., during the four years. In com- parison with the two previous classes, it appears that, in the graduating class of 1901, this loss was larger during the first year, but smaller during the remaining three years of the course. This shows an encouraging tendency on the part of pupils to complete the course after settling down to their work.
In June 299 pupils connected with the grammar schools an- nounced their intention to enter the English School in September ; 277 of them did so. Of this number, sixteen dropped out of school during the first three months of the year. Programmes are arranged and teachers provided on the basis of these an- nouncements. The difference between the expected number and the actual at date is thirty-eight. Attention was called last year to the needless trouble and expense occasioned by this difference between expected and actual numbers. It involves changes in the programme, the purchase of unnecessary supplies, and possibly the employment of superfluous teachers. It should be made un- mistakably plain to all candidates that they are not to register for admission to either high school unless they have a fixed and well- considered determination to remain at least a vear.
The school has suffered from an unusual number of changes in the teaching corps during the year. Professional advance- ment has taken from us two of our most efficient sub-masters, Mr. Small and Mr. Corthell, and three ladies whose services we could ill afford to lose, Misses Smith, Davis, and Sanborn, have relin- quished teaching.
The following teachers have been employed during the year :-
As sub-masters, Jonathan Leonard (Harvard, 1896, A. M., 1897) ; Harry F. Sears (Somerville High School, 1893, Harvard, 1897), who came to us from successful experience in the Salem High School: Charles F. Abbott (Dartmouth, 1891, Michigan University, LL.B., 1897), who has had successful high school ex- perience in Weymouth, Denver, and elsewhere.
Helen L. Follansbee (Boston University, 1900), was ap- pointed as head of the stenography department.
182
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Bertha P. Chase (Bryn Mawr, 1899), Ella D. Gray (Boston University, 1896), and Helen E. Harding (Radcliffe, 1897) were employed as second assistants either to fill vacancies or in expec- tation of additional needs.
Laura A. Batt, who has been connected with the school from its organization, was granted a year's leave of absence on account of health, and her place was taken by Bessie D. Davis (Rad- cliffe, 1898).
Two student teachers are at present employed, Emma E. Prichard in the biology laboratory, and John M. Jaynes in the manual training department, both of whom graduated from the school in June last.
The number of students in the different departments is as follows :-
English
800
Mechanical drawing 230
History
707
Freehand drawing
424
Mathematics
564
Manual training 175
Science
501
Commercial
260
Latin
116
Stenography 282
French
25'
Elocution
777
German
99
The following table is printed to furnish a basis for estimat- ing the probable numbers that may be expected for the English School. Judging from what it teaches, we may fairly calculate on a membership of 800 in September next :-
TABLE SHOWING LOSSES OF CLASSES IN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL EACH YEAR SINCE ITS ORGANIZATION.
MEMBERSHIP.
Class of 1899.
Class of 1900.
Class of 1901.
Class of 1902.
Class of 1903.
Class of 1904.
Class of 1905.
December 15, 1st year
·
149
163
153
217 162
299
246
261
2nd ‘·
3rd “
121
119
125
135
178
. .
...
98
97
108 96
120
. ..
..
...
Graduates
Loss per cent.
66
2nd
3rd
4th
12.2
14 4
11.1
...
. . .
...
.. .
Total
55.2
63 6
54 5
.
. . .
. ..
.. .
192
228
211
27.5 18.0
25.3 16.6
26.0 19.5
27.2
..
18.7
27.0
...
19.0
18 5
13.6
11.1
.. .
...
66
4th
86
83
. .
. ..
..
1st year
22.4
24.1
Grammar and Primary Schools. In June, 1901, 497 gradu- ates of the grammar schools were given diplomas. Of this number, 372, or seventy-five per cent., entered the high schools, 277 the English and ninety-five the Latin. In December, 1895, as a fourth grade, the class numbered 866. During the six years. of the grammar school course, 369 dropped out, and this, not- withstanding the fact that there was a general increase of twenty-
221
178
. ..
183
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
five per cent. in the number of grammar school pupils during these six years. Two hundred and two, considerably more than half this number, left school at the end of the seventh and eighth years. This serves as another illustration of the difficulty of re- taining certain pupils beyond the compulsory school age, and of the need of shaping the curriculum somewhat in their interests.
One thousand eighty-two children entered the grammar schools from the highest primary grade in June last. In Sep- tember 1,092 children were admitted to the first grade, at an average age of five years, seven months.
As has been said elsewhere, one-third of the children in the first grade in various parts of the city were on three-hour time for the entire school year. The ratio of promotions from these classes was but slightly smaller than in the grades where circum- stances permitted attendance for the full school day. Not quite as much was accomplished in certain less important lines, but there is no doubt that at the end of the second year no difference in the attainment of the two sets of children will be apparent. Aside from the question of convenience and approval of parents who prefer an all-day session, why are not these results an argu- ment for a more general adoption of the three-hour plan? There is substantial agreement among experts in both education and psychology that far too much is attempted with children under six years of age. They should not be confined to the restraints of the schoolroom for more than three hours. The tasks as- signed them should be adapted to their mental and physical de- velopment, and greater freedom and opportunity given for mus- cular training. There are thousands of schools throughout the land that take children at six years of age and, after eight years of elementary instruction, put them into the high school as well fitted as pupils having a nine-years' course. There are some sec- tions of the city where the home environment is less fortunate, in which an all-day session is much the better. In general, how- ever, the necessity that compels a three-hour session works no disadvantage to the schools, but rather the opposite.
Kindergartens. Four kindergartens have been in operation during the year, the one in the Prospect Hill having been transferred to the Baxter School in September. The cost of in- struction has been $4,060, and of supplies $102, a total of $4,162, or $23.12 per capita. There has been no opportunity to extend the advantages of the kindergarten to other sections of the city, owing to the lack of suitable accommodations. Only here and there has the demand for them been noticed. Wherever they have been established, however, they have become appreciated, and any suggestion for their discontinuance has met with strenu- ous opposition. This is an indication of their value, and it is hoped that the time will come before long when all sections of the
184
ANNUAL REPORTS.
city may share their benefits. The membership and attendance are shown in the following table :-
Hanscom.
Jackson.
Bennett.
Prospect
Hill.
Baxter.
Glines.
Total.
Enrollment .
100
94
104
98
396
Average Membership
47
46
40
47
180
Average Attendance .
41
36
32
38
147
Per cent. Attendance .
87.4
79.5
80.0
82.4
81.7
Age
·
4-9
4-6
4-8
4-9
4-8
Evening Schools. The problem of evening schools is a diffi- cult one to solve satisfactorily. It is generally recognized that there are large numbers of young men and women in our city who, either through misfortune or their own neglect of oppor- tunities, stand greatly in need of what evening schools may do for them. The majority of them are without aspirations, and their tastes and inclinations lie in other directions. They are busy by day, and when evening comes are fatigued, and feel the need of rest or recreation. To draw them into the evening schools, and especially to maintain their interest and to retain them when once they are there, have thus far proved very difficult.
A special effort has been made during the current season to increase the efficiency and the attractiveness of these schools. Larger salaries have been paid, and the very best teachers avail- able have been secured. It is doubtful whether we can ever hope to obtain more efficient teachers than those now employed. It is proposed to give certificates of attainment and diplomas of graduation. A series of illustrated lectures has been begun, which thus far have proved interesting and instructive, and have been attended to the full capacity of the lecture hall of the Eng- lish High School.
Notwithstanding all these efforts, the attendance has fallen off toward the close of the season in about the same ratio as in former years. We retain the illiterates whose employers compel them to attend, under penalty of loss of work, but in other classes one after another the students drop out through lack of am- bition or irresolution of purpose. The law demands that we should present these opportunities, and, notwithstanding the fact that evening schools are relatively the most expensive of any of our forms of instruction, there seems to be no other way than to follow in general the present plan.
In the season of 1900-1901 four schools kept an aggregate of 298 sessions, with an average attendance of 192 pupils out of a
185
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
registration of 612. The total cost was $3,809.39, or $19.94 for each pupil. The evening drawing school kept forty-eight ses- sions, and showed an average attendance of seventy-nine out of an enrollment of 192. The total cost was $1,433.38, or $18.14 to a pupil. The whole expenditure for evening schools for the sea- son was $5,242.77.
Cost of Schools. The cost of maintaining our schools and educating the 10,000 pupils in their average membership has been $280,795.89, or $28.10 for each pupil. This does not include money spent in the repairs of schoolhouses or upon new build- ings. Of this sum, $35,533.23 has been expended by the public buildings department for :-
Janitors' salaries $20,078.39
Fuel
13,723.45
Gas
1,731.39
The following shows the expenditure from the school con- tingent appropriation :-
Officers' salaries
$4,816.03
Books
$7,814.68
General supplies
4,287.48
Laboratory and manual training supplies ..
1,782.80
Printing
1,111.46
Graduation expenses
916.36
Drawing supplies
827.41
Book-binding
669.62
Truant officer's horse
260.00
Expressage and postage
254.13
Board of truants
231.85
School census
215.00
Telephones
169.69
Miscellaneous
166.46
Total for school supplies, etc
18,706.94
Amount expended for school contingent.
$23,522.97
Estimate of committee
$23,000.00
Appropriation
21,000.00
Deficiency as compared with appropriation.
2,522.97
Deficiency as compared with estimate of committee.
522.97
This deficiency is caused by outlay for new books that could not be foreseen.
The following is the expenditure for teachers' salaries during the year :-
January
$21,979.86
February
21,979.88
March
21,955.86
April
21,324.82
May
21,364.19
Amount carried forward
$108,604.61
186
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Amount brought forward
$108,604.61
June
21,294.31
August
405.00
September
22,040.25
October
23,052.88
November
23,184.50
December
23,158.14
Total
$221,739.69
Appropriation
$203,000.00
Estimate of committee
222,000.00
Deficiency as compared with appropriation.
18,334.69
Surplus as compared with estimate of committee.
260.31
Estimate of committee for school maintenance
$245,000.00
Amount expended by committee
245,262.66
Balance to debit of committee's estimate.
$262.63
Received for tuition and damage to property
160.00
Actual gross deficiency
$102.66
Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has- been divided in the following proportion :-
Teachers' salaries
1901. $0.790
1900. $0.799
1899. $0.788
Supervision
0.017
0.018
0.019
Janitors' salaries
0.071
0.074
0.073
Heat and light
0.055
0.048
0.051
School supplies
0.067
0.061
0.066
Total
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
PER CAPITA COST OF MAINTAINING SCHOOLS, 1900 and 1901.
High Schools.
Grammar and Primary Schools.
All Schools.
1900.
1901.
In- crease.
1900.
1901.
In- crease.
1900.
1901.
In- crease.
Instruction
and
Supervision .
$48 28
$47 71
*$0 57
$18 87
$19 89
$1 02
$21 67
$22 67
$1 00 .
Text-Books
and
4 46
5 52
1 06
1 30
1 47
0 17
1 60
1 87
0 27
Schoolhouse
Ex-
5 30
4 99
*0 31
3 02
3 40
0 38
3 24
3 56
0 32
Totals .
$58 04
$58 22
$0 18
$23 19
$24 76
$1 57
$26 51
$28 10
$1 59
* Decrease.
Instruction in the high schools has cost fifty-seven cents less than last year, text-books and supplies $1.06 more, and the care. of the buildings thirty-one cents less, the per capita cost being eighteen cents more than in 1900,-$58.04 in one year and $58.22. in the other.
Supplies .
. ·
penses .
187
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
Owing to the increase of the salaries of primary and gram- mar teachers, the full effect of which has not been felt till this year, the cost of instruction in these schools has been $1.02 more per child as compared with last year. The purchase of geogra- phies has raised the cost of supplies seventeen cents, while thirty- eight cents more has been required for the care of schoolhouses. In the aggregate, this makes the per capita cost of the elementary schools $1.57 more than in 1900.
Taking all the schools together, the cost for each pupil has been $28.10, as against $26.51 last year, a difference of $1.59.
In the year of 1900, among the 353 cities and towns in Mas- sachusetts, Somerville stood the forty-ninth in the amount of money expended for each child in the average membership of its schools.
In the ratio of its taxable property to the amount spent for the support of schools, 162 municipalities stood higher in the list.
The salaries paid at the present time are as follows :-
2 men
$3,000
2 women
$850
2 men
2,000
1 man, 1 woman
800
9 men, 2 women
1,900
16 women
725
3 men
1,700
5 women
775
2 men
1,450
4 women
700
1 man
1,400
176 women
650
2 men
1,300
13 women
600
2 men, 3 women
1,200
1 man, 2
women.
500
1 man
1,100
women
425
3 women
1,000
women
400
19 women
900
1 woman
200
On this basis, the total salary list at present is $218,700.
Allowing $5,500 for evening and vacation schools, $1,800 for substitutes, and $1,000 for new teachers, $227,000 will be re- quired for salaries next year. At the rate of expenditure for sup- plies for the last few years, $23,000 will be needed for this pur- pose and for officers' salaries. This will call for an outlay for school maintenance in 1902 of $250,000 on the part of the School Committee.
Time Schedules. The difficult and perplexing question of the apportionment of time given to the different studies in the ele- mentary schools engaged the careful attention of the Committee at the beginning of the year. After the fullest discussion, the fol- lowing schedule was adopted. It may be assumed to indicate the relative value of the different subjects :-
1.88
ANNUAL REPORTS.
TIME SCHEDULE SHOWING MINUTES PER WEEK GIVEN TO VARIOUS SUBJECTS IN THE GRAMMAR AND PRIMARY GRADES. [ Adopted by the School Committee, February 4, 1901.]
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Total
Opening Exercises-Ethics
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
450
Physical Exercises and Re- cesses
90
90
90
90
50
50
50
50
50
610
Penmanship
75
100
100
100
100
120
120
120
60
895
Music
75
75
75
60
60
60
60
45
45
555
Drawing
60
60
60
75
75
75
75
75
75
630
Hygiene
25
25
25
50
25
25
50
25
25
75
Reading and Literature
750
575
450
330
335
225
195
210
220
[3,290
Spelling
100
120
120
120
100
50
50
50
71
Language and Grammar
. .
50
75
100
100
160
215
210
240
1,150
Arithmetic
200
200
250
250
250
230
250
250
310
2,240
Study of Nature
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
..
..
. .
30
150
150
140
140
130
120
860
History
..
..
.
60
60
120
180
420
Sewing and Miscellanecus .
..
..
..
60
60
60
60
240
Closing Exercises
50
50
50
..
. .
. .
. .
..
Total
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
1,425
12,825
Study in School per week .
. .
..
. .
400
410
425
440
500
520
. .
Study in School per day
..
..
80
80
85
90
100
100
Home Study per day limited to
.
..
..
. .
..
30
45
60
Attention is called to Sections 89 and 96 of the Regulations. The time allotted to study in school is to be generally obtained by taking the class in two sections in reading, language, arithmetic, geography, history, and oral spelling.
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