USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > Town annual report of Chelmsford 1919 > Part 6
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We ask you to scrutinize carefully the reports of our other school officers and pay heed to their recommendations.
Permit us to express our appreciation for the much needed co-operation accorded to us by all with whom we have dealt and whom we have had to serve; we ask that you keep in closer touch with the committee this coming year in order that they may be better able to meet the problems that are encountered.
Respectfully submitted, ULYSSES J. LUPIEN, Chairman, CHARLES H. ELLIS, HERBERT WATERHOUSE.
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Report of the Superintendent of Schools.
TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF CHELMSFORD :
I herewith submit my report, as superintendent of schools, for the year ending December 31, 1919.
In many ways this has been an unusual year. The ex- citement and social unrest, following the close of the World War, have left their imprints on the educational work through- out the country. Institutions that were supposed to be stable, systems that were considered infallible, ideas that had swung into a position to lead-all had to witness changes where least desired. So has it been with our work, even in the smaller towns. We have had to face conditions and meet problems that could not be anticipated even a year ago. Our teachers and pupils have felt the unrest, and yet I must express my appre- ciation of the way in which all of our workers have taken hold of the educational work in Chelmsford. Notwithstanding the handicap of a broken half year during the epidemic of influenza, the "get together" spirit was manifested and I think I am not far from right in stating that no town in the state accomplished more than ours did up to the end of June. Some towns were so badly broken up in their work that they seriously considered not counting last year at all, but to start the fall of 1919 with the same grading for pupils as was in the fall of 1918. We were more fortunate, for the epidemic did not return in the winter and we finished the year nicely.
There have been many changes in the laws of the state in 1919, and I am dealing with some of them in another portion of this report. There are some needs that are better outlined in a paragraph by themselves. There are questions of moment arising in regard to the teaching force and, as these are uppermost in the minds of many of the citizens, I shall take them up first.
OUR TEACHERS.
The question of teachers is one that is troubling every town and city in the United States today. In the first place, there
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is a shortage of good teachers throughout the country, not because of any agency, like a middleman or wholesaler, holding them back, but because they are not to be had. The United States Commissioner of Education reports that there are one hundred and ten thousand teachers short in the country. A news item from the New Hampshire Commissioner's office stated that thirty schools of that state could not reopen after the Christ- mas holidays because of no teachers. Chelmsford has not es- caped the effects of this shortage, for we had a drawing super- visor only two months of this past year and I have been hunting for a seventh grade teacher for the Princeton Street school since the middle of September.
If you will look at the table of teachers we have had during 1919, you cannot help noticing how few have been here for five years or more. To be sure, we all appreciate the fact that other occupations have taken some out of the work, but it is not the counter attraction of work-it is the financial attraction that has taken our best teachers away from us year after year. We secure a fine young lady, the pupils like her, she secures the co- operation of the parents, and the school is a happy one-then along comes another superintendent with a good offer of more wages and she goes.
Do not blame the teacher for leaving. It is her duty to herself to go where she can do the best for herself, and yet, if we were to offer a conscientious young lady a good wage, with a prospect of a good maximum ahead of her, she would not be in such a hurry to leave Chelmsford. Five different teachers who left within the past two years for better positions, financial- ly, have come back and stated that they were sorry they did go, for the work was not as congenial and the pupils were not as keen to work as they are here in town. That is a compliment, not so much to the school officials, as to the townspeople and the children.
We have lost twenty teachers this year; but that does not represent the number that have actually been hired to teach in this town. Seven different teachers were engaged, tentatively, to teach in Chelmsford for two positions that were vacant this sum- mer. In each case, the applicant asked for a week to think it over; then, with the exception of the two who finally accepted, they all went to other positions that offered better financial in- ducements.
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In filling positions, I have had to offer unequal wages in payment for inexperienced teachers, simply because none were to be had otherwise. The schools had to run and we had to take what we could get and pay the price, that's all. I hope that we may be able to make up the difference in a measure during 1920. In the cases of five grade teachers who were hired at $600, I shall recommend that all of them be given an extra fifty dol- lars so that we may draw the reimbursement of $100 from the state. While the state minimum salary for teachers is $550, the mimimum upon which we may draw reimbursement, according to the new law, is $650.
Chelmsford is fortunate in having a number of grade teach- ers of experience who have been on duty here for a number of years. I hope that in the very near future we may be able to pay such wages that we may see our schools grow, as a unit, by having a force in each building that stays with us for a long time, satisfied and happy and giving to the pupils a good full year of the best possible work.
SALARIES.
I do not think that a citizen of Chelmsford will begrudge the outlay of a sufficient amount of money to bring the salaries up to where they should be. Everybody knows how the cost of board, room, clothing, etc., has increased and how slight has been the advance in teachers' salaries. I do not need to dwell upon that at all. But there is a question as to how we shall give the increase. Shall it be on the first day of January or shall it be on September first? The fact that the state gave to the towns their first reimbursement in December, has caused many to be uneasy and many towns have had petitions from the teachers, re- questing that this reimbursement be divided among the teachers the first of January. Such petitions are not advisable, in my opinion, for a dangerous precedent may be established-that of making increases every year in January. At first the unthinking person may say, "What difference does it make whether the sal- aries are increased in January or September ?" Let me answer this by calling your attention to the fact that some day a maxi- mum must be reached. When that day arrives, the ambitious teacher will look for another position where she may get more money and she will leave in the middle of the year or soon after. Suppose we lose eight or ten teachers each year in that way, what is to become of our grades ?
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The natural time to make changes is in the summer, after the schools have finished the year's work. The normal schools and colleges have graduated a certain number of young ladies who go into the teaching profession. We are sure of a market even if there are not a great many candidates for each position. In the winter the candidates are very scarce and the young ladies who did not get positions directly after graduating have accepted business places that suit them. It does not take any very great amount of thinking to see in what chaotic condition our schools will be after this has happened a few times and we have had changes during the school year, replacing good teachers with mediocre ones.
I would recommend that the amount afforded be paid the teachers in the proper time, at the beginning of the school year. The amount of money received from the state is not a bonus-it is a reimbursement to the towns to encourage them to pay more wages to their teachers and thus induce young ladies to enter the teaching profession. This money should go into the town treasury when it comes along, having been previously accounted for as a reimbursement, simply, by the assessors.
As to the flat increase, I consider that here again is a dan- gerous problem to solve-dangerous because it puts the hard working, very conscientious teacher on the same basis with the frivolous teacher who stands at the door with her hat on, ready to hurry away the moment the time is up, whether the work is finished or not. We do not have many of the latter stay with us long, but occasionally they get into a corps of teachers and make a great deal of trouble. If we grant increases according to what teachers deserve-if we reward faithfulness and service, we shall soon be able to attract the best of material for our schools and give the pupils a maximum of work in the most pleasing manner.
For the coming year, September, 1920, I would recommend that the two principals, at Princeton Street and the Centre, be paid at the rate of $1400 per year. The principalships at High- land Avenue and West should be paid at the rate of $1300 and the grade teachers should look to a maximum of $1200 per year, to be paid at once to the oldest teachers. For the remaining teachers, I would recommend such increases as service and amount of work demand, to be settled at the regular time of sending out re-elections.
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For the high school teachers, I would recommend an ulti- mate maximum of $1400 with the older teachers receiving a salary at the rate of $1200, and the others according to exper- ience.
There is a sentiment abroad throughout the entire state that this first reimbursement sent to towns in December last, should be placed to the credit of the teachers. Therefore, it is my recommendation that all of our teachers be granted such in- creases, dating back to last September, as may be available from that money plus what may be given in order to bring them up to a higher rating. For example, our older teachers, receiving $800, can be given $50 from the reimbursement of December, plus an extra fifty dollars that will bring them up to where the town will receive $200 reimbursement instead of $150, if they had been left at the $800 rating.
I think that as soon as a policy of regular advancement is working out, the teachers will be absolutely satisfied with it. After this year it is the wiser plan to tell prospective candidates that we are able to give them a certain sum as a maximum be- cause of the reimbursement, rather than to offer them the smaller maximum plus what reimbursement can be given.
A teacher will work far harder to attain a known maximum than she will to earn a wage plus a bonus that is uncertain, and as a result we shall have happier schools and a more valuable corps of teachers.
MEDICAL ATTENDANCE.
The reports of the school physicians show what has been done by those officers.
I do wish that the parents would heed, more carefully, the regulations regarding contagious diseases. Throughout the state, the school departments must see to it that the laws are obeyed, especially in regard to attendance of pupils exposed to contagious diseases. No matter what may be the expressed opinion of a careless friend or the doctor, the pupils must be kept in quaran- tine to the limit of the time set by the board of health. There- fore, parents should not find fault with the teachers if they in- sist upon enforcement of the laws. To be sure, teachers may be cautious to an extreme; but I would commend them for that rather than censure them. Far preferable is it to be over-cau- tious than to invite any possible epidemic by lack of caution.
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THE "NO-SCHOOL" SIGNAL.
The no-school signal has been sounded only five times during the year. This is not a signal to be called when every stormy day occurs. It is for the benefit of letting the pupils and parents know when the weather is not suitable for children to go out or when the roads are in such condition that transportation vehicles cannot be driven over them. This latter case has occurred only once since I have been in Chelmsford and it is rarely that our roads are not passable. But I am not satisfied that our no- school signal is at all suitable, for the bells at Centre and North cannot be heard by more than a small minority of the people and I have had to call up some of the parents and ask them to tell the neighbors that there is no school for the day. In other towns and cities the fire whistle has been sounded at a certain time in the morning and with a certain number of whistles. If this could be done at North Chelmsford it would be a great accommodation to the parents and a far more satisfactory way of letting the people know of the closing of the schools for the day.
NEW LEGISLATION.
There are two enactments that I wish to call to the attention of the parents of Chelmsford. First is that which raises the min- imum school requirements from completion of the fourth grade of school work to the sixth; and second, the new law regarding retarded mental development.
Going into effect last July, the law was changed and now any pupil desiring to go to work in factory, workshop or mercantile establishment, must have completed the sixth grade of school. Also this applies to any who wish to stay at home for work there. If the child has not completed the sixth grade, he or she must go to school until he or she becomes sixteen years of age. Further- more, the home permit cannot be granted unless the pupil is to be engaged in profitable occupation at home and is needed there, and he or she must be at work during the time schools are in session. It is the duty of the official giving the certificates, to revoke any certificate given to a pupil who is later found habit- ually loitering about the streets during the time schools are in session.
One of our new 1919 laws provides that at the beginning of the school year, 1920, the school committee of each city and town in which there are ten or more children three years or
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more retarded in mental attainment, shall establish special classes to give to those pupils the very best that can be done for them.
Frequently there are cases where the pupil is retarded in mental development because of lack of co-operation between the home and the school, and pupil and teacher fail to understand each other, with the result that the pupil becomes discouraged and has no interest in his work.
Sometimes we find that a pupil grows more rapidly than his companions and is conscious of his over-size every time he arises to make a recitation. His every movement is conspicuous and he hestitates to do his work for the fear of ridicule if he errs. If that boy can be shown that there is a place for the over-grown chap he can be awakened to a sense of responsibility.
It is not for either of these that such a law as this new one should be enacted, and a special class organized. It is, rather, for the pupil whose mental capability is retarded three years and is not able to carry on the regular year of ordinary work.
Give the first pupil the very best teacher the town can afford to hire, weed out the inefficients, and there will be no lack of co- operation between school and home. Give the second boy a chance in good healthy playground activities and he soon finds that, sure enough, there is a place for the big fellow. He wakes up, feels that school work is worth while and he soon becomes one of the best pupils in his class.
MUSIC AND DRAWING.
The report of the music supervisor, Miss Adams, is ap- pended. I can say that since September, there has been a great deal of added interest in this work. Miss Adams now gives to Chelmsford five days of work a week and the results of her painstaking efforts are all that can be expected in any school system.
The work of drawing has not been satisfactory, simply be- cause we have not had a drawing supervisor, except in the high school in the spring, for a short period. Commencing with January first, the work will be carried on with Miss Lydia DesOrmeaux as supervisor, and I anticipate good results. Miss DesOrmeaux comes to Chelmsford well recommended and with five years of experience with grade pupils.
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FORTY YEARS OF SERVICE.
Forty years ago last April, Miss Susan S. McFarlin com- menced her work in Chelmsford. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the fine work that she is doing and to congratulate the townspeople upon having with us one who has had such a rich experience in one community. Let us shower her with congratulations and make her feel that we are all her friends-friends in the truest sense, recognizing sterling charac- ter and worth, such as are hers. May the years to come be blessed with the most pleasant memories of the past and may she feel, when the time comes for her to lay aside her books, that we realize fully the wonderful service she has given to the town of Chelmsford.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADUATIONS.
Last June, for the first time, two grammar school gradu- ations were held. The one at North Chelmsford was for the pupils of the Princeton Street, Highland Avenue and West schools. The one at the Centre was for the schools of Chelms- ford Centre, East Chelmsford and South Chelmsford. Both were affairs of which any town might well be proud and I wish to commend the teachers for the work put into these exercises that they might be so successfully carried out. I find that the pupils became suddenly re-awakened to what a full grammar school education meant and in the sixth and seventh grades, many pupils who had thought only of leaving later to go to work-not because circumstances forced them to do so -- have now become so interested that they are striving to complete, with credit, the grammar school course.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
In my estimates for the books and supplies for 1920, I have had the teachers go over, very carefully, the books on hand and check up what is actually needed for the year. Frequently a teacher has said, "I guess I may be able to get along with sets of books," and she has done so, until now the schools have an exceptionally large number of books to replace. The policy of "skimping" does not pay, for sooner or later, comes a "big year" of book expense when exceptionally large numbers of books must be replaced. I would recommend that in the future
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the same plan be carried out as I have put into practice this last month-of having the teachers give an exact estimate, as far as possible, of books needed and to replace at least one-fourth of the total number of texts each year. In this way an even balance of costs may be obtained year by year.
The cost of paper has risen again and we are now paying two and one-half times as much for all kinds as we did four years ago. Is it any wonder that we are obliged to ask for more money for our books and supplies ? We shall be as economical as possible, but our needs are expressed in the figures I gave to the school committee.
THE CONGESTION AT THE WESTLANDS.
For two successive years I have called the attention of the citizens, through this report, to the congested condition at the Westlands. Today the situation is more acute than ever, and demands immediate attention. We are facing a problem of try- ing to house more than a hundred children next September, with no accommodations for many of them. At the Centre School there are upward of sixty who belong to this district and at least a dozen more will have to be transferred next fall if the entering class is as large as we anticipate. We cannot ac- commodate these children at the Centre School.
At the present time we have two teachers at work at Golden Cove. One takes grades one and two in the morning and the other has the third and fourth grades in the afternoon. Each teacher gives three hours of work to the school. This is satisfac- tory only as it eliminates disciplinary troubles; but I am afraid that it is going to be very apparent that the pupils are not getting the full amount of work needed if we keep this schedule another year.
Therefore, I ask your immediate attention to this matter, citizens, so that we may have a four-room building ready for occupancy next fall.
THE PLAYGROUND.
A word as to the playground. I do not wish to offer any criticism whatever as to the playground lack; but I do urge that now the labor market is better, something be done promptly this spring so that we may have a suitable athletic field for our high
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school boys. Better spirit was never exhibited than that shown by the baseball team last spring when the boys had to travel to North or West Chelmsford to play their games. Let us give them our full support this year in finishing the baseball diamond.
Again, in concluding my report, let me urge the invitation of each year, that parents visit the school as often as they pos- sibly can and thus encourage the teachers in the good work they are doing. For myself, I thank you one and all for the cordial and hearty support of 1919.
Respectfully submitted, WALTER K. PUTNEY.
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REPORT OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
Mr. Walter K. Putney,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir :
In my third annual report of the Chelmsford Iligh School it is my privilege to ask the citizens of the Town to appreciate and be proud of the great success with which the consolidation of the High Schools of the North and the Center has been brought about, a success which never could have been attained without the hearty good will of all, and the support given by the excellent spirit of the pupils and the patience and encourage- ment of parents, as the faculty has met and solved unusually difficult problems involved. In the first year of the war, when educational and industrial institutions everywhere could think only of holding established ground and readjusting to war service and war economics, handicapped by a delay of three weeks in opening, and tempted constantly to distraction by eagerness to answer every patriotic call that swept wave upon wave through the year, the school held to its purpose to lay the foundation stones of the future square and true. At the opening of the second year we were faced by the pressure of economic conditions. The majority of our teachers of proven strength had been drawn away by higher salaries. Mr. Holbrook and two assistant teachers, only, remained. One of these had been with us half a year; the other, one month. However, thankful that we had not lost them all and encouraged by the excellent spirit of our new teachers, we promptly attacked the problems of the second year, one of the greatest of which was to hold our pupils against the unusual temptations they were under to leave school for war wages, when again a serious blow fell in the long enforced interruption on account of influenza. After school reopened an earnest effort was made to make up for lost time and to cover approximately a year's work in nine months instead of ten. The great majority of pupils were able to do so, but some found the pace difficult to follow. All who
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stuck to it and earnestly tried to carry the year's work through to success were allowed to make up, by study during the long vacation, any deficiency remaining at the end of the year, submitting assigned tasks and taking examinations before school opened in September. Those who took full advantage of this opportunity have not suffered in scholarship record on account of the difficulties of last year. Yet the effect of two short years in succession still shows in the work of some pupils who particu- larly need long and through drill to fix results, and, as a consequence, they will undoubtedly carry an extra burden throughout their course.
The interruption also resulted in many pupils leaving school. At this date last year twenty-one had left, seventeen to go to work, Uneasiness under outside temptations continued for a long time, and at the close of the year so many had left school that the large entering class this year did not bring the total enrollment (156) up to that of last year (163). This period of losses due to war conditions has passed, and only six pupils have left this year, four to go to school elsewhere, two to go to work, while three pupils who had previously left to go to work, have returned to school and are doing very well in their studies.
The School is always very happy to receive again into membership pupils who have gone to work for a time, and all who have influence with boys or girls who could return to school but hesitate to do so, because, perhaps, they have lost a year or two should urge them to return. One pupil who has been out of school two years, returning, has the best scholarship record in his class this year.
At the end of the first term we lost one of the best of our new teachers, who went to the Lowell Normal School at a much higher salary, and later in the year Chelsea took away our modern language teacher. Such losses are hard to stand, and the good fortune in replacement which we have enjoyed is not always to be expected. Again, when the faculty met around the table before the opening of school this year, there were five new faces. One assistant teacher had been with us a year and one a few months. Within a month one of the new teachers, a very well-qualified young lady, had gone, having been offered another substantially better opportunity. A school cannot afford to suffer such regular and heavy losses. Where more than half the faculty is entirely new to the school each year
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