USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1937 > Part 12
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
lumber for manual training, materials for cooking and sewing, kindergartens and first grades, typewriters, clerical practice machines, all supplies for the operation and maintenance of the Vocational and Continuation school shops and the payment of bills for services such as telephones, electric power, printing, expressing, and the purchase of all administrative supplies. It easily can be computed that the per capita cost for such ad- ministrative services, text books, and supplies in Somerville is only $2.59 in comparison with the average cost for text books and supplies alone for the various school systems of the State of $6.84. The total per capita cost of education which is evolved by dividing the total costs of instruction, supervision, administrative supplies, care and maintenance of school build- ings, janitor service, fuel, light, and power by the number of children in the school system, is for the year ending June 30, 1937, $91.15.
It is always pertinent and enlightening to compare this figure with the per capita cost of the schools of surrounding cities and towns and cities similar in size to Somerville. The average per capita cost for the thirty-nine cities of the State is $100.80. The following cities are among those which show from figures released by the State Department of Education an excess above the average for the State: Newton, $125.59 : Boston, $122.50 ; Cambridge, $120.10 ; Springfield, $108.73; and Worcester, $106.56. Included among those whose costs are below the average for the State we find Lawrence, $99.95; Lynn, $94.15; Somerville, $91.15 and Medford, $91.12.
Somerville, the seventh city in population, ranks thirteen in per capita cost, but that is not the whole story. Another, and very important means of comparing economy of operation of schools is by a perusal of the costs in relation to the ability of the community to afford such expenditures. The valuation of a community, upon which tax assessment is made, compared with the number of school children in average membership in the system, shows the amount of taxable property supporting each child.
Over a period of years in Somerville this pupil per capita valuation has been as follows :
ANNUAL REPORTS
Valuation of City
Average Membership
Per Capita Valuation
1927
$116,406,900
15,042
$7,738
1928
120,172,300
15,190
7,911
1929
118,840,900
15,521
7,657
1930
122,420,200
15,632
7,831
1931
123,051,300
15,915
7,732
1932
150,285,500
16,030
9,375
1933
119,798,800
16,303
7,348
1934
118,100,500
16,616
7,108
1935
117,182,500
16,613
7,053
1936
115,688,600
16,707
6,925
1937
113,453,300
16,608
6,831
The same figure for some of our neighboring cities in 1937 is as follows: Newton, $13,876; Boston, $12,660; Cambridge, $11,659; Springfield, $11,476; Lynn, $9,171; Lawrence, $9,107; Worcester, $8,837; Quincy, $8,778; Malden, $7,974; Lowell, $7,792; New Bedford, $7,284; Brockton, $7,156; Medford, $7,061.
Space will not permit a discussion of the facts brought forth under the topic "Costs of Schools", in the Summary of Statistics in this report where the per capita cost is itemized as instruction, maintenance, books, supplies, etc., but a study of those statements, some in the form of comparisons, makes very interesting reading and proves conclusively that the schools are operated economically, and substantiates previous statements.
With these figures in mind for comparison is it not excep- tionally encouraging, and worthy of considerable commenda- tion for the School Committee, its administrators, and its ad- ministration to be able to report that the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth can and does operate a successful, modern school system with a backing for each child of only $6,831, ranking twenty-eighth in the state, on a per capita cost of only $91.15, ranking twelfth among the cities of the State? Surely condemnation and criticism are not justified and should not be tolerated by those who can and should analyze these very pertinent statistics.
It is pertinent, at this time in the discussion, to point out that there are prevalent other erroneous rumors with ref- erence to the standards of achievement of our schools in com- parison with those of neighboring communities. Various fictitious propaganda would indicate that our schools have dropped in rating from second place to thirty-fourth or six-
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
teenth place or some other such ridiculous position. In the first place there is no comparative rating scale made for the school systems of the state of the nation, secondly there are no agencies organized or otherwise working upon the establish- ment of such rating scales, and thirdly, if there were such a scale the records made by Somerville students, available through the compilations of statistics concerning high school graduates made by George M. Hosmer, Head of the College Preparatory Course, would not show any such results.
It is perhaps unfortunate from the standpoint of these rumors that the return from moneys expended for education is not immediately measurable as are the returns upon the private and personal expenditures of an individual. The com- munity invests approximately $1,100 on the public education of cach child over a period of twelve years. The return and inter- est on such an investment cannot be measured until such time as the training has been given an opportunity to be put into practice and for those involved to obtain some material re- muneration therefrom. Now, since the actual returns from the investment are not recognizable and seen for nearly a genera- tion, the quickest measure of our returns available is shown by the measure of the scholastic attainments of those who seek admission to higher institutions. Records of these scholastic attainments compare favorably with those of the periods be- fore mentioned, and the citizens of Somerville may well be proud of the accomplishments of their schools which stand high in the estimation of the schools of higher learning and are well recommended by them.
RESEARCH
Since 1930, when the Superintendent made a very urgent plea for the development of a plan which would increase the efficiency of our very meager organization for Research and Guidance, a slow and gradual process has brought about the development of a small part of the plan, but the progress has been so slow that in 1936 the Superintendent urged that ac- celeration be given to the movement. During 1937 the School Committee has given considerable time to the study of the problems involved and although no definite plan of procedure has been evolved and established, much in the nature of re- search has been accomplished by actions taken by the School Committee. It is hoped that the next year will bring into being an organization which will immediately put into operation the
224
ANNUAL REPORTS
plan outlined by the Superintendent in 1930 with its amend- ments made at various times since then.
ACTS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
In addition to the activities of the School Committee al- ready mentioned there are several outstanding acts which should at least be briefly recorded. Its considerations resulted as follows :
Made provision for additional courses in Printing and Painting and Decorating at the Vocational School.
Changed the requirements for High School Matron so that the scope of the work would be broadened.
Changed its Rules and Regulations so that :
(1) Cumulative sick leave was provided for the teachers,
(2) Definite plans and regulations were formulated for the reinstatement of experienced teachers who had left the service and were again avail- able,
(3) The age for admission of beginners in the first grade was reduced to allow those children who would be six on or before February 28th follow- ing to be admitted in September,
(4) The School Committee could operate and have the advantages of the Committee of the Whole plan,
(5) Cadet teachers would be reported upon quarter- ly by their supervisors,
(6) Practice teachers would have frequent and com- petent supervision, and
(7) Specific requirements and rating lists would be made for substitutes.
Defeated an order which would have increased the size of the teaching corps and would have added a
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
material amount to the cost of education during the years following 1937.
Gave long and earnest consideration to the request of the men teachers for an increased maximum salary without action.
Gave serious attention to the no-school signal.
Requested of the Mayor and the Chief of Police more and better police protection for the children at traffic arteries on their way to and from school.
MEMBERSHIP
The public school membership at the present time is 16,928. A comparison of the size and change in membership over a period of years is indicated in the following table :
December
Membership
Change
1937
16,928
-22
1936
16,950
+2
1935
16,948
+63
1934
16,885
-- 30
1933
16,915
+344
1932
16,571
+400
1931
16,171
+149
1930
16,022
+4310
1912
11,712
While there is a decrease of 22 from the total membership of a year ago, there is an increase of 65 in the High School. This increase follows a decrease of 40 and increases of 237, 160, 281, and 272 in the years preceding last year. The member- ship in the elementary schools, however, shows a gradual de- crease and indicates a decrease in the birth rate and reflects the decrease of approximately 3% in the population of the city. The membership of the elementary schools over a period of years is as follows :
December
Membership
Change
1937
9,240
-- 54
1936
9,294
-16
1935
9,310
-12
1934
9,322
-34
1933
9,356
It is quite significant to note that from 1918 to the present the enrollment of the High School has increased 135% and
2.6
ANNUAL REPORTS
the teacher load has increased from 22 to 30 while the High School membership is now 20% of the total school membership as against 12% in 1918. Inasmuch as the cost of the instruc- tion is higher in the upper grades than it is in the lower grades, these figures indicate an increasingly economical administra- tion.
CHANGES IN PERSONNEL
During the year 1937 twenty-five members of the instruction- al force severed their connections with the Somerville schools. Of this number, fourteen left to be married, one died, one en- tered employment in another field of endeavor, and nine re- tired, five voluntarily and four forced to retire by the provi- sions of the Teachers' Retirement Act. All of the persons selected to fill those positions which were filled were qualified under the eligibility rules of the School Committee.
Notable for length of service, achievement, and efficiency were the terms of Alice E. Morang, forty-four years ; Katherine M. Fox, forty-one years: Harlan P. Knight. forty years; Almena J. Mansir, thirty-nine years ; Catherine A. Burden and Elizabeth Campbell, thirty-five years; Maude A. Nichols, thirty-one years; Mary Clifford, thirty years; and Leila L. Rand ; twenty-nine and a half years.
The serious loss sustained by the city by the termination of the active services of these persons will be long felt as will also the effectiveness of their influence upon the lives of the citizens of our community. Deep appreciation of their influence on the advancement of education in our city was expressed by resolutions framed and adopted by the School Committee or by letters of appreciation.
Edward L. Smith, who was elected by the School Commit- tee to assume the duties of Supervising Master of the Cutler- Hodgkins district left vacant by the retirement of Harlan P. Knight, brings to his assignment a pleasing personality, an ex- cellent educational training and experience, and a determina- tion to fill to the best of his ability the void left by Mr. Knight's retirement from active service.
TEN YEARS IN RETROSPECT
Because this is the tenth report in the series of Annual Reports submitted by the present Superintendent, it seems ad-
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
visable to glance backward and recapitulate briefly and in general upon the progress and advancement made during the ten-year period.
There are many interesting and instructive ways by which progress in a school system can be measured. A selection has been made of six of these bases which apparently measure more effectively this progress than others which are perhaps more often used by educators. These bases of measurement are :
(1) A comparison of the retentive ability of the school system for the period.
(2) The amount and direction of curriculum change made to adapt it to changed social conditions.
(3) The number and significance of adoption of new phases of instruction, particularly those affecting in- dividual needs of the pupils, or the development of change of techniques of teaching which may affect in- dividual instruction.
(4) The legislation enacted by the School Committee, which is sufficiently important to be significant to educa- tion over an extended period.
(5) Changes made to the school plant.
(6) Provision made for the study and adjustment of student problems, whether of behavior, attendance, or scholarship.
Basis 1. The extent to which the school is attractive to the pupils and the degree of their interest in it and the extent to which it meets their needs would be shown, on the surface at least, by the amount of retention, as indicated by the percent- age of pupils who continue in school at certain levels.
TABLE I
No. of pupils in 1st grade
No. & % of pupils graduating from gr. 9
No. & % of pupils beginning grade 10
No. & % pupils graduating from High who entered gr. 10 & gr. 1
High School Graduates by % of Boys Girls
1916-17
to 1928
1,046
1,036 99%
866 82.7
513 59.2 49.
46.8 53.2
1927-37
1,393
1,329 95.4
1,185. 85.
867 73.1 62.2
47.4 52.6
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ANNUAL REPORTS
The first table compares two groups of children, designated as 1928 and 1937, who entered the first grade ten years apart, and notes in percentages the number of pupils who have reached certain levels of their school career. This table shows rather conclusively that more children are remaining in school; for example, of the 1937 group 2.3% more entered grade 10, and 13.9% more of those who entered the tenth grade graduated, than in the 1928 group. Of the children in the 1937 group who began in the first grade, 62.2% graduated from high school, as compared with 49% in the 1928 group.
TABLE II
Average membership
% in Elementary
% in Junior High
% in High
1928
14,491
58.2
25.3
14.8
1937
15,707
52.1
25.3
20.7
Increases
1,216
-6.1
5.9
In Table II there are given the relative percentages of pu- pils in the various units of the school system. Comparison is made of the numbers of children in the system in the two years, 1928 and 1937. These figures show rather interestingly that there are 6% less children in the elementary unit in 1937 than in 1928, but that there is a percentage of growth of 5.9% in the High School. Paradoxically, it is probable that the depression can be held responsible for both the decrease in the elementary school membership, because of fewer marriages, and the in- crease in the high school membership, because of lack of oppor tunity to find work and an increased necessity to fit one's self for a good position. These increases in the percentages of pupils, in whatever manner they may be measured, have a direct bearing on the cost of education as compared with that of ten years ago in that the increases are largely appearing in the upper grades, which is a more expensive type of education.
The average ages of graduates from high school have also been affected by the changes in its membership, because the average age in 1928 was 18-4 for boys and 17-9 for girls, where- as last year it was 17-7 for boys and 17-11 for girls. Such a remarkable difference in the average ages has not been ap- parent until this last year and the reason for the change is not readily apparent.
We can conclude from the figures shown in both of these tables that there is an increasing demand on the part of the students in school for a high school education and that the
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
percentage of pupils in the high school will therefore increase in proportion to the other units as time goes on. As pointed out in succeeding sections, such a change in the desires of its pupils brings not only to the school system many problems, such as modification of the school program and more teachers, but also to the social structure of the community, such prob- lems as labor legislation and problems affecting delinquency, marriageable age and economic welfare.
Basis 2. This basic offers as a comparison the amount and direction of curriculum change made by the school system to adapt its offerings to the needs of society and individuals. Dur- ing this ten-year period, twenty-one courses of study have been compiled in careful detail by committees of teachers. Subse- quent to study on the part of the teachers and tentative adop- tion by the School Committee, they were finally printed and used as a basis for instruction throughout the city. The im- portant and most significant effect of these courses has been that of unification of instruction. That the courses have been a splendid challenge and an excellent stimulus to teachers and pupils is proved by the amount of interest shown in them. We now have courses of study in nearly every fundamental sub- ject for which there was apparent need for a better basis for instruction purposes. Many of these courses have been dis- tributed to countries throughout the world and many of them have been used for bases for the formulation of other courses.
Five new kindergartens have been inaugurated since 1928, and the kindergarten course of study has definitely linked this part of the school system with the first grade work. ,
Four special ungraded classes have been formed and consider- ation has been given to the installation of other classes when finances permit, so that all children will be able to pursue their school work under conditions suitable to their mental levels. Instruction has also been given, since 1930, to crippled child- ren or children confined to their homes for a period of illness, and an open-air class was opened in co-operation with the Board of Health in 1936.
Basis 3. The effectiveness of a school system might also be gauged by the provision that it makes for individual problems or for problems brought about by changes in society affecting the pupils in immediate and later life. In the year 1929. a com- mittee was organized to study the curriculum of the school system to recommend certain changes. It recommended the in- stitution of courses of study in certain subjects and stressed
230
ANNUAL REPORTS
the necessity for more effective correlation among subjects. In particular, it recommended the adoption of a unit plan of study as a means of bringing the work in the different subjects together, the adoption of project work in the elementary school, and a more extensive and detailed articulation from grade to grade in all subjects. Through committees of teachers and the different supervisors, and with the advice and help of the School Committee, some advancement has been made towards the accomplishment of all of these matters. All of the instruc- tion in the elementary school has been carefully arranged to bring about the highest possible degree of relationship between subjects, and the instruction technique has been modified so as to meet the demands of particular classes of pupils to the great- est degree possible.
In the junior high school. there has been a revision of the program of studies so that more time could be spent on the social studies and English, and there have been definite at- tempts made to reorganize the work so that it will have per- sonal value in the sense that it will enable the pupil to form personal judgments from his own analysis.
In the high school, clerical practice has been added and is proving to be very desirable for many pupils. Business manage- ment, social business, and vocations have also been added to the commercial curriculum, and there has been a reclassifica- tion of commercial and general courses to permit more work in certain limited fields and to allow better specialization. Nearly $7,000 worth of business machines and equipment have been purchased to provide for the clerical practice, and in addi- tion it has been necessary to add two rooms of typewriters. In connection with the high school, it would be of interest to know that the percentages of pupils studying certain subjects are changing, as shown by the following table for the two years, 1928 and 1937.
Table III. Percentages of pupils studying certain subjcts
Latin French
Italian
Type.
Sten. Cler. Prac. History
1927-28
25.
48.4
30.8
21.1
68.5
1936-37
17.
30.4
5.6
35.5
14.5
24.5
66.0
From this table it can be gathered that fewer pupils are studying the languages, which are necessary for college prep- aration, particularly Latin, and more pupils are studying the commercial courses.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Matters considered so far in this basis have been those relat- ing to the tangible qualities that a pupil may have or with which he may come in contact. There has been a determina- tion on the part of teachers, supervisors, and school commit- tees to make the schools equally valuable for the intangible qualities, such as good personality, good health, and safety. All courses of study adopted during this period have had def- inite personal values emphasizing the need of good personal traits, good habits of work and play, and careful and method- ical thinking. With the assistance of the police department, a special officer, called for school purposes the safety officer, was detailed to visit the different schools to provide safety in- struction. This has been very successfully done and today there is a much better understanding on the part of the pupil regard- ing what is safe and what is unsafe in his daily life. The ques- tion of health has been considered from all angles. The city now has two gymnasiums and two auditoriums that may be used as gymnasiums, and has adopted a recreational program which is less formal than the calisthenic program but far more attractive and useful for all pupils. Physical education is now required of pupils of certain grades. In conjunction with the Y.M.C.A., a "teaching to swim" program has been carried out very successfully and approximately 800 boys annually have been taught to swim during school time by a capable instructor.
Basis 4. Legislation. The following is a list of educational acts of the school committee which seem to have a direct bear- ing on the events of this period.
1. Affecting teachers
Election of married teachers forbidden Changes in qualifications for teachers Certified lists from examination of teachers
Reinstatement of teachers
Appointment of elementary supervisor Sabbatical leave 12-payment plan of salaries Cumulative sick leave
2. Mental testing of children for admission to first grade
3. Athletics
Reorganized athletics control
Assumed expense of coaches, assistant coaches, etc. New plan providing teacher-coaches Authorized other sports
4. Changed size of school committee
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ANNUAL REPORTS
5. Provided for instruction of crippled children
6. Courses of study revised and adopted Latin, Spanish, Italian, Commerce and Industry, Music, Art Appreciation, Geography, Penmanship, Kindergarten Work, Geography for the Junior High Schools, Elementary Gregg Shorthand
7. Co-operated with Board of Health in the establishment and maintenance of a special ungraded open-air class for undernourished and physically handicapped child- ren.
8. Authorized a program for swimming instruction
9. Courses added at Vocational School Printing, Brick Masonry, Painting and Decorating
10. Authorized awarding of suitable certificates of attend- ance and attainment to pupils who have attended spe- cial classes for not less than three years
11. Expanded content of music instruction
Certain of these acts are of very great importance and will be briefly explained. One of the most important was that hav- ing to do with the selection of teachers, which had two phases : (1) the institution of the teachers' examinations, affecting both teachers and cadets, and (2) changes in the rules govern- ing the qualifications of those eligible for the examinations. These policies made into rule by the School Committees were intended to make possible a very high standard of teacher qualifications at a time when politics, welfare, and the depres- sion needs of the individual confused the issue. Important steps have been taken to improve the working conditions of the teacher by the introduction of provisions for sabbatical leave, cumulative sick leave, and reinstatement. During this period the plan for payment of the salaries of teachers was changed to provide twelve installments instead of ten.
The School Committee has given great consideration to children whose abilities are not average or whose mental or physical condition is such as to prohibit their attendance with success in school. It employed a teacher for instruction of physically handicapped children in 1930 and has recently added one other.
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