USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1905 > Part 6
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purpose. She must give to the case special and continued attention. But this is an utter impossibility in schoolrooms as overcrowded as are some of ours. The committee have a certain number of teachers, pupils and buildings to bring together in the most advantageous manner, and it has been a problem of the greatest difficulty to adjust matters so that there should be as little overcrowding of the rooms as pos- sible. After the committee and superintendent have done their best, it has become evident that there must be more schoolrooms and more teachers provided by the town if jus- tice is to be meted to our children.
Petition for New Schoolhouse. - A petition signed by a large number of citizens residing in that part of the town lying to the westward of the steam railroad and known as Goose Village and Agawam Heights has been received and considered. The petition requests that the committee re- commend to the town the erection of a school building in the neighborhood specified. One reason for this request is that many parents have a constant fear in allowing their small children to cross the tracks of the Boston & Maine Railroad four times daily in passing to and from school. No amount of caution however frequently administered can make the little ones fully realize the dangers of the crossing, and they will persist in lingering to play in the vicinity of the tracks. No one will question that the anxiety of the pa- rents is well founded, and it is felt that the town should take steps to remove the cause of uneasiness. Upon investiga- tion it is found that the number of children in this locality is amply sufficient for the establishment of the desired school. This section of the town is growing more rapidly than any other and the number of children must increase with the population, so there can be no reasonable doubt of the per- petuity of a school should it be established. The removal of a considerable number of children from the various pri- mary schools to the point specified would give much relief
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to the generally overcrowded condition of those schools. The committee recommend that the town take favorable action upon this matter at the next annual meeting, and would suggest the erection of a two-room building.
Question of Salaries .- It is but the question of a brief time before the committee will be compelled to revise the schedule of salaries in our primary schools. A revision will necessarily mean an increase in the amounts paid some of the teachers. If competent service and plenty of it is de- manded in the lower grades, the compensation should be made adequate to the quality and amount of the service. Another consideration is, if other towns of the size and val- uation of Ipswich pay more money than we are paying, those towns will have their choice of the highest grade of teach- ers and Ipswich will be compelled to take what is left. An increase in some of the salaries paid in our primary schools will soon be required if we are to secure and retain compe- tent teachers.
Progress of the Year .- The committee see no reason to comment unfavorably upon the progress of the work during the past year. Notwithstanding the difficulties under which the teachers have labored, there has been but little friction and the work has been carried forward in a generally satis- factory manner. True there is room for improvement and improvement must be had, but if our primary scholars are to be moved forward to the grammar grades in a thorough state of preparation, the primary teacher must have less work and fewer pupils. This is a matter of conviction lying very heavily upon the conscience of the superintendent and committee. At the beginning of the present school year the fourth grade was transferred from the grammar to the primary schools, the work of that grade being taken now in the upper room of the Dennison, Cogswell and Payne only.
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Grammar Schools.
Congestion in the Winthrop Building .- In passing from the primary schools to the grammar grades in the Winthrop building, we might wish to leave the conditions of over- crowding behind, but are not permitted. The congestion here is as great and deplorable as in the lower grades. Three classes from the primaries enter this building every year and only one goes out into the Manning grammar. There need be no wonder that the building is choked and the rooms crammed to their utmost capacity. To protest against such a condition is not enough. Relief must be provided in some manner and at no distant day. As things exist at present pupils requiring special attention mav neces- sarily be denied because the teacher's hands are full. Pro- motions should be made because of mental attainments and not by reason of size and age, nor yet to make room for those who are following hard after. At the same time it will never do to let boys and girls grow to be men and wom- en while in this building, and besides they will not allow themselves to do it, but will leave school and go out into the world poorly prepared to take up life's duties. These con- siderations show that more accommodations are needed for the grammar grades, and the committee again ask for a four-room addition to the Winthrop building or the erection of a grammar schoolhouse having at least that number of rooms in another part of the town.
Changes in Grading .- The fourth grade formerly 10- cated in Miss Baker's room having been transferred to the primaries, fifth grade work only is now taken in her school. The vacancy caused by the transfer of Miss Willcomb to the
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Payne has been satisfactorily filled by Miss Mabel F. Powell of Orono, Maine. Sixth grade work is now taught in this room as well as in that of Miss Willis upstairs. The work of these rooms is identical the studies under the direction of the superintendent and the principal, Miss Adams, being carried along together, so that the pupils in both rooms who have the required rank will be ready for promotion to the seventh grade at the end of the school year.
Manning Street School .-- In order to furnish some slight relief to the congestion prevailing in the primary and gram- mar schools and also to make use of a building which was idle and falling into decay, the committee at the beginning of the year brought the Candlewood District schoolhouse to town and located it upon Manning street. The cost of mov- ing, repairing, furnishing, etc., was about $500. Here was established a new fifth grade, the work corresponding to that of Miss Baker's room. Pupils in this school having the required percentage at the close of the year will be promo- ted either to Miss Powell's or Miss Willis' room, the grade being the same. In September Miss Alice Brown, who had taught with success in Essex and Wenham, was elected as teacher of this school; but as she resigned at the close of the fall term, her place was filled by the election of Miss Ethel C. Bagley of Gloucester.
Manning Grammar School .-- The work in the Manning grammar school has been carried forward through the year without interruption or changes deserving of mention. The eighth grade, located in this building, is still occupying a small recitation room, the work of both grades (eighth and ninth) being considerably hampered thereby. It might nat- urally be expected that the spirit of forbearance so long manifested by the teachers, Miss Arthur and Miss Sullivan, would be very near the breaking point. More room is needed and this can be secured by an addition to the Winthrop
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schoolhouse or the erection of a new building, as previously suggested, to which the Manning grammar grades could be transferred. This would be a wise move in many respects.
High School.
Always Subjected to Criticism .- There is, and always has been, a great amount of crititism in regard to the High school. In fact, there is more said concerning this depart- ment of our school system than all the rest combined. It is quite natural that it should be so, as this school occupies the highest and most conspicuous position in our educative system and is consequently the most likely subject for crit- icism.
Work Satisfactory .- One criticism of the High school is that the work performed is not up to the standard of sim- ilar institutions. If this criticism in regard to the school is well founded, the committee must plead ignorance of the fact. The committee and teachers have not formed a "Mu- tual Admiration Society," by the bonds of which they are constrained to praise one another regardless of desert; but in the absence of such compact the committee desire to be re- corded as standing squarely in support of the school and its work. Our instructors are efficient, their work satisfactory. That there is opportunity for improvement here, as every- where else, is undenied; but it is asserted that such improve- ment would speedily appear were the parents in all instances to co-operate with the teachers in, enforcing habits of stu- diousness more strongly upon the pupils. The home and the school must work together to accomplish the best results.
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Nevertheless the work that the High school is doing today is deserving of commendation. Some are prone to view the school from a distance, through the medium of other peo- ple's opinions. They "see as in a glass darkly." This means faulty vision and incorrect conclusions. To those who may be interested we say, Visit the school, visit it fre- quently, give the work the closest scrutiny, and if it is not found as represented the judgment of the committee will stand impeached.
Studies Eminently Practical .- A second criticism in re- gard to the High school is that the studies are not practical and it is therefore a waste of time to pursue them. If this criticism be just, it can be said that it applies with equal force to all other High schools. as our curriculum does not vary materially from that of similar schools. It appears that there are some who fail to perceive the advantage of High school training if it cannot be made the means of ob- taining a livelihood immediately upon the pupil leaving school. This is a rather narrow view of the case. It is true that the knowledge of the classics and higher branches of mathematics may not be readily applied to the acquisition . of dollars and cents. (which in itself is a purely mercenary consideration, ) nevertheless those studies most certainly subserve a useful and beneficent purpose. It is good to know things if only for the sake of knowing them, and the knowl- edge of the language and history of the ancients unlocks the vast treasure-houses of the past. Says one: "A horse may pass over the battlefields of Marathon and Thermopylæ without appreciation save for the grass which may be grow- ing luxuriantly, and the uneducated individual may be nearly as destitute of appreciation as the beast. But the man of learning would thrill in every fibre of his being to set foot upon that historic soil." There is a mental acquire- ment which means far more than food, drink, stocks, bonds or money in the bank. In addition to the enjoyment which
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erudition affords, let it be known that a knowledge of yes- terday is not only essential but absolutely necessary to a correct understanding of today. Application to any branch of study developes the power of concentration and this is a very desirable quality. Many have failed in life because of inability to fix the mind for any considerable length of time upon a given subject. "A rolling stone gathers no moss," and a changing, vacillating individual, lacking in continuity and fixedness of purpose, is not likely to accumulate any- thing of real worth. Continued and resolute application must result in the acquirement of the desired knowledge. This brings confidence, self-reliance and faith in one's abil- ity to surmount obstacles and triumph over difficulties. Ap- plication to mental work disciplines character, begets qual- ity and transforms the diligent student into a superior order of being. The young man with a technical training such as is offered by the business college may some day arise to the position of head book-keeper in a great mercantile establish- ment; but if given the benefit of a liberal education he may become a member of the firm, or, better still, a leader of men and a potent force in shaping the destinies of a nation. .If such are some of the results of a liberal education, parents should be as generous as circumstances will permit in its bestowal upon their children. They should not be satisfied with anything less than the High school affords. It pays to "tarry awhile" in the halls of learning before going out to take up life's duties and responsibilities. A thorough preparation is not to be lightly considered. In passing we would not fail to emphasize the fact that the High school needs the entire Manning building! The removal of gram- mar grades eight and nine would make this very possible.
Explanatory Note .- At the close of the fall term the principal, acting under instructions from the committee, sent notices to parents of pupils whose rank at that time fell below the required per cent. It is imperatively necessary
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that the standard in the High school be maintained, and pupils who do not measure up to it cannot expect to be pro- moted or graduated at the close of the year. The standard is an average of seventy-five per cent in the combined studies and in no study must the pupil fall below sixty. The notices were sent out that the parents might know the standing of their children and persuade them to better effort should they be found lacking. It is possible for all who were delinquent at the close of the fall term by diligent study to make up the required rank and become eligible for promotion at the close of the school year.
In conclusion we would call attention to the various re- ports which are submitted herewith. The suggestions which they contain are matters of serious import and should re- ceive due consideration.
George W. Tozer John H. Cogswell Harriet E. Noyes Charles W. Bamford Charles G. Hull
School Committee of Ipswich
George H. W. Hayes
Superintendent's Report.
To the School Committee of the Town of Ipswich:
I take pleasure in presenting this my first report to your honored body. You will indulge me in brief preface expressive of the joy and expectation of good with which I came to your ancient town. Ipswich has long been a name of sweet flavor on my lips because of its distinguished place in the records of civil liberty and in the proud history of our Commonwealth. The Ipswich Female Seminary was favor- ably known to my boyhood. The fame of that fount of learning drew to it schoolmates of my own from another state. In my thought, therefore, Ipswich and education have always been associated. I was prepared, accordingly, to find here high educational ideals and schools of more than common efficiency. If such ideals and efficiency were found wanting in your townspeople and schools, my disap- pointment would be keen. I deem it honor to become par- ticipant in the educational forces of a town with so illus- trious a past. You would rightfully count me unworthy of association with yourselves for the furtherance of learning in such a town, were not my standard for our schools and my devotion to them single.
THE STATUS OF OUR SCHOOLS.
Our Teachers .- We must put teachers in the balances first when weighing the merits of schools. Are our Ipswich teachers fairly representative of that noble company throughout the land, who are rendering imperial service in
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the training of our youth of diverse races, civilizations, re- ligions and languages, for intelligent, patriotic citizenship in our republic and for upright, highminded membership in society? School-teachers are not sufficiently appreciated, their service to country and society not adequately prized. They have broader claims upon the gratitude of mankind than men of any other vocation, for sooner or later the teacher touches every member of every community. In my judgment our own teachers honor the goodly fellowship with which they are numbered. In this world of diversity of gifts and opportunities we may not expect commanding merit and success to be predicated of every teacher. It may said, however, of our teachers, high school, grammar and primary, that they will bear favorable comparison in equip- ment, ability and zeal with teachers in the communities about us. A praiseworthy esprit de corps exists among them, securing the harmony of action and the unity which are essential to progressive achievement. Though some serious limitations hamper them, they are prosecuting their tasks with considerable fidelity and are accomplishing grat- ifying results.
Our Scholars .- What next of the merits of our pupils? The present school generation throughout our country is perhaps more given to play than to ponder. Its strenuous life is more manifest in the athletic arena than in the school room. The over-tasking, about which we hear, in the mod- ern curriculum is not abetted in its endangerment of health by marked over-earnestness in the modern pupil. In general he may be trusted to take care that his health shall not suf- fer detriment from over-study. Not many faces, even among seniors in the various high schools, are "sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought." Yet for our scholars it may be said that they are serious in their work beyond what the spirit of the time incites. The felt quietness, the attention to business, found in many of the schoolrooms, would awaken
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surprise in parents who do not visit our schools, and who know their children at play better than at study. There have been open to observation during the year a commenda- ble responsiveness to instructions and a fair progress in ac- quirement of knowledge and in discipline of mind. This is a tribute to the diligence of both scholars and teachers.
A New Schoolhouse .- A new schoolhouse appears on our roster, bearing the dignified name, "Manning Street School." A rustic candlestick (Candlewood) has been moved from its place out of the draught, and set in the quiet air of Manning Street, to give light to some of our choice children, whom our straitened accommodations had ruth- lessly crowded out into the night. Certain spirits, more æsthetic than reverent. perhaps, have animadverted on the architecture as beneath the dignity of a seat of learning. But the urbane denizens of Manning Street extended hospi- tality to the rude stranger, and now have the joy of enter- taining an angel. Meanwhile, what would our Dennison and Payne schools have done but for the coming of the Can- dlewood? Moreover, Miss Bagley and her thirty children have privilege beyond all their fellows to cultivate venera- tion for "the little red schoolhouse."
Adverse Conditions .- It is ever to be remembered that conditions affect results. The good work of our schools might be greatly enhanced by improved conditions. If the parents in Ipswich had but slight realization of the limit- ations which are fettering the progress of their children, they would hasten to remedy the evil at however great cost. The present report and past reports have dwelt upon one condition fatally adverse to progress, viz:
Insufficient Room. Visitors from other communities must stand astonished at the number of scholars packed into our schoolrooms. The enrollment of our elementary schools for September, 1905, shows that in ten schoolrooms
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we were housing five hundred sixty-eight pupils; that is, an average of about fifty-seven pupils in a room. The same enrollment shows seven hundred thirty-two pupils in the fifteen rooms for the grades located in the heart of the town; that is, an average of above forty-nine pupils in a room. Whereas, the enrolment for the same month of another town in our county, whose population is about equal to that of Ipswich, shows six hundred ninety-four pupils in nineteen rooms; that is, less than thirty-seven pupils in a room. The size of the various rooms in the two towns is about the same I judge. The overcrowding has not received too much em- phasis from you or too much reiteration. The foul, heavy air must sometimes make heavy minds and must hinder mental application and alertness. Here is a menace to health more real and formidable than the overcrowding of the curriculum so much harped upon. Yet the people of Ipswich are submitting their children year after year to the perils of this overcrowding. They know not what they do. The hour when they know, they will arise and build,
Too Few Teachers. An adverse condition attendant up- on the insufficiency of room is an insufficient number of teachers. The enrolment mentioned gives to our teachers an average of fifty scholars. One teacher had sixty-six scholars; the teacher least burdened had fifty-one scholars; ten teachers averaged about fifty-seven scholars each. To
which, I inquire, would parents preferably send their chil- dren, to the teacher with fifty-seven scholars, or to the teacher with thirty-seven scholars? A law of the Common- wealth prescribes that teachers with more than fifty pupils shall have the right to an assistant, unless special town law intervenes to prevent. By that law our legislative wisdom decrees that fifty pupils is the extreme number which should be imposed upon one teacher. The general consensus of opinion among modern educators is that a teacher cannot possibly care for more than forty pupils of one grade. Gar- field's ideal school was Mark Hopkins at one end of a log
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and himself at the other end. President Eliot, before the teachers of Essex County in convention at Peabody last fall said that the Harvard Medical School has one teacher to every two students, and that in our public schools we should aim in that direction. These are the testimonies of two men of renown in the educational world to the prime import- ance of the teacher's dealing with the pupils individually. The mind giving and the mind receiving should understand each other and should be in touch for best results. By what possibility can a teacher in Ipswich with the many studies taught today enter into individual relations and labor with her more than fifty scholars? With a fair measure of per- sonal attention from the teacher, the child would be dull and laggard indeed who could not prepare for high school in nine years, while the bright boy might enter in two or three years less.
Two Grades to a Teacher. An aggravation of the bur- den of our our primary teachers is the two grades which are committed to most of them. If fifty pupils of the same grade are too many for one teacher, what of fifty pupils of two grades to one teacher? It should be borne in mind also that scholars in a school of two grades virtually receive but one-half of the teacher's time.
Double Promotions. Your report calls attention to an- other and a glaring evil connected with the congestion of pupils, the wholly artificial "double promotion" to which our school management has been driven; such as the turn- ing of a class of third grade into a class of fifth grade, be- cause, forsooth, we have not house accommodations for our teeming fourth grade. Complaint is brought against the modern graded school that its inflexibility renders it a bar to the normal advancement of the lad brighter or more stu- dious than his fellows. But our overcrowding performs by tour de force the problem of double promotion which per- plexes the savants. Is there not in this a grave injustice to pupils and teachers already struggling under limitations
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too many?
Relief for Teachers .- In view of these formidable ob- stacles, the reason is not far to seek, if many of our boys and girls, who are the peers of children anywhere, require more than the prescribed nine years to complete the work of the grades. In face of these enemies of advancement, the marvel is that the standing of our schools is so creditable. Praise for this is due to our teachers, whose high purpose and indomitable energy wrench victory from conditions of defeat. But who shall say that these brave, plodding ser- vants of the public and noble benefactors of the rising gen- eration should be allowed to stagger longer under encum- brances which tend to breaking of spirit and shortening of life? Who shall not rather say that our standard shall be made higher, and that our teachers shall be free to secure an efficiency commensurate with their hope and worth? And who shall deny the increase of salary, which your report generously advocates, to these underpaid builders of intel- ligent, moral, and patriotic citizenship, the safeguard of our nation and liberties? An equalization of the salaries of primary and grammar teachers, and the establishment of a minimum and maximum wage, graduated according to years of experience, are most desirable ends. Given the good teacher, the good school is all but assured. Also, in the . last analysis, the question of the best schools is the question of the best wages.
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