USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1910 > Part 19
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Office hours : 4 to 5 P. M. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. 8 to 9 A. M. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. 8 to 9 A. M. Wednesday, at Cliftondale Brick School.
Residence, 15 Emory street.
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
Fall term (16 weeks), September 6 - December 22, 1910. Thanksgiving recess, 2 days. Winter term (12 weeks), January 2 -March 24, 1911. Spring term ( II weeks) April 3 - June 16, 1911. Grammar School Graduation, June 16, 1911.
High School Graduation, Tuesday, June 20, 191I.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL.
2-2 on the fire alarm. 7.45 A. M., no session in any school. 8.15 A. M., no session below ninth grade. II.30 A. M., or 12.45 P. M., no afternoon sessions.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
RECEIPTS.
Town appropriation, March, 1910 . $41,000 00
Overdraft of previous year 478 90
State, tuition . .
401 50
City of Boston, tuition
173 50
Books and supplies returned
122 41
Damages to books by pupils
3 13
Tuition from individuals
20 58
H. S. Alumni, light in H. S. hall
1 50
Iron desks sold
14 80
$42,216 32
EXPENDITURES.
Salaries, teachers and superintend-
ent
$28,006 58
Janitors .
·
3,640 21
Supplies
3,626 29
Fuel
2,810 77
Incidentals ·
1,025 93
Water, gas, electricity
357 22
Medical inspection .
150 00
Census . 69 04
Truant officers
103 50
Manual Training
640 65
Rent at East Saugus
Soo oo
Drinking fountains 140 80
Essex County Training School
87 39
Town of Wakefield, tuition
71 25
Transportation of children
171 00
Bills of previous year
478 90
42,179 53
Balance .
$36 79
5
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Supply Expenses.
E. E. Babb & Co., books and gen-
eral supplies . American Book Company, books 773 14
$1,739 73
Ginn & Co., books 429 40
Silver Burdett, books 118 35
J. L. Hammett, supplies 94 29
L. E. Knott Co., laboratory appara-
tus 61 93
F. J. Barnard, rebinding books .
54 27
Allyn, Bacon, books .
34 36
D. C. Heath, books
.
34 II
Little, Brown, books
17 65
Miscellaneous firms
269 06
$3,626 29
Special Inside Repairs.
Town appropriation
$1,000 00
Expenditures .
999 66
Balance .
$ 34
For details of Special Repairs Expenditures see Auditor's Report.
Report of School Committee.
Despite a number of extraordinary and unforeseen expenses the Committee submits what it considers a very satisfactory financial showing. Though the arrangement whereby $80 a month is paid for rent, heat and janitor service in the Masonic building had to be continued, though additional teachers had to be secured for the ninth and sixth grades, though pupils of the latter grade had to be transferred from Cliftondale to the High School building, and though the law compelled the installation of drinking fountains in all the schools, the Committee was able to keep within its appropriation. In obtaining this result good fortune played almost as large a part as ordinary business cau- tion and economy.
Changes in Teaching Corps.
Every year brings numerous changes in the teaching corps. The slender means of the town, comparatively speaking, makes this inevitable. The year just closed however, brought more losses of our best than we had anticipated and our fear which is almost an expectation, is that each succeeding year is likely to make heavier inroads into our force of instructors than the pre- ceding twelve months. The only remedy for this condition is a more rapid increase in the valuation of the town than has been occurring, or some form of contribution toward the support of our schools from the state treasury. By this means larger salaries for teachers might be made possible, and the incentive for them to leave us for employment elsewhere be made less strong.
8
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Mr. Whitney's Departure.
No loss of recent years has been more keenly felt than that occasioned by Mr. Whitney's selection by the City of Everett to be superintendent of its large school system. The very substan- tial increase in salary which this call promised him, made his acceptance of it a duty to himself and his family, but it was no secret that Mr. Whitney left our town with much regret, for during his two years with us, he had made our schools so much a part of his life, that the change seemed to him, as it did to us, almost equal to the breaking of a family tie. That the schools improved materially under his supervision is not to be denied, and many of the improvements which he installed are of so permanent a nature that the influence of his stay with us will still be felt for a long time to come. Your committee feel that their choice of him two years ago constitutes one of the best pieces of work they have been able to do in recent years.
The New Superintendent.
Mr. Whitney's successor, Mr. William F. Sims, was selected after a very thorough canvass of the list of candidates and after consultation with those whose advice seemed to us likely to be helpful. The committee required every candidate to make application first to Mr. Whitney and only the two or three who seemed to Mr. Whitney best fitted for the post were given personal investigation and an interview by the whole committee. Mr. Sims' experience has been rather unusual. A successful superintendency of eight years in Massachusetts where he has been all of the time under the watchful eye of the agents of the State Board of Education was preceded by an even longer term as school-master. From these two periods of preparation he gained that practical knowledge of the details of a school-master's work which many principals lack. Moreover, during his super- intendency at Southborough and vicinity he has had to handle one of the very problems with which he must deal in Saugus, the installation and early management of a manual training system.
9
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Mr. Butterworth succeeds Mr. Ross.
The resignation of Mr. Leland A. Ross as principal of the High School was generally regretted. His lovable nature had endeared him to pupils and the people of the Town alike. The heartiest good wishes of all Saugus go to him in his new work as superintendent of schools at Dexter and Garland, Maine. Mr. James F. Butterworth, who has succeeded him, was selected by the committee by much the same plan as was followed in the choosing of Mr. Sims. Mr. Whitney was instructed to present for personal interview with the committee only the two or three best equipped candidates of the many who applied. Mr. Butter- worth was for ten years the successful principal of Monson Academy at Monson, Mass., and during the year which intervened between that service and his coming to Saugus, he studied in the Department of Education at Harvard University under Professor Hanus the problems of principalship which daily confront him now in high school work. His success with us appears already to be marked and our intention is to invite him to remain a second year at an advance in salary if sufficient funds are appropriated by the Town.
Manual Training Popular.
The new manual training department in the old Town Hall is proving to be popular among the eighth and ninth grade boys, and sewing for the girls in the same grades is also proving bene- ficial. Of course, this department has not been in operation long enough for the tangible results to be tested, although some of the work turned out has seemed to the Committee to be very creditable. Each pupil in these grades receives one hour of in- struction each week. No more time can be given until sufficient means are available for hiring the teacher of manual training and the teacher of sewing more than one day each week. Your Committee have not felt justified as yet in asking for the in- crease in appropriation which that would require. For teacher of the boys, Mr. S. P. Condon, a former foreman of the wood working department of the General Electric Company at Lynn, has been chosen and appears to be doing efficient work. His
IO
REPORT SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
long service on the School Committee of Swampscott has given him an insight into broader educational ideals which is very helpful. For teacher of sewing, the same teacher was chosen as for drawing instruction, this plan having been proven feasible by Miss Allen's experience in both lines.
Oaklandvale School Problem.
Your Committee are inclined to believe that beginning with the first of September, 1911, the Oaklandvale School should be closed and all pupils who live in that section be transported to the Roby School at Saugus Center. It has proven almost impossible to keep a thoroughly satisfactory teacher at that school for more than a year at a time, and this has caused instruction there to be of most variable quality. Moreover, no teacher can do her best work when she must be at one and the same time giving instruction to anywhere from six to eight grades of pupils, varying in age from five to twelve years. Our belief is that no additional expense to the Town will result from an arrangement with the electric railway to carry all of the Oaklandvale pupils to the Center, and some slight saving may result. Pupils are certain to receive better instruction than now, under more comfortable conditions. The Committee recognize, however, the strength of the argument of those people who would assert that Oaklandvale District is entitled to schooling facilities for its smaller pupils and would like to hear from all who object to the change. If no objections are raised by any considerable number of parents between now and August Ist, the Committee will feel entitled to assume that the proposed change meets with general approval at Oaklandvale.
Coal Supply.
In accordance with custom the committee this year called for bids for the supply of coal for the season 1910-1911 and awarded the contract to the Lynn Coal Company, which was the lowest bidder. There has been considerable unjust criticism of the committee for allowing an out-of-town concern to bid for this contract. While it is true that this year a local dealer was a
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II
REPORT OF SCHOOL. COMMITTEE.
close second bidder the committee feels that the money of the Town should go where it will purchase the most and has awarded its contract with that end in view. It is not assuming too much to say that if the committee had eliminated the Lynn firms from the competition the Town in the past would have had to pay a great deal more for coal than it does now. Anyone who feels that this statement is unwarranted need only look at the following schedule of prices of fuel before and after out-of-town companies were allowed to bid.
Year
1907 $3,677
1908 $3,445
1909
1910
Cost of fuel
$2,843
$2,810
In the years 1907 and 1908 bids were received from local dealers only. In 1909 and 1910 out of town firms were allowed to bid. The cost of fuel for this year has been less than it has been for a number of years. The following schedule will show the different bids received by the committee for this season's supply :
Lynn Coal Co.
Stocker
Butman & Cressey Stiles Peoples Co
George's Creek
$3 95
$4 35
$4 15
$4 00
$4 25
Lackawana Egg
5 68
6 00
5 67
5 85
6 50
Lackawana Broken .
5 29
5 60
5 38
5 60
6 25
Lackawana Stove
5 68
6 00
5 67
5 85
6 50
Lackawana Nut
·
5 68
6 00
5 67
5 85
6 50
The method used in securing the coal supply is as follows : After the contract is let the committee sends an inspector to the office of the coal company. His duty is to see to it that the coal is properly weighed. He signs a weight bill and keeps a record of it in a book for that purpose and when the coal is delivered the janitor must sign for it on the same slip that is signed by the inspector. Before the coal bills are approved for payment they must agree with the ticket signed by the inspector and the janitor. In the case of soft coal the coal company must show its bill of lading indicating the coal to be genuine George's Creek coal. The coal company also gives a bond with two securities for the faithful performance of its contract.
I 2
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Four Years Diplomas Only.
When the class of 1913 leaves the High School the last three year diploma will have been granted. In adopting this policy the committee believes that it will have the support and endorse- ment of the citizens of the town. A sense of justice and the reputation of the school seems to demand that four year's work shall alone be rewarded with a diploma. This policy must not be regarded in the light of discrimination against the three years' English course. Children who do not feel that they will be able to complete the work required for a diploma will not be discouraged from continuing their education ; they will, on the contrary, be urged to enter the High School and if they pursue their studies for three years in a satisfactory manner, they will be granted a certificate to that effect. The integrity of the diploma seems to require that there shall be a definite standard of work needed to secure it. Such can never be the case when that diploma is granted indiscriminately. To the average employer of labor a diploma is a diploma; he seldom concerns himself with a study of its contents. His general understanding is that it represents four years work. It is hardly fair, therefore, to the High School to have the impression go abroad that our three year graduates are the product of four years study.
A Higher Entrance Age.
In conformity with the best educational policy of the day and in the belief that the financial and scholastic interests of the town will best be served by a raising of the age limit at which children may enter the public schools, the following resolution was adopted during the current year :
Voted, that beginning with September, 1911, the minimum age at which a child may enter school be six years, but,
Voted, that any child who will be six by January I, may enter school the previous September.
The operation of this plan will probably reduce temporarily the number of school children, but it should also result in the faster progress of those who remain, because it is being recog-
13
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
nized more and more that the average child of five years is hardly mature enough to understand and appreciate the work done in the primary grades. In this connection, a kindergarten would be a desirable innovation, but from the standpoint of the town's financial condition, it seems likely that nothing can be accomplished along this line for some little time to come.
The Noera Scholarship.
In accepting the offer of Mr. Ernest L. Noera of the Board of Assessors to provide during the coming year the sum of $100, to assist some deserving boy in the High School to continue his education in a reputable college, the committee, with the approval of Mr. Noera and Mr. Butterworth, formulated the following conditions :
I. The student must be of good character, deserving and in need of college aid.
2. He must possess a good scholastic record during his course in the High School.
Applications will then be judged by the committee from the point of view of the applicant's character, scholarship and finan- cial need. All applications must reach the committee by May I, 19II. The school board naturally reserves the right to reject any and all applications.
It is believed that the conditions imposed fully and adequately meet the spirit in which the scholarship is given.
The Essex Street School.
The Essex Street School, situated at the corner of Essex street and Pleasant avenue, has for a number of years been heated by jacket stoves, one in each room. This system of heating is not only very old-fashioned but also unsatisfactory. With it no good system of ventilation can be had. Inasmuch as each child should be supplied with thirty cubic feet of fresh air per minute, the committee has agreed that it is only fair to the pupils that some- thing be done to better conditions at this school.
14
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The committee had the State's Chief Inspector of Public Buildings visit the school and go over the situation with it and make suggestions as to suitable improvement. A heating and ventilating engineer were then interviewed and finally several concerns were invited to submit plans for a heating and ventilating plant. Your committee has thus had before it a number of different plans for this work. Careful attention has been given every detail to the end that the school may have the very best system for the least expenditure of money.
At this time the committee has under consideration what it considers the best set of plans and specifications that the Town can obtain at a nominal cost. The committee goes into the Town meeting with a request for an appropriation to do a work which seems absolutely necessary.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK P. BENNETT, JR., HENRY T. CLAUS, HARRY T. TURNER.
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Report of the Superintendent.
To the School Committee of the Town of Saugus :
The eighteenth annual report of your Superintendent of Schools is herewith presented. It includes the usual reports, tables and statistics. During the short time that I have been connected with your schools I have found in them much to be commended. I find your teachers well equipped by training and experience for doing the work that they are undertaking. As is the teacher so is the school. The zeal and enthusiasm of the school is limited only by that of the teacher. A teacher finding a class devoid of interest in any particular work will find the cause for this condition in her own lack of interest.
The least commendable feature of your school system is the length of service of some of your best teachers. The too fre- quent change even of excellent teachers tends to lessen the efficiency of the school system. Consequently, we are unable to get from the teaching force its maximum efficiency. No teacher can give her best service to her school when she is anxious to be at work elsewhere. The conditions should be such that no teacher who has taught in our schools less than three years would desire to leave us before the end of our school year. To bring about this condition is indeed a serious task. Being forced in most cases to offer our maximum salary at the start we have nothing left to retain the efficient teacher much longer than one year.
Taxation and state aid are the only remedies that can relieve this condition. For the present there is little hope in either for us. It is a matter for serious reflection when our burden of taxation for the support of schools is more than double that of many of the towns and cities of this commonwealth. Why is
16
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
this a just condition when the education of our children is not so much for the Town of Saugus as it is for the commonwealth ? The cost of living for the teacher and the training demanded for our children is well nigh identical with that in the other towns and cities of the commonwealth, yet we are without the means for adequately meeting these demands.
Your schools are also to be commended for the uniformly good discipline that prevails in them. This is partly the result of the pupil's interest in their work awakened by the magnetic influence of efficient teaching. Interest is the key to all successful discipline. Without it lessons will not be thoroughly learned and the rattan is powerless to bring relief.
Association of Parents and Teachers.
While commending the tone and atmosphere of your schools I would at the same time remind you that it is possible to make the pupils' interest keener and the instruction more effective. Our means demand that we have better schools. What we need is more helpful attention from those immediately concerned in the welfare of our schools. To point out evils is often an easy task but to offer something good in the place of the evil is a goal not frequenly sought by the would-be critic. An association in each of our schools composed of parents and teachers could do much for the betterment of our schools. We need to learn the real character and worth of our schools. It is incumbent upon teachers and parents alike to know each other and the work the schools must do. If we ourselves do not believe in the efficiency of our schools neither will our children. We will consequently find that we are paying for the support of better schools than we actually have.
Coaching Teachers.
At present we have three teachers giving their entire time and attention to the elimination of the repeater in the elementary schools. Under conditions such as ours if one of these teachers succeeds in preventing twenty pupils from repeating the year's work then she entails no additional expense to the school system.
17
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
If she is the means of preventing forty repetitions then she returns to the system one hundred per cent profit. If she does away with only ten repetitions the work would amply justify the necessary expenditure. By limiting the classes of the special teacher to six pupils we hope to make the work sufficiently individual to enable these backward pupils to keep up with their classes. When a pupil has had this extra individual help for one year I question the wisdom of compelling him to repeat the year's work even if his rank falls a little low. Few of our pupils will require this aid continuously for a year. We are finding that in a short time many of these backward pupils are enabled to keep up with their classes for a while unaided by the special teacher. The special teacher then works with some other pupil more in need of help. The special teacher is not an assistant to the regular teacher in that she is to perform a part of the regular work with the whole class. Indeed the special teacher should never find it necessary to work with over twenty-five per cent of the pupils in a given class. If more than ten or twelve per cent of a class find it impossible to do the work at hand then we may be sure that there is some serious defect somewhere in our school machinery. So the place of the special teacher is not in front leading the class in any of its work, but in the rear gathering up the stragglers lest any fall by the wayside. Wherever the schools are so organized as to give more than thirty pupils to each teacher there will always be work for a special teacher. If the class does not exceed thirty pupils the regular teacher will find time for the necessary individual instruction.
In East Saugus and Cliftondale the work of the special teachers is too large to be done effectively by two teachers. One day per week in a four-room building is not sufficient to secure immediate and permanent results. Another teacher, even for a part of the year, would add much to the effectiveness of this work.
Last year in those schools where special teachers were em- ployed the failures were ten per cent. In these same schools for the year ending in June, 1908 the failures were fifteen per cent. This means that the three special teachers for the time they were employed last year prevented sixty failures, possibly more.
18
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
Manual Training.
Since September bench work for boys and sewing for girls have been carried on one hour per week in the eighth and ninth grades. Also some pupils in the High School have taken the work at the same time with the above named classes. The following schedule shows the time devoted to this work.
Bench Work.
Mondays in Old Town Hall. 8.45-10, A Division of Grade IX. IO-II, Roby School, Grade VIII. 12-1.15, B Division of Grade IX.
1.30-2.30, Felton School, Grade VIII.
2.30-3.30, East Saugus and Lincoln Avenue, Grade VIII.
While the boys are away for bench work the sewing teacher goes to the schools and gives the girls sewing lessons.
The work is good as far as it goes. The teachers are com- petent and the pupils are interested. An exhibition of the work will be made in June. Next September the work should be expanded if we wish to secure results that make it worth while to attempt a course of manual training in our schools.
The next step in expansion is to give the ninth grade two hours of work per week. At present, the entire work of a year is less than one week of continuous work. As an apprentice in any work a boy could not learn very much in so short a time.
Our next step would be to start the work in the seventh grade one hour per week. Some of our pupils leave school before entering the eighth grade. These may be the ones most in need of manual training. For those who complete the eighth or ninth grades this earlier training is needed in order that they may profit to the fullest extent from the opportunities that we are now offering.
Our next step would be to extend the work to the first two years of the High School. Some of the lathe work by the High School pupils could be done while the other classes are doing bench work and thus lessen the time for which a teacher would
19
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
be needed. Five hundred dollars for added equipment would be ample for doing all this work.
So far I have been speaking of the training for the boys. The same amount of time should be given to the girls. Sewing one hour per week for grades seven and eight, cooking two hours per week for the ninth grade and sewing and cooking for the first two years of the High School. One cook room in the High School at a cost of $500 would be sufficient for all time.
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