USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1914 > Part 7
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E. Evening Schools.
F. Holding Efficient Teachers.
G. Extension of Manual Training and Domestic Science.
H. High School: More Teachers, more Courses and better Equipment needed.
I. Increase in the Appropriation.
V. Things to Think About.
A. New Quarters for the High School.
B. Next Year's Policy.
VI. The Russell Sage Foundation's Survey of the Schools as to Re- creation, Physical Training and Play.
VII. Summary of Report.
15
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
DISCUSSION OF THE FOREGOING TOPICS.
1
To the School Committee of Ipswich,
Gentlemen :---
The following Report of the Public Schools of the Town is respectfully submitted for your consideration. This is the thirteenth in the series of Annual Reports by the Su- perintendent of Schools, and the first by the present incumbent of that office. In this Report you will find a discussion of a few of the more pressing problems of our Schools, together with such ma- terial as I consider pertinent at this time.
I. Organization of School Department.
The work of the School Department is controlled and di- rected by a Board of three citizens. The Executive Officer of the Board is the School Superintendent. He carries out the orders of the Board and, under its direction, has control of the Schools. Each School has a Principal who, under the direction of the Board and Superintendent, controls and directs his School. Under the Principal's control are the Teachers and Janitors. These are responsible to the Principals for carrying out instructions of the Board, Superintendent and Principal.
16
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
The following chart may be suggestive:
Board of Three
2 Chair?
3.
Absolute control of school matters. Direct control of all finances General super- vision of course of study .
Supt.
Responsible to Superintendent for buildings, Teachers, Pupils and Janitors .
Principals
Executes all orders of the Board. Directly responsible to Board for Teachers, Buildings, Students, and all matters pertaining to the schools.
Teachers
Janitor
Responsible to Superintendent and Principal.
Comment :-
1. The weakest point in Educational Administration today is the confusion which exists about the respective duties of the School Board and the Superintendent. In many places there is no clean cut division of labor between the School Board and its Executive Officer School Committees are often doing what the Superintendent should do, and Superintendents are encroaching on the rightful domains of the Board. In Ipswich there now ex- ists a definite, clean cut, intelligent division of labor. The Board
17
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
directs the general policy, but leaves to its paid expert the mat- ters which belong to him. In this way responsibility is placed, and much confusion and subsequent inefficiency is avoided.
2. The Importance of Grammar School Principalships is not sufficiently emphasized. At present, the Principals have little time to do much more than teaching. A generous allow- ance for Principalship work is $15.00 a year for every room under the Principal's direction. In two cases this would be $60.00. We are paying $190.00, or $130.00 more than standard practice demands, and $60.00 for work that should be made more valuable. On this question I make two
Recommendations :-
A. That the present condition of too much opinion and too little fact concerning the duties of Principals be remedied by a strict observance of Rules 20-23 of the School Committee. That, before the beginning of the next school year, the Principals be given more detailed and definite instructions in case Rules 20-23 are not sufficiently clear.
B. In order that the Principals may have sufficient time to carry out their duties, I recommend that in the High School the program be arranged to allow the Principal fifteen free periods a week for his administrative duties; that in the Burley and Winthrop Schools, the Principals be given five free periods a week for similar work. This can be a complished without ad- ditional expense, provided recommendation of Sect. IV .- C of the report is carried out. ยท Up to this year, I believe no time has been allowed the High School Principal for supervisory work. This year, the program was arranged to allow 10 periods a week for administration. This is a distinct gain. But next year I feel that 15 free periods a week is the least amount of time which should be allowed for the proper administration of our High School.
18
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Summary No. I.
1. Organization of School System is admirable.
2. Loss in efficient administration due to slighting the duties of Grammar School Principalship.
3. Time should be provided for Principalship work.
Section II.
.II. Important Facts, and What They Mean.
A. Buildings.
B. Teachers.
C. Attendance.
D. Cost of Maintenance.
E. Salaries.
F. School Census.
G. Age and grade of Pupils.
A. Buildings Now Used for School Purposes:
. 1913
1914
Change
Number of School Buildings
13
14
plus 1
Number of School Rooms
29
31
plus 2
Valuation of School Property
$75,000. $77,100.
plus $2,100.
The chart on the following page gives a comparison of Ips- wich School Property with that of eleven other communities
WHAT 12 COMMUNITIES HAVE SPENT FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS FOR EACH PUPIL IN SCHOOL . Based on report of Mass. Commission of Education.
CHICOPEE 112
SALEM 113
EVERETT 118 LYNN 132
NORTH ADAMS 137 LAWRENCE 142 MALDEN 157
LOWELL /60
NORTHAMPTON 176 NEWBURYPORT 179 FITCHBURG 181 IPSWICH 76
Height of building indicates investment per pupil.
Fitchburg 181 Newburyport 179 Northampton ITS
Lowell 160
Malden 157
Lawrence 142
north Adams 137
Lynn 132
Everett 110 Schem 113
Chicopee 112
Ipswich 76
Of these comm- unities the per capita wealth of Ipswich is, the greatest, har Investment in
school buildings the least.
20
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Comments on Age, Number and Inadequacy :---
1. Four of the buildings are old and ill-suited for modern school purposes. (I refer to this under Cost of Maintenance.)
2. They are too many and too small. We have seven Grammar Schools within easy walking distance of each other. This means seven janitors, seven fires to be kept, seven outfits such as maps, tables, sanitaries, etc .; seven school grounds to be kept in order; seven roofs to be kept shingled. The location of our population is such that two large buildings would serve the children better than seven small ones. It costs more to keep in repair seven roofs covering small buildings than it would two roofs covering buildings that would hold as many pupils. Two large fires giving heat equivalent to seven small ones would be better economy. Two janitors giving all their time to two large buildings would render more and better service, at less cost than seven doing janitor work as "odd jobs." Later I shall show other reasons why we should abandon four of the present make- shifts and erect one large building.
3. Most of our buildings provide for nothing except the regular recitations. The High School hall is of good size and is admirably adapted for High School purposes. Lack of heat makes it impossible to use it during the winter months. Thus effective aids in the creation of a proper school spirit, such as opportunities for our children to hear noted men, valuable school exercises, a school chorus, and debating and class meet- ings, are left unused. We have the hall, the evident need to use it, and yet, because $5,000. to buy a furnace is not yet avai !- able, months of good time are being wasted. It is as if a man had bought an automobile, needed it in his business, and then thought it good economy not to buy gasoline. The heating of the hall would increase the capacity of the building one-third.
21
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Recommendation: -
That by next fall the heating apparatus in the High School be enlarged so that the hall caa be used for school purposes.
Summary on Buildings.
1. Four of our buildings are so old and ill-adapted that the efficiency of our system is continually reduced.
2. The high cost of repairing and maintaining these build- ings suggests the advisability of their abandonment.
3. One-third of the High School is now unused. The hall should be heated, thus increasing the capacity of the building 331/3 per cent.
B. Teaching Force:
The Facts.
1913
1914
Change
Number of Teachers in High School 5
6
plus 1
Number of Teachers in Elementary Schools
20
22
plus 2
Number of Special Teachers.
4
4
0
Total.
29
32
plus 3
2. Pupils per Teacher in Elementary Grades, Nov. 8, 1814:
2 Teachers have over 50 pupils.
3 Teachers have from 45 to 49 pupils.
4 Teachers have from 40 to 44 pupils. 4 Teachers have from 35 to 39 pupils.
6 Teachers have from 30 to 34 pupils.
3 Teachers have below 30 pupils.
22
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
3. Pupils per Teacher in High School, Nov. 8, 1914:
533 Teachers. 198 Pupils.
One-third of Principal's time is given to administration.
Pupils per Teacher 35
4. Number of pupils each Teacher in the High School has every week:
Mr. Marston . 110
Miss Gardner 194
Miss Mobley. 192
Miss Rand 140
Mr. Porter
120
Mr. Wescott
59
Average, 163 different
pupils each week.
Obviously, individual at-
tention is impossible.
Comment :-
1. Teaching in the Elementary Schools.
The number of Teachers is almost adequate to the work to be done. The arrangement of schools puts too light a burden on some, and too heavy on others. We find:
1 Teacher has 59 pupils. 1 Teacher has 3 pupils. 5 Teachers have 45 or over. 9 Teachers have over 40 pupils.
At least five Teachers have so large classes that normal pro- gress is practically prohibited. A re-distribution of pupils is about to be made as this report is being written. This change will be a very substantial one, and a partial solution of the prob- lem of over-crowding.
23
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Recommendation :---
I estimate that the increase in the attendance in the Ele- mentary Schools next year will be one-half as large as it was this year. In consequence, one more Grade Teacher will be needed. I recommend that provision be made for such an ad- ditional Teacher.
Comment :-
2. The Teaching force in the High School is entirely in- adequate for the burden put upon it. It is a poor expenditure of money to pay a Teacher and then give him so many pupils, so many different subjects, that good work is out of the question. It is also of very doubtful advantage to our boys and girls.
The standard practice which has been found to yield the best results, is one Teacher for every 25 pupils. Many High Schools do better than this. One Teacher for every 25 pupils is the outside ratio. On. a basis of as large a school as we have this year, this will require eight Teachers next year. See what the State Board of Education says on this matter, Sect. IV .- H.
COMPARISON OF NUMBER OF PUPILS PER TEACHER IN MANNING HIGH~ SCHOOL AND ELEVEN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOLS OF SIMILAR SIZE.
Zfairhaven 15
Wellesley 17
Palmer 19
20
Rockland 20 Torwood 20
Webster 20
-Braintree 21
N. Altleborough 22
10
Amsbury 25
Middleborough 25
Adams 27
Ipswich 35
0 Is it good economy to give a teacher so many pupils that she can give individual attention to none?
30
25 -
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Comment 3. The Average Teacher.
.The average Teacher in our schools is:
(a.) A Normal School graduate.
(b.) A woman between 20 and 30 years old.
(c.) Has taught only in Ipswich.
(d.) One chance in three that she will leave before Sep- tember, 1915.
-
(e.) Instructs a class too large to allow the best work.
(f.) Receives a little over $500.00 a year.
(g.) Is increasing slightly in efficiency, but has not suf- . ficient stimulus for rapid improvement.
(h.) Instructs in too many different subjects to prepare thoroughly in any.
Comment.4. The Proportion Between Men and Women Teach- ers:
The proportion between men and women Teachers in the Elementary Schools is unsatisfactory. We would not allow 7th and 8th grade girls to go to all men teachers. Why should our 7th and 8th grade boys go to all women teachers? " "One man" Grammar School Principal is urgently needed. The additional cost would be outweighed by the advantages of having a vigor- ous, clean-cut young man, or shall I say, a model and guide for our boys. We cannot disguise the fact that our Grammar School boys sadly need such an influence. In the High School there are three women teachers and three men teachers. This pro -. , portion is excellent. In fact, it is quite superior to the prevailing practice in neighboring towns.
Comment. 5. Our Weakness Due to Distressing Loss of Teach- ers: 1
We have lost one-third of cur Teachers this year. A new .:
26
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Teacher, competent and willing, as she usually is, takes some time to get adjusted to her work. 15 per cent. loss in efficiency is commonly accepted as the price of a new Teacher. Our Teachers leave to take better positions. In several cases a rela- tively small increase would have kept them. Obtaining a large number of Teachers is a waste in administration. It takes at least three days of your Superintendent's time to find a new Teacher, for some care in selection is necessary. In selecting a Principal or sub-Master, a week should be used.
The only permanent way to stop this untoward loss of Teachers is to raise the salaries. There are some towns of our size which pay no more than we are now paying and still hold their Teachers over a period of some years. But these towns are not situated near towns and cities which maintain high grade schools. Ipswich is so near Salem, Beverly, Manchester, etc., that our teachers are naturally sought for in a way that Teachers in a secluded town are not. If we are to hold good teachers after they have learned their trade, we must either change the location of Ipswich or pay higher salaries.
Recommendation :-
Following the practice at Springfield, Massachusetts, I rec- ommend a fund of $500. be provided for use in holding de- sirable Teachers, and for no other purpose, the balance to be refunded at the end of each school year.
Comment 6. Our Teaching Force Is Poorly Balanced In Expe- rience:
The majority of our Teachers have been in our schools either a long time or a very short time. This is highly signifi- cant. Nearly half of your teaching corps is composed of begin- ners.
27
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Teaching Experience of Teachers.
Grades
High School
Total
Beginning
5
4
9
1 st year
6
0
6-15
2d year
3
0
3
3d year to 4th year
2
0
2
5th to 9th year
3
0
3
9th to 14th year
1
0
1
14th and over
6
2
8
Probably the best teaching years are from the fourth on through the twenty-fifth year. We are unbalanced by having 15 Teachers, nearly half the force, either beginning or of one year experience. I look with some concern on the probability of a yearly migration of Teachers. At present we take many begin- ners, teach them their trade and then, just as they begin their work, lose them to other communities. We are in a small way a training school for other cities and towns. To diminish this evil would be relatively inexpensive.
Summary On the Teaching Force.
1. We need more teachers. I recommend one additional teacher for the Elementary Schools and two additional teachers for the High School:
2. We must solve the problem of a serious migration of teachers by obtaining sufficient financial strength to hold ef- ficient teachers. I recommend an Emergency Fund of $500. to hold efficient teachers in case other communities out-bid us during the school year.
28
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
C. Attendance:
1913
1914
Change
Total Enrollment
896
992
plus 96 .
High School
191
202
plus 11
Elementary Schools
705
790
plus 85
Comment :-
1. We have had a large increase in the number of pupils. This was not entirely foreseen, nor could it have been. Rowley sends 50 to the High School. The tuition is $50. a year, which is $10. more than last year. The added income ($2,500.) from tuition must make this income a welcome one to the Assessors, but it has seriously crowded the High School. If the increase is half as much next year as it was this, there will not be enough seats to accomodate pupils next fall. Increased attendance in the High School makes necessary increased accommodation. In Sect. IV .- H I shall make, detailed recommendations on this mat- ter.
2. The increase in the Elementary Schools was so large that the purchase of a two-room school house was considered advisable. The lowering of entrance age to five, if pupil was six before the end of school year, partially explains this increase. But, if age requirement had not been lowered, additional accom- modations would have had to be found.
3. The percentage of absences in the Elementary Schools is very satisfactory. It is better than the average for this state.
4. The attendance in the High School last year was unsat- isfactory. This was due to administrative difficulties, which will be overcome this year.
29
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
D. Cost of Maintenance:
Below is the expenditure for the fiscal year 1913 and 1914, and a comparison of expense.
1913 1914
Change
General Expense:
Salaries of Superintendent,
Clerk and Truant Officer $845.70
$1022.50
$176.80
Printing, Stationery, Postage
171.01
164.62
6.39
Telephone
18.11
24.55
6.44
Traveling Expenses
28.20
31.60
3.40
School Census
25.00
100.25
75.25
Physician
175.00
275.00
100.00
All Other Expenses
224.48
164.90
59.58
Teachers' Salaries:
Day Teachers
$15,196.20
$16,881.99
$1685.79 506.00
Text Books and Supplies:
Text and Reference Books
$361.09
$367.87
$6.78
Paper and Blonk Books
833.67
305.87
527.80
Drawing Materials
6.94
132.89
125.95
Manual Training Supplies
416.71
179.37
237.34
Domestic Science Supplies
89.27
65.66
23.61
All Other Expenses
271.46
298.67
27.21
Transportation:
Teams
$523.50
$953.50
$430.00
Car Fares
550.00
450.00
100.00
Evening Teachers
506.00
30
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
1913 1914
Change
Janitors' Services:
Janitors' Services
$1836.50
$2059.50
$223.00
Fuel and Light:
Coal and Wood
1536.36
1585.15
51.21
Gas and Electricity
27.00
27.00
Buildings and Grounds:
Carpentry and Painting
1091.35
862.88
228.47
Plumbing
516.15
540.92
24.77
Lumber, Brick, etc.
517.76
389.16
128.60
Flags, Staff, etc.
7.75
6.65
1.10
Janitors' Supplies
70.43
222.80
152.37
Water Rates
89.58
129.13
39.55
All Other Expenses
187.04
447.22
260.18
Furniture and Furnishings:
Desks, Chairs, etc.
37.59
571.29
533.70
Clocks
9.35
9.35
Other Expenses:
Rent
1170.00
30.00
1140.00
Diplomas and Graduation
Exercises
126.05
145.02
18.97
Insurance
255.00
377.60
122.60
All Other Expenses
1318.60
63.34
1255.26
Portable School
2100.00
2100.00
31
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Comment :-
1. In an analysis of our costs, one fact is prominent, the excessive high cost of repairs. At present we are keeping in repair at least four buildings which have served their time and are now passe. It is good business to tap a shoe three times, but it is poor economy to tap a shoe five or six times, then put on a few new uppers, re-tap. re-upper, and so on, especially if the shoe fitted when you were six and now you are twenty with a normally growing foot. Four of our buildings are now so old that only constant repairing will make them serviceable and then only in an unsatisfactory way.
2. We could build a new building, abandon some of the old ones, bond the debt and pay the interest with what we are now paying and must continue to pay for repairing. The addi- tional expenditure would not be exorbitant and a new building would increase immensely the tone and vigor of our schools. See discussion in Sect. V. on New Building. The chart on the following page shows the price we are paying for old buildings.
COMPARISON OF PER STUDENT COST
OF REPAIRS FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN IPSWICH AND THE ELEVEN COMMUNITIES WHICH HAVE LOWER PER CAPITA WEALTH BUT LARGER INVESTMENTS IN BUILDINGS.
Everett $
Chicopee 187 $
Malden 2.04
$
Fitchburg.08
$
$
Lawrence 1.64
Ipswich "2.76
Lowell . 22
$ Lynn 93
Somerville 1,63 $
$ Salem 138
North Adams $1.26
North- ampton $1,00
1.50
100
2,50
200
250
Ipswich
Malden
Chicopee
Everett
Lawrence
Somerville
Salem
North Adams
Northampton
Lynn
Lowell
Fitchburg
Is it good economy to refuse a larger invest- ment in new buildings and keep an excessive repair rate to make worn out buildings usable ?
33
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
E. Salaries:
After much consideration I have decided to lay before you the matter of salaries. The cost of living is increasing. Other towns are increasing their salary schedules. The cost for train- ing is increasing. If we are to keep a high grade of Teachers for our boys and girls, we have got to face this problem before the contracts are drawn for the next school year. At least half our Teachers are in a position to say: "Increase my salary or take my resignation."
The Facts.
Salary
Men
Women
$1800.
1
850.
1
800.
2
750.
1
700.
2
550.
3
510.
14
485.
5
400.
3
320.
2
Salary
Teachers
$1800.
1
800 .-- 1000.
2
700 .-- 800.
3
600 .-- 700.
0
500 .-- 600.
17
400 .-- 500.
5
300 .-- 400.
2
34
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Per Capita Cost for Teaching and Superintendence Based On Total Enrollment, November 8, 1914:
1912-1913
1913-1914
Change
Elementary Schools
15.79
14.17
minus 1.62
High School
22.91
24.55
plus 1.64
All Schools
17.22
16.27
minus .95
Comment 1. Low Cost of Teaching:
(a.) We are putting into teaching ninety-five cents per pu- pil less than we did last year. At the same time, board and room for Teachers has increased. In other ways the cost of liv- ing has increased. Now, if we pay less and living costs more, the quality of the teaching may in time be seriously affected. [It has not been this year, except as new teachers at least theoret- ically are not equal to the experienced ones.] The average sal- ary paid is $515.00. That is, it is worth six and one-half cents a day to teach a boy or girl of Ipswich.
Comment 2. Expenses of a Teacher and a Domestic:
The money value of any position is what can be saved after the necessary expenses are paid. I submit this as a fair estimate of the bare expenses of a Teacher:
$ 35.00 is required by law for pensions.
220.00 for board and room for 40 weeks.
100.00 support for 12 weeks summer vacation.
15.00 carfare.
75.00 clothes.
15.00 Church and Christmas.
10.00 doctor's bills.
.00 Books, Teachers' Journals, Summer School.
.00 unforeseen emergency.
$470.00 Expenses.
35
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Average salary $515.00
Expenses 470.00
$45.00 saved, or on a basis of two hundred days work, the average Teacher has 2212 cents for saving, pleasure, incidentals, every day she works, nothing when she doesn't. This means thirteen cents a day the year around.
A Domestic in Boston commands $7.00 a week and board. Her expenses are:
$ .00 pension.
.00 board and room.
50.00 summer. Enforced vacations not over four weeks.
15.00 carfare.
15.00 Church and Christmas.
10.00 doctor's bills.
75.00 clothes.
$165.00 Expenses.
Income $336.00 (48 weeks at $7. per week-she is often paid Expense 165.00 during the four vacation weeks, also.)
$171.00 saved.
At the end of the year the Teacher has $45. The "hired girl" has $171. I will push this discussion no further. Educa- tion is purchasable. It is bought and sold like other labor.
3. We are not meeting this problem as are other towns just below us in valuation.
On the following page is a comparison of expenditures for Ipswich, the average Massachusetts town, and four towns near- est Ipswich in valuation.
36
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Valuation
Teachers Cost per Pupil (all grades)
Supt. Cost per Pupil
Ipswich
$5,737.000
$16.27
.85
Whitman
5.538,000
18.20
1.46
N. Andover 5,529,000
17.76
.94
Stoneham 5,260,000
20,56
1.26
Average Town
per State 18.97
per State 1.25
Of these four towns Ipswich is the richest, but puts the least into the teaching of each child. I shall refer to this in Section under increased appropriation. This fact is typical. The aver- age Massachusetts town puts $65.00 a year into each High School pupil. Ipswich puts about $30. This should touch the pride of a self-respecting community. Or, putting the matter in another way, the average salary in the State is $757 .; in Ipswich, $515.
F. School Census:
In accordance with the State Law a careful and complete census of all children of school age has been taken, There are 974 children of compulsory school age in Town. Over 80 per cent. of these are in school, and in comparison with other towns this is extremely satisfactory.
G. Age and Grade of Pupils:
The table on the following page gives the age and grade of every pupil in school November 8, 1914. The figures on the right of the heavy figures indicate the number of pupils who are older than they should be for their grade. The figures in the heavy type show the number who are now making normal pro- gress. The figures on the left show the number who are ahead of their grade.
37
IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Age
Grade 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
AVERAGE
1
49 55 22 3 3
1
7
2
13 54 26 10
2
2
14
3
3 26 26 15
2
1 3
3
1
9
4
3 12 22
26
6 11
3
1
1
22
5
3 23
35 24
8
5
4
1
18
6
4
19 20 14 13
3
1
17
7
1
2
5
22 20 24 10
1
1
12
8
5 18 28 16
11 16
3
14
9
3 27 36
10
3 18
29
6
2
2
11
2
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