USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1894-1896 > Part 18
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
FOR THE YEAR 1896.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
ELIZABETH THURBER
TERM EXPIRES. 1899
CHARLES E. BARNES
1899
JAMES MILLAR 1898
WILLIAM W. BREWSTER
1898
GIDEON F. HOLMES
1897
HERVEY N. P. HUBBARD
1897
Chairman, JAMES MILLAR.
Secretary, ELIZABETH THURBER. Superintendent of Schools, FRANCIS J. HEAVENS.
At its next annual meeting the Town will elect two members to serve on the School Committee for three years.
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The School Committee respectfully submit their annual report for the year ending December 31, 1896, together with the report of the Superinten- dent of Schools.
At the annual meeting held in March, 1896, the Town made the following appropriations :
Support of Schools.
$31,500 00
School books and supplies 3,500 00
Credits. $35,000 00 Expenditures, as shown in statement below 33,078 35
Balance undrawn
$1,921 65
CLASSIFIED EXPENDITURES.
Salaries of teachers. $21,431 IO
Salary of Superintendent (39 weeks) . . . 1,950 00
Books and supplies 3,124 31 Fuel and light. 2,351 59
Repairs
1,291 25
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Printing . $90 75 Rent. 84 00
Truant officer 100 00
Janitors and care of school-houses. 1,675 54
Incidentals . 979 81
$33,078 35
It is very pleasing to the Committee to be able to report at the close of the year an unexpended balance of appropriation, although the actual saving is not as large as would appear from the figures given above. Notwithstanding our efforts to settle all accounts, bills amounting to a little over four hundred dollars were contracted that we were not able to have paid before the Treasurer closed his accounts for the year. By the lengthening of the Summer vacation, some six hundred dollars have been saved in salaries this year, to fall upon the next. It has been our earnest endeavor to keep expenses down, and for this reason repairs have been put off, and other needs have gone unsatis- fied. Only general repairs have been made, almost nothing having been done in the way of renovation.
The completion of the new four-room building on Russell Street has provided accommodations for the Grammar School from the North, and the Primary School from School Street, enabling the Committee to discontinue the use of the old build- ings on School Street and at Cold Spring. They
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have been surrendered to the Selectmen, as pro- vided by vote of the Town. At the beginning of the Fall term, certain schools were so crowded as to compel the opening of another school, and room for it was found in the Burton Building, thus proving the foresight of the Town in erecting a four-room building, rather than one of smaller size, as was at first proposed. This building is well adapted to school purposes, and is fully equipped, having excellent desks and seats of the latest approved pattern, with heating and ventilating apparatus to meet all requirements. Every desk and seat may be raised or lowered to suit the height of its occupant. The cause of the delay in the construction of this building, and also the increased expenditures upon it, were fully explained to the Town at its last annual meeting. No ap- propriation was made to meet the increase in the size of the building when authorized by the Town, and therefore an overdraft, or deficiency, has been unavoidable.
Heretofore our school buildings have not been named, as is commonly the practice elsewhere, but to prevent confusion which might arise from the location of the new building by the side of the old one on Russell street, a name has been given to each of these buildings. The new one is des- ignated as the " Burton," in memory of our former Superintendent of Schools, and the name "Cornish " has been put upon the other, marking the place
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where Mr. Aaron H. Cornish gave faithful service as a teacher for almost a lifetime. It is fitting that the services which Mr. Burton and Mr. Cornish gave to the public schools of Plymouth should be recognized by placing their names upon the first buildings to be thus marked.
The building at Cold Spring, now occupied by two primary schools, would be made more comfort- able, and be more economically heated, if provided with a furnace and modern ventilating arrangements. While it is desirable to substitute a furnace for the coal stove in all buildings having a suitable cellar, insuring better ventilation, a more even tempera- ture and a warmer floor, we think that this build- ing offers an unusual opportunity for making this improvement at a comparatively slight cost, as shown by plans which have been prepared for the Com- mittee. This work may be undertaken whenever money can be afforded for the purpose.
The High School Building was constructed and arranged for the seating of all the scholars in the main or larger room, but the interests of the school are better served by placing some of the classes in the smaller rooms, which were originally fitted only for recitation purposes. This arrangement is usually adopted in buildings constructed for large schools, and since the beginning of the Fall term we have given it a trial, apparently with satisfactory results. A large number of seats and desks were required, and to have secured the best results, they should
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have been new ones of an improved pattern, similar to those provided at the Burton School. Not wish- ing to incur this large expense, the Committee has used desks and seats which were discarded at the old High School and other buildings. It will add greatly to the comfort of the scholars whenever the Town shall feel able to replace these desks and seats with adjustable furniture. By a small expenditure the two upper side-rooms of the High School Build- ing, heretofore vacant, have been made of use to the school. One is used for the exercises in music, and the other as a physical laboratory. This latter room being admirably adapted to its purpose, the upper laboratory can now be reserved for the work in chem- istry.
Cranberry picking is still a disturbing factor in the matter of the opening of the schools. The requirements of the law have been made known to parents in those localities where this business is actively carried on, and in some cases there has been a ready compliance. As the law now stands, attendance during the first weeks of school is not compulsory, and many schools have a num- ber of scholars, who, entering after the others are well started upon their studies, disarrange the school work and delay its progress. This is dis- couraging alike to pupils and to teacher, and adds greatly to the labors of the latter. Parents ought therefore to be willing to make great sacrifices rather than to thus limit the opportunities of their
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children, and we believe that they would do so if they fully appreciated the importance of this matter. To partially obviate this difficulty, the Summer vacation was prolonged for one week beyond the time of its usual closing, and the coming Summer vacation will begin a week later than heretofore. It is urged upon the Committee that on this account certain outlying schools should be kept for a less time than forty weeks. Believ- ing it to be the wish of the Town that all schools should be maintained for the full time, that those scholars who can and will attend, should not be denied the opportunity; and, that it would not do away with the interruption of the schools, we have opened all at the same time.
We would respectfully ask for a careful consid- eration of all the matters presented in the accom- panying report of the Superintendent of Schools. We endorse his views and ask the co-operation of the Town in his efforts to improve our schools.
JAMES MILLER, ELIZABETH THURBER, WILLIAM W. BREWSTER, H. N. P. HUBBARD, CHARLES E. BARNES, GIDEON F. HOLMES,
Committee.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
To the Members of the School Committee :
The following is respectfully submitted as the report of Superintendent of Schools for the year 1896 :
It is difficult to definitely measure and report what has been accomplished in the real work of the schools for any given year. There have been no radical changes made or contemplated. The main attempt has been to strengthen the work, making only such changes as would contribute to that end. There has been a great deal of earnest, conscientious, untiring and, we hope, intelligent effort expended in every department of school work in the past year, and doubtless a candid observer would note substantial gains.
Statistics given on a later page show the following for the past year : A slight increase in the number enrolled ; a more regular attendance, making the record 93 8 per cent., an advance of nearly one per cent. over the fig- ures for the preceding year ; the number of late marks lessened by over 1,500. This gain in punctuality is es- pecially noticeable in the High School, where the num- ber of tardy marks has decreased since September, from an average monthly number of 164 to less than 25; more visits made to the schools by parents and others,. indicating, we hope, an increased interest in the schools.
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Our record in the matter of attendance is moderately good, and gives reason and courage for increased effort. Further improvement can be made. There is still a great deal more absence from school than is necessary ; and it may give definiteness to our effort, if we note that in nearly every well-ordered school most of the absent marks are attributable to a very few pupils, or more often to the carelessness or neglect of the parents.
The efficiency of some schools has been increased by assigning to teachers a more reasonable number of pupils. No teacher can justly be expected to do good work with sixty or seventy pupils in daily attendance. This was the condition of affairs in two rooms in the Russell Street District and two at the Mount Pleasant District when schools opened in September. The best remedy seemed to be to transfer pupils from each of these crowded rooms to the nearest schools of the same grade in other districts. But this could not be successfully accomplished without opening a new school of forty-five pupils in the only vacant room in the new Burton Building. Even with no increase in the whole number of pupils, it will inevitably happen that the number in certain grades of any district will vary from year to year. For this rea- son, and to prevent the overcrowding of schools, district lines must sometimes be changed, and pupils transferred to the same grade of smaller schools in other districts.
In this connection it may be proper to suggest a partial answer to a question often asked-how it is that, while the population of the Town increases so slowly, so many new school-houses are needed. School-houses, like all other buildings, finally become too poor to repair. There are at present in the Town at least five school buildings unused, because they are either too dilapidated or too far from the center of population to be serviceable.
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Then, too, the school population here has increased faster than is generally supposed. There are today en- rolled in the schools about eleven per cent. more pupils than five years ago. As late as the year 1891, according to the records of that year, there were enrolled 1488 pupils, while there have been enrolled during the past year 1651 names-an increase of 163 in five years. This increase is enough to form five new schools of the aver- age size, and to augment the necessary school expenses nearly one-sixth over what they were in 1891. It is not probable that there are 163 more children of school age now than five years ago ; but the laws in regard to school attendance have become more exacting during that time, and perhaps they are more strictly enforced. Children must now attend school until fourteen years of age, and for at least thirty weeks in the year, while a few years ago the compulsory school age ended when the child was thirteen, and was for only twenty-four weeks in the year.
These and some other causes, among which, we hope, is greater appreciation of the value of public school train- ing, have operated to increase greatly the number who attend the public schools, to make attendance more regular and to keep children in school a much longer period than ten years ago.
TEXT BOOKS.
The appropriation made for schools the past year has made it possible to furnish some schools with much needed books. By far the larger part of these new books have gone into the lower grammar grades, since those schools had the greater need for them. Enough Arithmetics, Geographies and Language books have been secured to supply one to every pupil in grades above the fourth. Reading books in various lines of work
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have been furnished, but no attempt has been made to provide a sufficient number that each pupil might have one. It would not seem necessary or desirable to incur such expense. It is quite as important to train chil- dren to hear accurately as to see clearly. Much time, therefore, may profitably be given in these schools to exercises in which a few pupils read to the rest of the class, and they in turn reproduce in their own words what has been read. By such exercises children are trained to give close attention, and to note carefully the clear expression and the logical arrangement of the author's thoughts.
When they are to be used in this way, sets of five books each are enough for a class of forty pupils, pro- vided each class has two divisions. By such an ar- rangement seven or eight different sets of books for supplementary reading on a variety of subjects collateral with the various school studies, may be secured at no greater expense than would be incurred in buying one set of books large enough to provide each pupil with a copy.
The purpose of reading in the primary and gram- mar schools is not the same. In the former, chil- dren must become skilful in recognizing and calling the written words in which thought is clothed; in the latter, pupils should read for knowledge or literary culture. Therefore, while in the upper grades of school a book may be profitably read and reread, such repe- tition in the primary schools is unprofitable. Very few additions have been made to the reading matter in the primary schools this year, for most of them have two or three sets of readers. But each school needs six or seven. A skilful teacher can often profit- ably use more than that. The ability to read well and intelligently comes from much practice under skil-
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ful direction. A large and a considerable variety of reading matter in the primary schools is therefore in- dispensable. It is hoped that the next year's appropri- ation will be large enough to supply such additional books as may be necessary, including the furnishing of music books and charts to those schools which have not yet been provided for.
DRAWING.
The law of the State directs that drawing shall be taught in all public schools. The normal schools require an elementary knowledge of this subject on the part of those applying for admission. In all industrial pursuits, ability to draw is an invaluable help, if not a necessity. There is no vocation in which at least an elementary knowledge of the principles of drawing is not a distinct advantage to the one possessing it. Aside from its in- dustrial and mechanical importance, drawing is an edu- cational factor of great consequence. It is an essential aid in all lines of school work. It gives to the teacher the best and surest means of detecting and correcting the mistaken notions of pupils, for it portrays the thought with an accuracy and exactness which no words could do. Drawing is a language most vivid and exact, and universally intelligible. Children should be trained to make constant use of this language to explain their ideas on all subjects. Experience has long since deter- mined that drawing is an art well worth acquiring, and consensus of opinion shows that, if acquired at all, it must be gained before the age of fourteen years, or probably not at all. It is imperative, therefore, that we make instruction and practice in this line of work as efficient as possible during the earlier years of school life.
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During the past two or three years very little has been accomplished here in drawing, only enough, per- haps, to keep the letter of the law. The work at- tempted has been unsystematic, and its results disap- pointing. In the hope of securing better results, a small amount of money has this year been expended for mod- els, and a drawing teacher appointed. These are the preliminary steps, we hope, towards giving this subject the place in the schools which its importance demands. This is not putting another subject of study into the already crowded school curriculum, but an attempt to make more systematic and efficient a line of work made mandatory many years ago by the law of the State. Because of an insufficient number of models of a suit- able kind for the grammar schools, and because of the lack of other drawing material, most of the work this year has been confined to the lower grades. But the results gained warrant, I think, the continuation and strengthening of the work where it has already been begun, and its expansion to the upper grades of the schools. In order to do this, however, there is needed a special appropriation of $500 to secure the necessary models and other drawing materials, and an additional sum in the regular appropriation to pay the salary of a drawing teacher.
There has been some criticism expressed because of the infrequency and irregularity of the visits of the special teachers. These teachers work according to a printed time schedule, made out to apportion to each school its due amount of time. Anyone may know by referring to this schedule on what days and at what hours the special teachers are expected to appear at any school. Sometimes, however, storms, blockaded roads, or some other unavoidable circumstance, have made it
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impossible or undesirable that schedule time be kept. Of course, time lost because of these difficulties cannot well be made up, except by taking a part of the time due other schools. But usually the schedule time is kept; each school, including all the outside schools that are visited, generally receives all the time due it. In- deed, if the time spent in getting to the schools at Chil- tonville and Manomet be counted, they receive nearly twice the time per pupil given to the schools in the center.
There seems to exist a misapprehension, even on the part of some teachers, as to what the real duties of the special teachers are. These teachers are here as experts, to start their work upon the right lines and to keep it there; to lay out the work and see that it is rightly conducted; to assist the regular teachers to carry on the work in the best and most efficient way. To instruct thoroughly and to guide wisely the com- pany of regular teachers, is the special teacher's chief duty. He may plan the work, assist teachers and en- courage pupils, but he cannot reach the individual pu- pil and watch over his mental growth; this the regu- lar teacher must do; she must adapt the work as- signed to the needs and capacities of her class as a whole, and, as far as may be, to the individual needs of her pupils.
It may be proper to add that by holding special teach- ers to regular time visits at each school, we are not se- curing their best service. Some teachers and some schools require much more help than others, and more attention at one time than another. Instead, therefore, of being ex- pected to follow punctually a rigid time schedule, special teachers should feel at liberty to visit at any time those schools which have the greatest need of their help.
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WORK AT HIGH SCHOOL.
Matters at the High School are in good condition. The attendance is fair, and the spirit of the school ex- cellent. The course of study adopted nearly four years ago will be in use by every class of the High School. at the opening of the next school year. This new course of study is an excellent one in most respects, giving op- portunity under the right conditions for broad and varied training. But the conditions are not right. It has been the custom to hurry pupils along to the High School because of the crowded conditions of the schools below. This has brought in many who, for one reason or another, were not yet fitted to take up to good advantage the High School work. There are enough of this kind in each class to seriously retard the work of the class, and to make the average work of the school fall below a rea- sonable High School standard. The present course is ill suited to existing conditions, in that it requires the pupil to spend his time upon too many subjects. As at present arranged, each scholar has a minimum of twenty hours of recitation per week, when the maximum should not be greater than sixteen hours. The work attempted is ex- tensive rather than intensive, and pupils are not best trained in that way. An intimate and accurate knowl- edge of a few subjects is of more value to the pupil than a smattering of many subjects. Under these con- ditions the teachers are being overworked. They have to teach many subjects to large classes, with the very natural results coming from the attempt to scatter their energies in several directions. The outline of work in English which the course provides is excellent, but the teaching force is not large enough to carry it out. This is the weakest part of all the school work, not only in the High School, but in the lower schools also.
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To make the work of the High School a substantial success, to bring the work of the school up to a reason- able standard, more help ought to be provided, each teacher should have a less number of subjects to teach, with smaller divisions, and the English work of the school should be placed under the care of a teacher who has an especial fitness for that line of work, and time enough allowed her to see that the work of that department is well done. The importance of requiring and maintaining a high grade of efficiency in the High School here is mani- fest, when it is remembered that from forty to fifty per cent. of the school population of the Town are at some time members of this school.
GRADUATING EXERCISES.
After witnessing, for two successive years, the amount of time and energy expended by both pupils and teach- ers in preparation for the annual graduation exercises, I am ready to advocate some change. The time mis- spent, if not lost, in preparation for these exercises is considerable, and it should not be continued. It is de- sirable that there should be at least one time in the school year when the public should be offered an in- ducement to visit the school. I wish it could be brought about many times every year without such a sacrifice to the real work of the school. The graduating exer- cises, as at present conducted, are simply an exhibition or show. They give little or no evidence of what the school, as a whole, is doing, since only the few-those best fitted-can take part. They require, in their prep- aration, a great amount of time for which there is no adequate return. They come, too, at a season when time and strength are especially valuable to the class about
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to graduate, since the reviewing and summing up of the whole work of the course comes at that time. These exercises call upon the teachers for an enormous amount of extra work and nervous force at a time when the regular work of the school is in full swing, and should require all the energy and strength of every teacher, leaving no legitimate opportunity for other work. The necessary preparations for this exhibition wear out both teachers and pupils, without any adequate return for the energy expended. The graduating exercises could be changed in form without detracting any from their in- terest, and at the same time not seriously interfere with the regular school work.
SALARIES.
Schools are everywhere seeking teachers well qualified for their work. The necessary qualifications of the av- erage teacher are increasing every year. This makes the time spent in preparation longer, and the expense for the preliminary training larger. Whatever renders the process more expensive, makes the finished product more valuable. It is easy to see that the salaries of teachers must increase, or there would be little or no incentive to their meeting the increased requirements for their work. The past year has witnessed a substantial increase in the average amounts of salary paid men and women in the schools of this State. The schools of Plymouth are fast falling, behind in this respect. It is very difficult to find such teachers as we want to fill vacancies, and the difficulty is becoming greater all the time. In view of this, I wish respectfully, but emphati- cally, to renew my recommendation of last year, that more money be made available for teachers' salaries.
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