USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1917-1919 > Part 8
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8
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The following list gives the most important repairs accom- plished during the year :
High School .- Tinting walls of Study Hall.
Felton .- Installation of fire doors.
North Saugus .- Lengthening of fire escape.
Mansfield .- Tinting all walls.
Roby .- Installation of two new grate irons for furnace. Plastering repaired. Armitage .- Minor repairs.
Oaklandvale .- Painting part of building.
Cliftondale .- New platforms.
Emerson .- Installation of fire doors.
Installation of teachers' toilet.
All Schools .- Whitewashing basements and various plumbing repairs.
The following list gives the alterations and repairs necessary throughout the entire school system.
High School .- Building of cement walks to all entrances of the building.
Changing stereopticon apparatus from the old assembly hall to new assembly hall.
Installation of additional drinking fountains. Connect old High School with heating plant of Junior High School. - Putting coat of cement on basement floor.
Repairs to line fence. Repairing electric clock.
Roby .- Installation of electric light fixtures in rooms ,and halls.
Building of large coal pocket in basement.
Steam boiler repaired with installation of new piping. Repairing line fences.
Tinting of walls in all rooms.
Felton .- Installation of electric lights in entire building.
Desks revarnished. New plumbing in toilets.
Oaklandvale .- Painting of building.
Purchase of new stove. Remodeling first floor and installation of heating apparatus. Repairing inside doors. Tinting of walls
9
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1917]
Ballard .- Oiling floors. Repairing walls and ceilings. Heaters cleaned.
Armitage .- Installation of electric lights. Desks repaired.
Lincoln .- Shingling roof. Interior painting.
Lynnhurst (Old Building)- New curtains. Tinting of walls. Interior painting.
Emerson .- Regrading school yard and repairing wall. Resetting of furnace. Repairing of outside conductors. Repairing drain to conductors.
Cliftondale .- Refinishing desks.
Installation of teachers' toilet.
Installation of electirc lights. Curbing in front of lot.
Mansfield .- Double windows for cellar.
Larger furnaces installed. Installation of electric lights.
Re-placing old floors with new hard wood floors.
North Saugus .- No recommendations made in view of the fact that Committee has been appointed to investigate conditions and report at Town Meeting.
At the meeting of the Committee Held January 7, 1918, the following budget was adopted for the year 1918. This budget has been prepared with great care and study. It shows you exactly the amount needed to carry on the work of the School Department and maintain the efficiency of the system.
General expenses $3,237 00
Teachers' Salaries.
High and Junior High 15,550 00 Elementary.
· 30,320 00
Music, drawing, domestic and manual training · 3,970 00
IO
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Text Books and Supplies.
High and Junior High
$1,800 00
Elementary
2,400 00
Manual Training
250 00
Commercial Department
150 00
Domestic Science
75 00
Tuition
600 00
Transportation .
1,000 00
Support of Truants, Essex County
95 00
Janitor service, High and Elementrry .
5,496 00
Fuel and Light.
Coal, wood, gas and electricity-High
3,450 00
Coal, wood, gas and electricity-Elementary
5,490 00
Buildings and grounds, inside repairs .
2,200 00
Buildings and grounds, outside repairs
800 00
Janitor supplies .
150 00
Miscellaneous
900 00
Total needed for the year 1918
$77,933 00
Amount expended for the year 1917 69,885 85
Increase over 1917 .
$8,047 15
Regarding school expenditures, the following letter from State Commissioner of Education, Payson Smith, is printed for your information and guidance.
Massachusetts Board of Education, State House, Boston, January 2, 1918.
To the Members of the School Committee :
With the approach of the annual town meetings, when the question of appropriations is to be taken up, our people should give thoughtful attention to the unusual conditions confronting the schools. Increased costs in every direction bring the towns and cities face to face with the necessity of increasing school appropriations for the coming year. The schools have never before required more thoughtful attention to their needs, and it will not be safe to handicap them with a policy of retrenchment.
It is worthy the attention of the American people that, in spite . of enormous expenditures for war purposes, France is giving
II
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT.
1917]
unprecedented attention to her public schools, and England, for the current year, increased her expenditures for public education 30 per cent over that for any preceding year.
In the school year, 1915-16, Massachusetts expended approxi- mately $27,000,000 for public education. This amount was increased to $28,500,000 for the school year, 1916-17. This increase of approximately 6 per cent shows the serious intention of our people to maintain a vigorous educational policy. In view of the present situation, Massachusetts cannot afford to relax in any degree her efforts to carry on her schools at highest efficiency .
Education is a long-time investment. Its purposes is to pro- tect democracy through the right training of the youth. Even temporary interference with this purpose, through inadequate financial support, may seriously impair the quality of our future citizenship. In the present crisis, it is imperative that towns and cities give careful consideration to the needs of the schools.
Sincerely yours, PAYSON SMITH, Commissioner of Education.
Conclusion.
Your particular attention is invited to the report of the Super- intendent of Schools and Principal of the High School.
Respectfully submitted
ARTHUR S. EDMANDS, Chairman. LAWRENCE E. MORSE, Secretary. MRS. ANNA C. PARKER. ERNEST W. HOMAN. C. F. NELSON PRATT.
10
I 2
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT.
I concur with the report as rendered but herewith submit the following as a supplemental statement. In nearly all com- munities, committees are prone to follow custom and submit only a routine report, but to my mind advanced thought in edu- cational matters should be submitted to the people.
The subsequent matter is presented after careful perusal of reports by U. S. Commissioner of Education Claxton and other authorities on education, incident with views of my own of such material, although progressive in nature, as should be of interest to Saugus citizens.
Gardening for School Children.
Education should be adjusted so as to overcome the problems of centralization of population in affairs associated with the home. Traditional methods of training do not meet effectively, present needs. Productive gardening offers an effective way of bringing the boys and girls into closer relationship with their environment and the affairs of life.
Unused land at the Town Farm and vacant lot gardening, if for no other reason than an economic one should be brought under cultivation. Something different in education is deman- ded, not better methods, but for a more democratic system. Local organizations who wish to promote gardening should assist the committee so as to centralize the work. The unused land and unproductive time of the children might be used to con- tribute to the wealth of the home and community.
Physical Training.
Physical exercises tend to develop the dash and vigor of our race and are a great factor in the formation of the spirit of unity without which a school is sadly incomplete. No system of edu- cation is complete which does not embody the development of the bodily powers as well as the mental faculties. A nation to be stable needs physical strength as well as force. A man must have both physical strength and mental condition to be success- ful in life. Physical training should be carried on to a greater extent in our Public Schools.
I3
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1917]
New Rules and Regulations.
The School Committee to my knowledge has no set of rules and regulations to govern the Superintendent, teachers and the school system. As a special committee on this subject I drew up, with assistance of the superintendent, a set of rules and regulations and presented them to the committee. Only a part have been adopted, but no date has been set as to when they shall take effect. There is a great need of them, for they would faci- litate matters greatly for the committee and also assist the Super- intendent materially in the governing of the school system.
Some of the more important of the proposed rules are as follows :
Records of the committee to be kept in the superintendent's office, where it would be possible for any citizen at any time to peruse them.
An Auditing Committee to go over and audit all the bills and pay rolls before their presentation to the committee. This should put the committee on a better working and business basis.
Public meetings of the committee, except executive sessions which may be voted when conditions warrant them. This is in accord with the spirit of the day, when democracy is the watch- ward and the people desire to know more about their govern- ments.
Press representatives to be admitted at all meetings except executive sessions.
Superintendent to be the executive officer of the committee. This would avoid School Committee assuming work and responsi- bility which rightfully belongs to the superintendent.
Supplies and equipment to be purchased by the superintendent and no member of the committee shall have the power to make purchases.
Teacher's Agencies.
In view of the fact that Saugus offers professional opportunity for teachers, it often gets the best, although the salary is not sufficient to retain them all. Many of the teaching staff in our schools have come thru private agencies, reaching as high as 40 per cent of the total number of teachers in the year, 1916-17. Agency fees decrease the teacher's net salary. For the teachers to come in this manner savors too much of a Padrone system.
The business of agencies is one in which fraud and imposition are peculiarly possible and as it requires but little or no capital, it may be taken up by irresponsible and unscrupulous persons.
14
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The business is run to get fees, and not to obtain positions for teachers or to aid the school departments of various communi- ties in filling vacancies in their teaching staff. Who can say, but that superintendents have been subsidized to create vacancies, to increase profits of the agencies ?
Teachers should be obtained thru the State Agency, Normal schools, colleges and sources other than the private teacher's agencies.
Heating and Instuction for Janitors.
A policy of education to avoid waste in our heating systems should be adopted. Economy cannot be practised as thoroughly now as under normal conditions, owing to the coal shortage, its poor quality and the severe weather.
When conditions right themselves the following matter should be given serious consideration.
Modern and common sense heating systems should be installed to replace old and inadequate ones.
Coal should be purchased according to the value of the heat units it contains. Coal of less than about 14,000 heat units per pound, should be purchased as an inferior quality and less money paid for it.
The committee should take steps to educate the janitors by means of courses for instruction to get more efficiency out of the coal. Only about 50 per cent of efficiency is now obtained, but this is not due to any fault of the janitor as they have no instruc- tions or tables to guide them.
Ashes should be carefully screened to avoid unnecessary waste.
Daily coal records should be kept in all schools to compute the quantity and efficiency of the coal used.
Temperature regulating apparatus should be installed, as the expense, although considerable, would be more than counter- balanced by the saving of fuel consumption incident to a regu- lated class room.
Respectfully submitted,
C. F. NELSON PRATT.
1
15
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1917]
FINANCIAL STATEMENT EDUCATION School Department
General expenses.
Superintendent's salary . $1,920 00
Secretary.
50 00
Attendance officers 150 00
Attendance officer special, I 50
School physicians
300 00
Clerk .
70 20
Printing, stationery,
postage
.
237 70
Telephone
132 09
Traveling expense
51 52
Oil
49 40
Advertising .
II 88
Services of police .
6 00
Keys
.
I 00
All other
4 50
$2,985 79
Teachers' Salaries.
High and Junior High $12,976 40
Elementary . . 27,696 IO
Music, drawing, sewing and manual training . 3,415 20
44,087 70
Text Books and Supplies.
High and Junior High.
Books .
$863 72
Supplies
927 74
1,791 46
Elementary.
Books .
$938 61
Supplies
1,991 75
2,930 36
Manual training.
Supplies
117 40
Amount carried forward, $51,912 71
16
TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
Amount brought forward,
$51,912 71
Commercial Department.
Supplies
36 0I
Domestic Science.
Supplies
14 76
Tuition.
Tuition
505 20
Transportation.
Electrics
$523 75
School barge
325 02
Use of horses and driv-
ing barge .
300 00
1,148 77
Support of Truants.
Essex County 85 57
Janitor's Service.
High
. $1,131 36
Other
· 3,594 69
4,726 05
Fuel and Light.
High.
Coal and wood . $1,310 83
Gas and electricity
143 20
1,454 03
Other.
Coal and wood . $4,847 47
Gas and electricity
78 85
4,926 32
Building and Grounds. Interior Repairs.
Carpentry and painting . $429 20
Plumbing
533 92
Masonry 160 45
Electrical .
60 63
Glass, shades etc. 186 II
Other
13 39
1,383 70
Amount carried forward,
$66,193 12
+
-
1917]
Amount brought forward,
$66,193 I2
Outside Repairs.
Carpentry and painting
$422 57
Masonry
16 84
Other
3 60
443 0I
Furniture and Furnishings
High
$33 30
Other .
25 25
Janitor's Supplies.
High
$67 69
Other
64 39
Other Expenses.
Diplomas, Graduation
expenses
$30 84
Water
472 85
Disinfectant
8 10
Express
54 93
Paper towels
12 40
Batteries
2 IO
Hooks
I 00
Fire extinguisher .
87 00
Teaming, schoolhouse,
North Saugus
60 50
Baler
31 44
Cleaning vaults
37 00
Tuning and repairing piano
5 50
All other
13 84
$817 50
Unpaid bills, 1916, general,
235 16
Unpaid bills, 1916, repairs . 256 52
Manual Training.
Expenses.
Labor on benches ' $68 00
Benches
.
195 00
Lumber
. . 38 70
Amount carried forward,
$68,135 94
58 55
132 08
I7
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
18
TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
Amount brought forward, $68,135 94
Tools .
124 62
Express
5 00
Moving and installing
seats .
51 80
Electrical work
169 70
Painting walls
68 00
Bookcase and cabinets .
108 80
829 62
Domestic Science.
Expenses.
Carpenter work
$412 19
Electrical work
14 17
Gas range
38 88
Steam table .
39 39
Knives, forks, spoons, etc.
77 05
Furniture
36 36
Changing and installing sink, range, etc. .
240 00
Fruit jars
.
I 00
Dishes
. .
50 00
Express
.
II 25
920 29
Total for education 69,885 85
4
61
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1917]
Report of the Superintendent.
To the School Committee of the Town of Saugus :
The twenty-fifth 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.
Teachers.
The least commendable feature of your school system is the length of service of some of your best teachers. The two fre- quent change even of excellent teachers tends to lessen the effici- ency of the school system. Consequently, we are unable to get from the teaching force its maximum efficiency. The condi- tions 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 mini- mum salary at the start with only an annual increase of $50 we have nothing left to retain the efficient teacher much longer than two years. The efficiency of any school system depends largely upon the corps of teachers. The efficiency of a teacher depends to a large extent upon her compensation. Even though teachers are altruistic and most of them are, they cannot do their work well if the work they are doing does not afford them a compe- tence. A teacher who must give a large part of her thought and energy in trying to make both ends meet cannot give her best thought and attention to her school. The salary of a teacher should be such as to warrant a comfortable home, including board, room, laundry and incidentals, together with a fair allow- ance for clothing, medicine, recreation, support of the church, periodicals and sufficient amount to permit her to spend the summer in some profitable way, either in travelling, attendance at Summer School, a chautauqua, or at a place for absolute rest.
20
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
When more than two-thirds of a teacher's salary is expended for board, room and laundry during the current weeks of the school year, one can readily see how far below the above standard, the life of a teacher must be. Teachers should be well paid, not for the benefit of the teachers alone, but in order that they may have greater efficiency and consequently prove of greater worth to the community. A revised salary schedule will be submitted to the Finance Committee. While it will not be sufficient to meet all the terms enumerated above in the fullest measure, it will relieve the anxiety to which teachers are now subjected regarding the relative proportions of their income and expenses. The majority of teachers in Saugus are not receiving a sufficient salary to provide for all their necessities throughout the entire year. Many teachers must make other provisions for several items of expense, such as clothing and the necessary expenses during the summer time. Is it right that teachers who labor earnestly ten months in the year should be expected to give their attention to other means of support during the summer months, when there is sofmuch need for recreation and recupera- tion? Let us look at the matter fairly and squarely on purely business principles and ask ourselves the question whether our schools would not be much better off, much more efficiently taught, if our teachers were paid a salary commensurate with the service which they are expected to render.
I know that both the tax rate and the assessed valuation of property are high, but I sincerely hope the town may see its way clear to make a sufficiently large appropriation so the Committee may grant a substantial increase in salary to each teacher.
Registrations. School. Roby, Coach
Mary K. Murphy
Ruth Willey
No. Saugus, 1-3
Adelaide MacAchorn Mansfield, 3rd.
Ethel M. Edwards
Roby, 5th.
Eva R. Baker Roby, Ist.
Ethel M. Sailer
Roby, 2nd.
Lucy M. Norris
High, History
Grace A. Smith
Elizabeth Hazen High, French High, English Roby, 2nd.
Johannah Spring
Amy C. Guilford Sarah J. Long
Mabel C. Willey
Mabel C. Fillmore
Alice L. Hart
Junior High Junior High High, Latin
Appointment. Eleanor Sullivan
Myrle R. Townsend Mildred Willard F. Belle Libby Julia J. Nourse Sarah J. Long
Gladys A. Merrill Mildred E. Tarr Harriet C. Campbell Clarice H. Kinsman Rachel C. Spaulding
.
1917]
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
2I
Mildred L. Davis High, English
Arthur L. Lundwall Manual Training William C. Houghton Manual Training Marion L. Canning Emerson, 3rd.
F. Belle Libby Edward R. Collier Ruth Powers
Roby, 5th. High, Science Domestic Science
Florence L. Little
Lincoln 5th.
Ruth E. Fearing High, Commercial David Hamblen, Jr.
Nellie L. Hadley
High, Algebra
Dorothy Bailey Eleanor W. Lee
Napoleon B. Corthell
Evelyn M. Clapp
Gladys I. Greenleaf
Ethel Gilpatrick Alice N. Partridge Eli'beth W. Sheridan
Sue L. Knight
Transfers.
Nellie A. Hanson, Ninth grade to Junior High, French Dept. Mary E. Francis, Ninth grade to Junior High, English Dept. Ruth, Burbank, Ninth grade to Junior High, English Dept. Katherine Holland, Ninth grade to Junior High, Mathematics. Nellie K. Bishop, Ninth grade to Junior High, Mathematics and Geography.
Mildred F. Lombard, Felton Third grade to Junior High, Music.
Katherine Moynihan, Ballard Eighth grade to Junior High, English Dept. .
Annie E. Nash, Ballard Seventh grade to Junior High, Mathematics.
Elizabeth E. Nelson, Felton Seventh grade to Junior High, Mathematics.
Mabel C. Willey, Ballard Sixth grade, to Junior High, Geography.
A. Louise Stetson, Ballard Sixth grade to Junior High, Reading.
Elizabeth Taylor, Felton Seventh grade to Felton Fourth.
Jennie H. Dunn, Lincoln Fourth to Felton Third.
Elizabeth M. Scoville, Ballard Eighth grade to Ballard Sixth. Gladys I. Greenleaf, Lynnhurst Fourth and Sixth grades to Roby Fifth.
Eleanor Sullivan, Coach to Roby First and Second.
New Appointments.
Domestic Science, Emma A. Bullard. Lynnhurst, 4-6, Gladys I. Greenleaf. North Saugus, 3-4, Mildred I. Flockton. Lynnhurst, 4-6, Sarah Bucknam. Felton, 5, Marion Fullerton.
Manual Training, Arthur Lundwall.
22
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Leave of Absence.
Mabel C. Willey, To enter Red Cross work. Nellie B. Colburn, To enter Clerical work, Washington, D. C.
Manual Training.
It gives me pleasure to report the removal of the Manual Training Department into the two fine rooms of the Old School Building. As the conditions under which a child does his work are most important, it is gratifying to be able to say that the schoolhouse on Main street is well adapted for manual training. The rooms are light and airy, and well ventilated. The space allotted to each boy and his bench gives him perfect freedom in the use of his tools and proper muscular development is not curtailed.
The equipment which consists of twenty good strong modern benches upstairs, and eighteen downstairs, containing a full com- plement of tools most commonly used, and an assortment of tools required in more advanced work, is such that the boy can be taught all the principles of wood working in a successful manner.
The course has been planned with reference to their educa- tional development and to fit them for any walk of life. The moral attribute of accuracy, truth in expression, attention to small details, exactness, self-reliance, and an inculcation of a sense of the dignity of manual work, are all of untold benefit to the boy wherever he may be placed to fill his part in life's struggle.
The boys show deep interest and an excellent spirit in their work. It has been our pleasure to receive and welcome some of the citizens and we only hope more will find their way to visit our department. A few extra tools and a band saw would greatly assist us the coming year.
School Gardens.
This is a most laudable feature of our school work. We feel greatly pleased over the success of this work, because it was organized and carried on so successfully under the direction of our local garden inspector, Ellery Metcalf. The work con- ducted in this way brings in intimate touch with the schools people and interests outside the schools. The tendency of our schools is to become too much isolated and under the manage- ment of experts. People are apt to lose interest. If our school
23
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1917]
gardening had no other result than to bring a body of worthy people in intimate relation with school work, it would be justified. Of course the direct results of the school gardens for the pupils are great and unquestioned, and we earnestly hope the work will be conducted as heretofore.
The chief value is, of course, not in the prizes, but in the stimulation of interest in gardening and in home industries. It forms a valuable adjunct to our courses of study in nature study in manual training and domestic science. The work done in this line will undoubtedly affect in a wholesome way the life interests of many of the pupils and will be of immense benefit to them by developing in them an enjoyment of rural or suburban life.
Parent=Teachers' Associations.
During the last three years Parent-Teachers' Associations have been organized in the Felton, Roby and Armitage districts.
Through these organizations the parents are learning much about the schools and what we are trying to do for the children that they never knew before, and they are taking a much more active interest, both in the education of their own children and in the general educational welfare of the town. The work of these associations has differed quite widely in the different parts of the town, each studying the special needs of its own district and, devoting its efforts to those needs. They have done much outside of strictly school circles to help their neighbors and to improve their districts.
These associations have the hearty co-operation and endorse- ment of the teachers, principals and Superintendent. Through them the parents may be correctly informed upon any educational question either of general or local interest, and when so informed, they may be depended upon to act intelligently and effectively for the best interests of their children. In behalf of the children, and school authorities, I thank them for what they have already done.
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