USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1919 > Part 8
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We do not believe that the people of Swampscott need to be ad- vised in this matter. They know that a good school system cannot exist without good teachers and that good teachers cannot be se-
81
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
·
cured without a proper and adequate renumeration for their services. The teachers of Swampscott have applied themselves to their task without complaint during the war. Many of them have refused better positions in the industrial world because of their loyalty to the cause of education and their belief that in time they would be paid for their labors. In order that they inay be relieved of the care and worry of trying to make both ends meet on an insufficient income, and in order to establish a standard that shall attract to our schools a class of teachers who will meet all the requirements of the period which we are now entering, the citizens of the town will undoubtedly place their indorsement upon the appeal of the teachers for a higher wage.
The question of more school room has dragged along until a critical situation is at hand. It is to be hoped that nothing will obstruct a speedy consummation of the project for the Machor school district. A new building has been needed for several years because of the shortcomings of the present structure, not only in the matter of room but also in other important requirements. It has outlived its usefulness as a schoolhouse and should be aban- doned at the earliest possible moment. If a new building is not ready for occupancy at the opening of the next school year it prob- ably will be necessary to hire temporary quarters or purchase another portable building.
Your committee believes it has discharged its dutres with an eye upon the necessity for economizing wherever possible. The situa- tion following the war has upset the markets and advanced prices upon many materials. Books, paper, and in fact everything that is used in the schools, have greatly increased, and there is no in- dication of any appreciable reduction. Notwithstanding this the committee, with the careful attention of the superintendent, suc- ceeded in keeping closely to its schedule without recourse to the town for additional funds. Although threatened for a time with a shortage of coal, an adequate supply has been maintained and the schools never have been closed on this account.
The committee is applying itself at all times to the problem of broadening the scope of its educational facilities, of making the school system of. Swampscott an ever-growing medium of thorough Americanization and civic training for the prospective citizen of the next generation. It is its desire to turn out loyal and conscien- tious young men and women who will thoroughly understand and appreciate the American institutions which have made their edu- cation possible and become patriotic and useful citizens in what- ever communities they may ultimately take up their residence.
The committee has had the loyal support of the superintendent and teachers in the work of the past year. Not a note of serious complaint or discontent has been voiced The harmonious working of the machinery of the schools has tended to bring a maximum of results under somewhat trying conditions. The co-operation and sympathy of the citizens of the town has been of great help, and your committee expresses its thanks to the conimunity for its sup-
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
port. It has put forth its best endeavors to maintain for Swamp- scott a school system of which it may be proud, and it hopes that during the ensuing year the mothers and fathers of the children will make a special effort to frequently visit the schools and offer such suggestions as they think will tend to improve them.
Very respectfully,
EDWARD TILLOTSON, Chairman, A. W. STUBBS, JOHN VANNEVAR.
83
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
REPORT OF SECRETARY OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Members of the School Committee:
In accordance with the annual custom I herwith take pleasure in submitting the financial statement of the School Department for the year ending December 31, 1919:
General Expenses.
General
High
Elementary
School Committee
$552 18°
Superintendent
3,390 51
Expenses of Instruction
Supervisors
5,514 34
Principals
$2,559 12
$3,210 00
Teachers
11,539 54
26,084 36
Text Books
495 55
975 29
Supplies
892 11
1,151 44
Expenses of Operation
Janitors
1,240 00
3,139 00
Fuel
326 59
3,571 56
Miscellaneous operating
756 86
1,333 73
Expenses of Maintenance
Repairs, etc.
703 96
841 47
Auxiliary Agencies
Libraries
58 53
Health
122 00
Transportation
378 82
Miscellaneous Expenses
Tuition
141 50
Sundries
668 80
Outlay Expenses
New Equipment
1,275 03
Totals
$12,101 71
$18,297 73
$40,306 85
Appropriation for the year
$70,720 00
Expended in year
70,706 29
Balance reverting to the treasury
$13 71
84
TOWN DOCUMENTE.
[Dec. 31
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee of the Town of Swampscott:
Gentlemen: Each year, in making a report to you, it is customary for me to review the educational situation in the town, and make certain recommendations of necessary steps to be taken. Sometimes a new plan of action is laid out.
Every year as i start to make this report, I refer to the report of the year before. To do this always brings up the question of the extent to which the work in the schools during the past year has followed the prophecy and promise which seemned so sound and valid a year ago. Accordingly, I am going here to revert to the line of action that I pointed out last year. In my report then, 1 find this paragraph:
"In this report 1 shall consider, ---
First: The relation of our schools to three forms of educa- tion which our recent national experience has eniphasized: Physical education, vocational education and Americanıza- tion; and
Second: Several local problems which the administration of our own schools brings particularly to the front this year. They are: The Junior High School, school accommodations, hours of sessions, costs, and salaries of teachers."
Assuming that the problems thus stated are real ones, and assum- ing that the stand taken last year in connection with their develop- ment was sound, I am really called upon to find out to what extent the line of action has been followed. In case this course has not been followed, I should point out, at least to myself, the reasons for the non-fulfillment of our plans.
In connection with the first problem, that of Physical Education, the following extension of work was made in this recommendation:
That in September, we employ a woman teacher for physical training, and that she shall be instructor of organized gym- nasium work for the girls of the High School and that she shall institute a system of physical training for the element- ary schools and supervise the class room teachers in the teaching of the same. In addition to this I recommend that whenever possible we purchase necessary gymnasium equip- ment for use in the High School.
This recommendation was made because it seemed that such an extension would constitute an important step in giving our children a better preparation for participation in the duties of intelligent citizenship.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
Nothing has been done to follow out this recommendation. An article appeared in the warrant at the last annual town meeting, calling for an appropriation of less than $300 for this purpose. For some reason, which it is hard to understand or analize, the town voted against it.
The need, now, for extension of this work for the girls is just as necessary as it was then. Only a few weeks ago a person who was asked to coach our girls' basket ball team, attended one practise and reported back to me concerning the condition of the girls. This was her remark, "Isn't it a pity that these girls are so poorly developed, as far as general physique and posture are concerned."
It is to be hoped that this year the committee will find a way to install this work. It is possible for the committee to do this without a vote of the town meeting, since it is one of the powers given to the school committee by statute.
In this connection, Swampscott is not the type of community that should stay in the background in community progress and develop- ment. One has only to watch the tendency in the physical education bills that are being presented to the Massachusetts Legislature, to see that the State is soon going to demand an extensive program of compulsory physical education for all pupils. Why not be a little in advance of such compulsion? Surely to start a thing gradually is going to be better for the tax-payers than to jump immediately into such a large project.
The next program that was considered last year and in which a forecast was made, was that of vocational education. After discuss- ing the lack of trained workers in the United States, and the local situation in our High School with a lack of definite preparation for other careers than academic or commercial ones, I summarized the problem for us as follows: How can we make our training in the schools more contributory to the fifty per cent. of our pupils who leave our schools without definite training for the work which they are going to do?
The above problem was stated without any definite solution recom- mended, but it has been duly considered by the department during the past year. Lack of development, lack of progress in vocational education is caused to a great extent by the amount of funds that would be necessary to have to carry out a proper program. Progress is also slow because of the size of the town. Vocational education, of course, means activities in a large number of vocational directions.
In a place such as ours, where only a few would be given the ad- vantages of each course, the cost would be almost prohibitive.
The fact that these objections to proper vocational training exists in all small towns, points the way to the need for the State to in- augurate a state system of vocational training. As an illustration: In Lynn the State would have a general vocational school, or each characteristic industry in Lynn would have a school in conjunction with its own business, directed by the State. The pupils not only fron: Lynn, but from all surrounding towns, would have admission to these state schools or courses.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The following legislation which was passed last year, seems to in- dicate steps in that direction by the state: "Chapter 311, Special Acts of 1919, provides that all towns in which 200 or more minors under sixteen years of age were employed, while schools were in session during the year January 1, 1919, to December 31, 1919, under authority of employment certificates or home permits, shall, and that others may, establish and maintain continuation schools. Chap- ter 311, Special Acts of 1919, provides that all minors under sixteen years of age September, 1920, and employed while schools are in session, by authority of employment certificates, must attend con- tinuation schools in the town (city) of employment if that town (city) is required to maintain continuation schools."
These laws apply, of course, merely to the pupils who leave school and go to work. But the trend of development in vocational training would seem to indicate that this movement of the State is merely the beginning of state control of vocational training.
In the meantime, however, we have made some progress ourselves, and I believe that we should make more. In the commercial course of the High School we have allowed pupils to begin typewriting their first year in the Senior High School. This gives them three years of book-keeping and typewriting, and two years of stenography. There is no reason why a pupil who tends to business in High School, should find it necessary to take work in a business college in order to be fitted for an ordinary position.
Academic course is a career just as much as the shoe industry. There have been an unusually large number of pupils in our school who wish to go to college, and indications are that this number is increasing. Outside of arrangement in the course of study, no factor is at all important in this, except good teaching. Good teaching, in the end, depends upon the amount of salary the town is willing to pay, and the attention that is given to the teaching by the super- visory force. Perhaps right here a statement would be proper of the fact that our High School at the present time has the college cer- tificating privilege of the college entrance board. It has also been placed in class A by the State Board of Education in its rating for those schools which prepare for higher institutions or learning.
Nothing interferes with progress in academic work so much as changing a teacher in a subject. During the last school year four teachers in the High School resigned for better positions. All of these teachers were teaching academic subjects: French, English and Latin. It must be acknowledged that frequent changes are a bad thing for progress in these subjects or in any subject. Another attempt to better serve those pupils who are preparing for college, is the change in the Junior High School program, which you have just sanctioned. This change involves allowing pupils in the second year of the Junior High School during the last half year, to elect four hours a week of Latin, or four hours' a week of Algebra, or both. In the Lynn schools, in the last year, some attention is given to Algebra. As there seems to be an increasing number of Lynn people moving to Swampscott, whose children are taking the aca-
87
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
demic course, this change seems all the more imperative. At the present time, there are six families in Lynn who pay tuition so that their children may attend our Junior High School.
Probably one of the most important careers upon which most of the pupils of the High School, who do not go into academic com- mercial careers, enter upon, is that of salesmanship. Courses in salesmanship, that teach modern methods with the best instructors, are not found in every High School. Yet we should plan in the near future to enter upon this work, for by so doing we are going to better prepare for definite careers our young people.
It is customary in some progressive places where such courses have been inaugurated, to enter upon some co-operative program with a local Chamber of Commerce. By this plan one half expenses would be met by the houses comprising the Chamber of Commerce, and the other half would be met by the town. In return for their share of the financial burden, the houses represented would expect to send a limited number of students to take advantage of these courses. In an appendix to this report is an abstract of such a course in sales- manship. 'This has been drawn up with the above co-operation in view, by the Lynn Chamber of Commerce.
Americanization
To return to the recommendations made one year ago: In discuss- ing the question of Americanization in Swampscott, I venture the hope that before the year would be over, the committee would make an attempt to enroll all our illiterate foreigners in evening classes, with the hope of teaching them the American language, and thus American thoughts and ideals. It must be said here that since that time I have not recommended any definite steps to carry out this thought. During the year the School Committee received a letter from the Board of Selectmen, urging that everything possible be done to carry out the above recommendations to the letter.
The reason for lack of progress in this direction is again due to lack of funds to make the work a success. At the time the above recommendation was made it seemed possible that, with our present office and teaching force, a start could be made. Now I do not think it possible; rather it seems imperative that when we are ready to add this most desirable feature to the work of the department, we should designate some teacher of experience to give to the project all her time. She should find out, first of all, what Americanization is, what has been done in other places and should make a survey of foreigners in our town, with the object of finding out what is necessary to be done in our own paticular community.
It is doubtful that anything can be definitely recommended for the expenditure of money this year, in connection with Americanization. It is difficult to pick out, when one sees a number of worthy projects in education, that limited number of such, to which one can recom- mend the turning of the tax payers' money. But since the need of a much larger salary for teachers is so imperative, and since upon
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
this need the very life of the public education in the country depends, it is little that cannot wait until the primary need is met.
In the foregoing paragraphs of this report, I have taken account of what has been done during the year toward fulfilling the inten- tions declared a year ago. The problems thus reviewed are national in scope, and indicative of the prevailing general tendency in edu- cation in America today. In addition to these, we have certain local problems which it has been customary to consider.
Teachers' Salaries
The question of the teacher's salary has both its local and national significance. It is properly the most important subject to be con - sidered by a school committee or any body that has an interest in the schools. The question has a number of aspects. First, as it concerns public education in America, and, second, as it concerns the teachers themselves. And in the end the two aspects are insep- arably bound. A few of the significant things about the salary ques- tion so far as public education is concerned, are these: Guarantee- ing the American point of view in teaching, and providing for the supply of future educators.
Those who are studying this problem say that teaciiers can not continue to live on a lower plane as wage earners than those types of workers, unskilled, with a low standard of living, whose wages, as everybody knows, have fabulously advanced since the beginning of the war, and continue to have that faith, enthusiasm and idealism that is necessary for teaching patriotism. No one attempts to say that this teacher or that teacher will loose faith in the justice that the American Democracy administers. But surely there is danger that enthusiasm and sincerity will be lacking in the teaching of Americanism by those who continue, through the wills of town gov- ernments, state governments, and national government, to remain lamentably low in the wage scale.
The other aspect of this question which concerns the nation at large is that if the salaries of teachers continue to be as low as they are, young students will not be attracted to the normal schools and to teachers' colleges for preparation. Not only in Massachusetts, but elsewhere in the country, this shortage of teachers in preparation is noticed and admitted. This is so alarming that the United States Commissioner of Education has sent out circulars urging school men to present the need to high school pupils, so that they may be in- duced to enter the teaching profession. Of course, he does not expect any results in this until towns and cities throughout the country make the pathway of this profession more possible, financially
Locally the schools have suffered within the last three years on account of the comparatively low salary scale. A report of this sort, made public, is not the place to point out illustrations of this state- ment. But the thing is so definite in my mind that I am able to give definite cases and names, showing where desirable teachers have left for a larger salary and where teachers of a type of culture scarce
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
in Swampcott have been brought to our schools because we could not offer a maximum salary sufficient to attract a group that is more in accord with our standard of education, and standard of living in Swampscott.
It seems that a great world-crisis found this and other countries unprepared. One of the arguments always used against preparation is the expense involved And to any one who thoughtfully and con- scientiously looks ahead in the field of education today, it seems that the public, for not being willing to undergo the expense of prepared- ness, will pay in the long run enormous costs, not only in money, but in loss of educational and cultural standards until the "former order" shall be restored in the schools of the country.
Viewing this from the standpoint of the teacher, it is only fair to her as a worker, that she should have a substantial increase. Not only as a worker who asks for an increase in wage, when workers in other lines have received far more than she even ventures to ask for, but a worker among workers, in that her standard of living is necessarily higher than that of those in other lines of work than the distinctly professional.
School Accommodations
A glance at appendix B to this report, will show that since last fall there has been a substantial increase in each school. The ac- tual increase in membership over a year ago is approximately ninety pupils. Of course this stretching the accommodations to provide for all, cannot be indefinitely continued. I believe that unless the accommodations are ready in the Machon district in the fall, the situation will be critical.
The large increase in the membership of the Hadley school build- ing, which comprises both the Junior High School and elementary grades, is due to the fact that the Palmer school is growing and that pupils come from the fifth grade of the Palmer school to the Hadley school. Of course the Hadley school district does not grow, and an increase of membership at the Hadley school is always in- dicative of congested conditions in some of the out-lying districts. While speaking of school houses it occurs to me that something should be done about putting in satisfactory condition the other school properties, to make them appear as presentable as the Hadley school grounds. Of course the Machon school yard may be elimi- nated, with the new building in prospect. But the self respect of the town should oblige it to decorate similarly to the Hadley school yard, the yards of the Palmer school, Clarke school and high school. 1 recommend that an article be put in the warrant for the annual town meeting, asking for an appropriation to have the properties referred to above, thus improved.
The Junior High School
The only change that has been made at the Junior High School is the introduction as an elective, of Aglebra and Latin in the second
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
half of the school year. The reason for this change has been given in a foregoing section. As the Junior High School is a compara- tively new institution in Swampscott, I give the revised program of studies, so that it may be readily acessible to all the townspeople who have the report.
Swampscott Junior High Grade Program of Studies 1919-1920
Subjects that are set down as Required must be taken by all stu- dents. Those that are set down as Elective are to be taken by such students as may desire to take them.
For each class the number of points required and the maximum number of points allowed are set down. The points are indicated by figures following each subject.
Class I.
REQUIRED
ELECTIVE
Hours or Points. 5
Hours or Points.
English
Extra English 2
History and Geography 5
Extra Arithmetic 2
Hygiene
2
Penmanship
3
Arithmetic
4
Drawing
2
Music
Con. French
3
Cooking
2
Manual Training 2
1. Twenty-two points are required and a maximum of 26 points allowed.
2. Extra English and extra Arithmetic are for pupils whose pa- rents believe that work in that direction is more profitable than that afforded by some of the other subjects listed. They are also for pupils who will be assigned to take work because of a deficiency in scholarship which might thus be remedied.
Class Il.
ELECTIVE
REQUIRED
Hours or Points.
English
7
Arithmetic
4
History and Geography 5
Algebra
4
Music
1
Extra Arithmetic
2
Pennmanship
3
French
4
Latin
4
Drawing
2
Household Arts 2 or 6
Manual Training 2 or 6
Twenty-two points are required and a maximum of 26 points allowed.
Hours or Points.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1919]
Class III. REQUIRED
Hours or Points.
English
5
Commercial Civics
4
Music
1
ELECTIVE
Hours or Points.
Hours or Points.
Algebra
5
Commercial Geography .. 4
Arithmetic
4
Penmanship 2
Latin
5
Household Arts 2 or 6
French
5
Manual Training 2 or 6
General Science
4
Freehand Drawing 2
Mechanical Drawing 2
Twenty-two points are required in this class and a maximum of 27 points allowed.
The French course given in this class is continued from Class 2 and can not be taken unless pupils have previously had French.
In Household Arts or Manual Training, pupils may take either two periods a week or six periods a week. The six periods a week course in Household Arts is particularly valuable and includes Cooking, Dietetics, Dressmaking, Millinery and House Furnishing.
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