USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1913 > Part 6
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REMEDIES. There are two ways to stop these "leaks" or "breaks". One is by hiring
local teachers ; the other is by raising salaries. The first method has been employed by the present Su- perintendent as much as possible. In all, fourteen local teachers have been hired. This has stopped several "leaks", inasmuch as these teachers will stay with us at our present salary schedule longer than outsiders, because they can live at home.
27
There is, nevertheless, nothing that is as apt to cause a superintendent trouble as the hiring of local teachers. If he hires one, every local girl who has en- tered the profession expects to be employed. Her friends, likewise, demand this. Also, in case a local girl fails to make good, it is harder to discharge her without causing much trouble. For these reasons, many superintendents and school boards are wary about hiring them. These difficulties are apparent to us, and we have entered upon this policy with our eyes open. It is the avowed purpose of the present incumbent to recom- mend only those local girls who seem to possess the necessary qualifications, irrespective of who they are or whence they come. A local girl must be the equal of an out-of-town candidate. This has been, and will be, my stand. My purpose is to stand by the boys and girls who are in our schools. They are entitled to the best we can give them and will get it, insofar as I can give it to them. I am simply an agent or custodian. I am here to serve them. This stand upon a superin- tendent's part often calls for real heroism and ofter causes his downfall; but a man who will not lose his job rather than do wrong displays his unfitness there- by to hold it. A superintendent must have the "back- ing" of his school committee in this, if he is to be suc- cessful. A school committee which firmly "backs" its superintendent in such matters is a great asset to any community ; and that community ought to pay such a board due honor, for it has no more important body of men within its midst. The right kind of a superintend- ent and a school committee can safely hire local candi- dates. We have done it successfully, for your School Board has stood behind your Superintendent. The local teachers we have employed, without a single exception, have turned out to be real additions to the strength of our teaching corps.
28
The other method that may be used to stop de- fections from our ranks is to pay salaries proportionate to those paid in other places. This alone will not stop it, unless we pay salaries far beyond our means. We can not expect to do this. Still. we can pay more than we do. We must pay more if we intend to compete even with towns of smaller size than our own. Further- more, because we can get home teachers to work for these salaries, it does not relieve us of the obligation of paying them all that we can possibly pay.
COMPARISON. A comparison of twenty-two towns is given below for your study. These same towns have been used several times for like com- parisons. These figures speak for themselves and need but little comment. With the exception of Middleboro, every town has a higher maximum for grade teachers than we. We are larger numerically than most of these towns; our cost per pupil is much lower; our rank in total school expenditures is very low. These facts are all in favor of a raise for the grade teachers. There are two which, at first glance, seem to be against it. Our rank in the wealth of the towns is low and our rank in the amount appropriated on every one thousand dol- lars of valuation for school purposes is correspondingly high. These two are interdependent. While our cost per pupil shows economy and good management, it requires a large amount per every thousand dollars of valnation to support our schools, because our wealth is so small. We can not, therefore. expect to compete with some of these towns in the matter of luxuries. The em- ployment of good teachers at a fair wage is not a luxury : it is a necessity. As a poor man must pay the sanie price for the necessities of life as a rich man, and as he must have them, so we must pay likewise for the necessities of school work-good teachers. Our grade maximum should be increased one dollar per week, mak- ing it $14 per week or $532 per year.
29
COMPARISON OF TWENTY-TWO TOWNS.
Population of 1910
Valuation 1910
School Expenditures 1911-12
Cost per Pupil
Amount Appropriated per $1000 of Valuation
Town
Milton,
7,924
$26,689,650.00
$89,483.04
$68.20
$3.12
Concord,
6,421
7,319,263.00
47,084.47
44.09
5.11
Whitman,
7,202
4,994,721.00
37,158.18
29.28
6.61
Winchester,
9,309
12,758,750.00
71,192.45
41.90
4.97
Norwood,
8,014
14,033,280.00
56,104.91
34.76
3.89
North Attleboro,
9,562
7,732,240.00
48,612.66
32.11
5.41
Greenfield,
10,427
10,130,132.00
57,129.51
32.13
5,58
Methuen,
11,448
7,198,034.00
49,091.26
24.06
6.32
Andover,
7,301
6,737,207.00
41,549.59
35.82
5.08
Danvers,
9,407
6,470,425.00
44,238.15
28.74
6.51
Ware,
8,774
4,814,775.00
38,228.71
33.65
7.78
Northbridge,
8,807
4,594,600.00
40,473.46
26.01
8.26
Montague,
6,866
4,222,955.00
39,068.96
36.43
8.92
West Springfield,
9,224
7,319,159.00
50,232.40
27.41
6,04
Saugus,
8,047
5,510,516.00
46,627.93
27.89
7.81
Easthampton,
8,524
5,961,261.00
29,795.17
28.76
4.73
Amherst,
5,112
3,877,639.00
25,788.30
29.44
5.61
Braintree,
8,066
6,265,880.00
47,820.49
29.61
7.05
Great Barrington, 5,926
6,030,715.00
35,769.32
32.25
5,53
Gardner,
14,699
8,245,905.00
55,419.94
30.32
5.82
Athol,
8,536
4,643,701.00
35,965.15
26.74
6.51
Middleboro,
8,214
4,644,805.00
38,575.87
29,29
7.72
Average,
8,540.91
7,934,599.09
46,609.54
33.13
6.11
Palmer,
8,610
4,364,687.00
36,889.10
26.14
7.82
30
SALARIES PER YEAR
GRADES
Town
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 Av'ge
Milton,
$750 $750 $750 $750 $750 $750 $750 $850
$763
Concord,
750
750
750
750
750 750 750
750
750
Whitman,
700
700
700
700
700 700
700
850
850
733
Winchester,
700
700
700
700
700 700
725
725
725
708
Norwood,
700
700
700
700
700
700
700
700
700
700
No. Attleboro,
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
Greenfield,
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
650
Methuen,
608
608
608
608
608
608
608
646
646
616
Andover,
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
650
605
Danvers,
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
Ware,
500
500
500
500
600
600
650
750
750
594
Northbridge,
532
570
532
532
532 532
703
703
580
Montague,
540
570
570
570
570 570
600
600
574
W. Springfield,
550
550
550
550
575
575
600
600
600
572
Saugus,
550
550
550
550
550 550
550
550
600
560
Easthampton,
532
532
532
532
532
600
600
600
558
Amherst,
55
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
Braintree,
540
540
540
540
540
5:40
540
540
540
Gt. Barrington,
532
532
532
532
532
532
532
532
532
Gardner,
518
518
518
518
518
518
518
518
-
518
Athol,
500
500
500
500
500
500
500
550
600
517
Middleboro,
570
494
456
456
456
456
494
494
494
485
Average,
596
596
592
592
598
602
616
635
647
608
Palmer,
494
494
494
494
494 494
494
494
494
494
-
-
-
-
31
COMPARISON OF TWENTY-TWO TOWNS
Rank in Population
Rank in Valuation
Rank in School
Expenditures.
Rank in Cost
Per Pupil.
$1,000 of Valuation. Rank in Appropriation per
Milton,
17
1
1
1
23
Concord,
21
7
10
2
18
Whitman,
19
16
18
15
8
Winchester,
6
3
2
3
20
Norwood,
16
2
4
6
22
North Attleboro,
4
6
8
10
17
Greenfield,
3
4
3
9
15
Methuen,
2
9
7 23
11
Andover,
18
10
13
5
19
Danvers,
5
11
12
17
10
Ware,
9
17
17
7
5
Northbridge,
8
20
14
22
2
Montague,
20
22
15
4
1
West Springfield,
-7
8
6
19
12
Saugus,
15
15
11
18
4
Easthampton,
12
14
22
16
21
Amherst,
22
23
23
13
14
Braintree,
14
12
9
12
7
Great Barrington,
23
13
21
8
16
Gardner,
1
5
5
11
13
Athol,
11
19
20
20
9
Mddleboro,
13
18
16
14
6
Averages
11 5
11 5
11 5
11 5
11.5
Palmer,
10
21
19
21
3
32
PROMOTIONS IN THE GRADES. Year Ending June, 1913. PALMER.
No. of Pupils
.in Grade
i11 June
Promoted
Uncondition-
Promoted
Conditionally
- Not Promoted
Per Cent.
Not Promoted
0 H 01 00 -1 00 0 Grade
25
23
1
1
4
30
26
2
2
6.66
57
49
0
6
10.53
58
49
4
5
8.62
50
45
1
1
8
50
46
0
4
8
2
64
54
0
10
15.63
1
83
57
0
26
31.33
433
375
10
58
13.09
THREE RIVERS.
9
8
8
0
0
O
00-100
13
10
1
2
15.39
20
12
7
1
5
29
20
8
1
3.45
5
35
29
4
2
5.71
4
32
26
6
0
0
3
55
46
4
5
9.09
2
56
42
6
8
14.29
1
73
4.4
8
21
28.77
321
237
44
40
12.46
BONDSVILLE.
11
=
0
0
0
10
10
0
0
0
10
6
1
0
0
19
16
1
2
10.53
23
20
2
1
4.35
4
25
17
4
4
16
3
46
32
3
11
23.40
2
47
28
8
11
23.40
1
19
25
4
20
40.82
240
168
23
49
20.42
0
0
26
26
ally
0100 -100 00
-
33
THORNDIKE.
No. of Pupils
in Grade
in June
Promoted
ally
Promoted
Conditionally
O · Not Promoted
00
11
8
3
15
12
3
0
0
21
14
4
3
14.29
26
22
4
0
0
19
15
3
1
5.26
31
26
3
2
6.45
2
38
32
4
2
5.26
1
39
32
0
7
17,95
218
179
24
15
6.88
DISTRICTS.
WIRE MILL.
4
6
4
2
0
0
3
10
8
0
2
20
2
10
7
1
2
20
1
11
8
1
2
18.18
37
27
4
6
16.22
PALMER . CENTER.
5
5
3
2
0
0
4
6
3
2
1
16.66
3
6
5
1
0
0
2
4
1
3
0
0
1
6
6
0
0
0
27
18
8
1
3.70
SHORLEY.
6
2
1
0
1
50
4
1
1
0
0
0
3
6
6
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
0
1
4
4
0
0
0
14
13
0
1
7.14
Per cent.
Not Promoted
18
18
O
Uncondition-
2429-19 4 Grade
34
SUMMARY.
No. of Pupils
in Grade
in June
Promoted
Uncondition-
ally
Promoted
Conditionally
Not Promoted
Per Cent.
Not Promoted
Grade
1
265
176
13
76
28.68
II.
220
165
22
23
15.00
III,
204
169
11
24
11.27
1V,
139
111
18
10
7.19
V,
147
123
16
8
5.44
VI,
128
100
15
13
10.15
VII,
75
59
13
3
4.00
VIII,
59
51
5
3
5.08
IX,
63
63
0
0
0.00
Total
1300
1017
113
170
13.07
NON-PROMOTIONS.
The statistics relative to promotions in the grades com- piled at the close of the school year in June are given above for your study. You will note that, out of a total of 1300 pupils, 1017 were promoted unconditionally ; 113 were promoted conditionally; 170 were not promoted. The percentage of non-promotion was 13.07. This rate of non-promotion is about the same as it has been for the past few years, possibly a trifle higher. With the pres- ent-day tendency to study carefully the subject of re- tardation and to maintain that something is wrong with a school system wherein much of this is found to exist, it seems well to discuss this matter briefly. The Russell Sage Foundation maintains that the presence of repeaters in the schools cost an additional expense of many dollars. It would maintain that out failure to promote 13% of our pupils, 11% of whom are repeating this year, is cost- ing us 11% of our total expenditure for school purposes, $42,000, or $4,620. If this is true, and the cause for the same is removable, we would justly deserve the severest. condemnation, and we ought to be held strictly to ac- count.
35
CAUSES. But before either you or we draw con- clusions definitely concerning our attitude in this matter, let us inquire deeply into the cause. Last June the name, and reason for failure, of every non- promoted pupil was sent to the Superintendent by the teacher making the promotion. These were carefully studied, assembled, and tabulated as follows:
Reasons Ascribed by Teacher for
Failure of Promotion.
No. of Pupils.
Per Cent.
Inability,
34
20
Lack of Application,
23
13 9-17
Inability to Speak English at Beginning of School Year,
21
12
6-17
Lack of Concentration,
11
6 8-17
Inattention,
10
5 15-17
Mentally Deficient,
10
5 15-17
Entered Late from Out-of-Town Schools,
9
5 5-17
Irregular Attendance Due to Illness,
9
5 5-17
Poor Physical Condition,
8 4 12-17
Immaturity,
7 4 2-17
Lack of Application and Inability,
6
3 9-17
Lack of Concentration and Irregular Attendance
5
2 16-17
Lack of Concentration and Inability,
5
2 16-17
Nervousness,
3 1 13-17
Defective Vision,
2
1 3-17
Sub-Normal,
2
1 3-17
Defective Hearing,
1 .5 15-17
Poor Memory,
1 .5 15-17
36
Poor Preparation,
1 .5 15-17
Poor Preparation and Irregular Attendance, 1 .5 15-17
Conditioned upon Entering Grade, 1 .5 15-17
Total,
170
These causes certainly present an interesting study. Some of them are causes that the schools can not possibly overcome, as inability, mental deficiency, poor health, late entrance, etc.,-no matter how efficient they may be. Some of these pupils come under a classification used for older people, "Unfortunates". They can not do the work that normal children can do. We have no special class or room for them. We must do the best we can for them with what we have to do with. They will always be repeaters. except when promoted because they have been a certain length of time in one room. These pupils are entitled to all that can be given them ; they must be provided for. They will always be found in all schools.
Towns, cities, and states have similar adults to care for, adults who are "Unfortunates",-as the poor, the feeble-minded, the insane, the criminal, etc. Provision must be made for them; such provision is expensive. When these agencies can cause conditions to become so perfect that we no longer need to provide for the adult dependents, the schools can be expected to likewise eliminate all repeaters. Such reasoning seems to savor of saneness.
Our schools do not claim that all this retardation is absolutely necessary. They are not endeavoring "to get out from under" all responsibility. There are un- doubtedly cases wherein the school, the system, and the teacher are responsible for non-promotion. To just what extent, no one can safely say. To what degree are they responsible for poor attendance, weak concentration, lack of application, inattention, and many other reasons which produce failures ? How many of those reported as un-
37
able to do the work are really unable to do it? Would not the right teacher draw out more? Are they not rather slow in development at this period of their life? There are a thousand and one similar questions that might be raised. In answer to all criticisms and ques- tions, there is but one positively sure answer, and that is-if everything was perfect (and nothing is), there would be no retardation. This is not an idle, careless answer, but rather a careful and thoughtful one. An inquiry into the reasons for any wrong condition is good ; an honest attempt to right these wrongs is better; but to be temperate in your judgment, to be careful in your conclusion, to be keen to recognize what can be remedied and what must continue to remain the same as long as human nature is human nature,-to possess this balance in your attempts to correct is best.
A study of these reasons, taken for their full value as presented by the teachers, would seem to indicate that our schools are not responsible for much of this non-promotion. Even qualifying many of these reasons, the direct blame attachable to the schools is not very large. Nearly half of the non-promotions occur in our first grade. We take in children at five years of age. The result is that many of them are immature; this im- maturity shows itself in inability, inattention, lack of concentration, etc. Many of them "find themselves" during their second year in school. I believe that, if we maintained a kindergarten, required children to attend this at five, and did not admit to our first grade until the child was six years old, much better results would be secured in many ways-fewer repeaters, more work accomplished in a shorter period of time, etc.
REGULAR GRADE WORK.
A few words about the regular work that is being daily performed in our grades, with a brief statement of the underlying scientific principles governing our
38
method of procedure in this, are due, in order that the proper perspective be furnished the public for judgment- making.
ARITHMETIC. Our work in this subject begins in Grade I. When the pupils leave Grade IV, they are supposed to be able to handle fractions and integers in the four fundamental operations with speed and accuracy. This work is made automatic. The success attained by us can be readily seen by visiting our schools. I shall not at- tempt to describe the speed for fear of being accused of being extravagant in my statements. This same idea of automatic action is carried out in all the mechanical arithmetical work throughout the remaining grades and also in the commercial work in this subject in the High School. Beginning with Grade V, the analytical side is developed. Problem work is given and special training in analysis work is emphasized. The mechanical and the analytical sides of arithmetic are entirely different. Good reasoners are not always sure manipulators, and vice versa. Nearly all children can be trained to perform the mechanical operations with rapidity and accuracy ; the number who have the analytical or logical ability to reason out just what mechanical operations are neces- sary to work out a problem is far more limited. We at- tempt to create as much of both abilities as possible. The secret of all good work in arithmetic depends, I be- lieve, upon thoroughly grounding the mechanical and gradually. systematically developing the reasoning power. To secure the first, three things are essential and in- dispensable :- (1) Knowledge of the number facts; (2) Concentration-pure and undiluted; (3) Drill-systematic and plentiful. The application of these scientific prin- ciples are entirely responsible for the quality of the oral work. To secure the latter, clear, careful, graded ex- planation is necessary. The pupil must be lead to see what the problem asks of him; what it tells him; what he has to work with; what he must do to ascertain what
39
it asks of him. The power to analyze and reason, to see what you already know and how you can apply that so as to find out what you want to know, comes only through careful guidance and nurturing. Whatever suc- cess we attain is due to the recognition and application of these scientific principles to the teaching of arithmetic.
READING. There are two distinct processes involved in reading-the mechanical, which deals solely with the pronounciation of words, and the analyti- cal, which is the thought-getting process. These are the same processes that you discovered a few moments ago to be fundamental in arithmetic. In order to reason well. in arithmetic, one must be able to concentrate upon the logic of the problem. He can not do this unless he can perform the operation mechanically and almost without thought. The same applies to reading. To do this, a pupil must possess a full phonic knowledge of the words he encounters, which he should possess at the time that he leaves Grade III. This phonetic work should not cease with this grade, but should be kept alive through- out the grades.
The pupils should learn their "families" thoroughly, so that they can recognize them wherever they en- counter them-in a family list of words,-as "man", "fan", "tan," etc .; mixed up with many "families",- as "an", "ane", "ad", "ade", "aid", etc .; or in words,-as "in-con-se-quent." A frequent union of a vowel or vowels with a consonant or consonants is termed a. "family",-as "an", "ame", "ap", "ide', "eed". The child, knowing these "families" and the sounds of the consonants, is enabled to pronounce almost any word. For instance, to children in Grade II words like "in- consequent", "manifestation", "incomprehensibility", "destruction", and even harder words, do not offer great difficulties in pronunciation. The "A" Classes in Grades I and II last year read fifteen and sixteen books, an ex- ceptionally large number. The expression secured is
40
good. notwithstanding the claim made by many that a phonetic system of teaching kills expression.
The system used is one of our own adaptations, and produces better results than are generally produced in most schools.
WRITING. The penmanship of our pupils averages good. It is secured by means of the "Houston System", a system of common sense and pedagogical principles. Legibility, speed, uniformity, and good form are its essential physical characteristics. We here give some specimens, whose inclusion will obviate the necessity of further comment.
SPECIMENS ON 40-A AND 40-B
LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR. A revision of the course of study in English has just been made. Our work in technical grammar is good; our work in language-oral or writ- ten-is not good. We have just begun to emphasize this work, and we trust that such emphasis will bear fruition equal to that secured in other subjects. Our aim in language work is to train the child to express himself clearly and correctly, orally and in writing; also to teach him to interpret the language of others correctly. Thought and language are interdependent; the former is made possible by the latter.
Through conversation, observation, story-telling, poems, thought is stimulated; self-expression is sought; vocabularies are enlarged. Oral language is used large- ly in the lowest grades. Gradually through imitation, re- production, dictation, the study of correct forms, punctua- tion, capitalization, etc., written work is developed. The sentence enlarges itself into the paragraph; the paragraph into the composition. There is nothing in school work that is harder to secure than good written work. There is nothing more important than the correct use, in speech and writing, of one's own language.
40-A
High Commercial
Second Year Class
Kind words to all.
First Year Class move the hand along.
GRADES
Grade IX
" next to good friends the best acquainta is are good books.
Grade VIII
a soft answer turneth away wrath.
Grade VII
make the letters narrow.
40-B
Grade VI make the letters narrow.
Grade V Prefer loss to unjust gain.
Grade IV
Use a free motion.
Grade III
Be kind to all .
Grade İI
Be kind to all.
Grade I
man
41
Technical grammar is duly stressed. Plenty of work in the recognition of parts of speech and their uses, in parsing, and in analyzing is given. This is necessary for good work in advanced English and for the study of other languages. It develops and disciplines the mind, particularly in reasoning power. When scientifically handled, passing step by step from the known to the un- known, good work can be secured. We are endeavoring to do this.
SPELLING. Spelling is dependent upon memory and should be made to become automatic. There are four types of memory :- (1) Auditory; (2) Visual; (3) Motor-vocal; (4) Motor-visual. Every pupil who has any memory at all belongs to one of these four types. Spelling taught, then, so that all possible types are considered is effectively taught. Intensive teaching and plenty of drill, breaking up the monotony with a variety of the means employed, will fasten and fix the words effectively taught. If anything can produce good spellers, such a method surely ought to do so.
HISTORY. The new course of study in history deals with this subject broadly and yet specifi- cally. The work in Grades I-III deals with primitive life and the story of our national festivals. This knowl- edge is imparted by the teacher in story form and retold by the children. Graded IV deals with local history and stories of American life. These are presented orally by the teacher and read by the pupils; the oral presentation and the reading are followed by recitation and discus- sion. Grade V takes up Ancient History from its earliest beginnings; Grade VI deals with English History; and both consider American History in the story form. The consideration of Ancient and English History creates a proper perspective for the formal study of American History ; it is a proper forerunner. Grades VII and VIII study our own history formally and fully. Grade IX
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reviews it in the large and studies carefully the im- portant features of our form of government.
GEOGRAPHY. The outline of work in this is yet to be made out. It will be forthcoming as soon as time will allow. Some of the basic · ideas which will be incorporated in it are these :- Geography is the study of the earth as man's home, dealing with man in his physical, social, and industrial environment and proceeding from the home outward. The topics should be so arranged as to offer new subjects for. con- sideration each year, beginning with simple and crude facts, which become more refined and difficult as we pro- ceed. Only important and carefully selected matters should be emphasized; the cause and effect side of geog- raphy should be stressed, making it a reason-developing as well as an informational study. Type studies are valuable; they offer exceptional opportunities for com- parison, organization, review, and causal relations. The number of facts to be memorized should be few and selected only after the exercise of great care.
PHYSIOLOGY. The main object of the study of physiology in our schools is to in- culcate an intelligent care of the body. Consequently, matters of hygiene, in one sense, must take precedence ; yet our understanding of hygiene must be based upon a knowledge of physiology. The study of the body, its various parts and their functions, must be pursued and such study followed by lessons in hygiene which come as the natural result of these physiological principles. Foods and their values, the causes and distribution of con- tagious diseases, public hygiene and the incumbent duties of citizenship involved in securing and maintaining good health conditions in communities should be carefully considered.
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