USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1870 > Part 4
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Thirteen female teachers of Intermediate schools,
40 weeks each at $82 .
4,420 00
Thirteen female teachers of Primary schools, 40
weeks each $72
3,900 00
$16,970 00
To some extent the arrangement of the schools for the past year has been different from former years. This is more particularly true of the Grammar schools taught by male teachers. After the decision
61
to employ five male teachers was made, the great difficulty of secur- ing competent teachers had to be met by the committee ; we accord- ingly advertised for candidates, and thirty presented themselves for examination, and the selection was made of five of those who passed the best examination and whose recommendations were sufficient.
The services of Mr. J. S. Preston, who came to us highly recom- mended as an efficient and thorough teacher in penmanship, were secured for three months during the summer term. By our agreement with him he was to instruct six hours each school day, in our various schools except the Primary, at twenty-five dollars per week. Those schools whose teachers took an interest in this department were bene- fited by his instruction.
The committee of course could not be sure that the persons selected as teachers would be successful in the instruction and government of the schools, but in most cases they have given good satisfaction. When any Grammar school taught by a male teacher has been within the same building or enclosure with other schools, we have thought it advisable to constitute the male teacher principal of said schools for the purpose of government and discipline, and to have general over- sight of the buildings and grounds therein contained.
AUTHORITY OF TEACHERS.
From this arrangement some difficulties have arisen, generally growing out of the extent of this jurisdiction. Perhaps it would be too much to expect that a new arrangement of this kind would go into operation without any difficulty or misunderstanding, till experi- ence had convinced the parents and teachers, as it has the committee, of the reasonableness of the rule. Some difficulty has also arisen from the enforcement of what seems to us the plain and evident duty of the teacher in regard to the government and conduct of pupils out- side of school limits, in their coming to and returning home from school. The following case, with Judge. Lord's charge to the jury, throws light upon this subject : -
" A criminal prosecution was commenced against L. M. Chase, the master of the Washington school, for punishing a boy for throwing stones, on his way home from school, at teams passing in the street. Judgment was rendered against the master by the Justice of the lower court ; but on appeal to the superior court for the county of Norfolk, the jury returned a verdict of 'not guilty,' without leaving their seats. In this case, the ground of complaint was not that the punishment was unduly severe, but that the teacher had no right to
62
inflict any punishment at all for an offence - no matter how gross and reprehensible - committed out of school hours."
The charge of Judge Lord, under which the master was acquitted, is noticeable for its clear statement of the law applicable to such cases. "The relation between the teacher and the scholar," said the Judge, " is a peculiar one. It partakes, while the pupil is in school, of a parental character, and is absolute and without appeal from any quarter, when exercised within its proper limits. Such also is the power of the parent. His authority is absolute at home, on the same conditions. A good parent desires to co-operate with the teacher, and is thankful for any proper correction of his child. A good teacher desires to aid parents by training his pupils in habits of good order and obedience to authority. Between the school and home the jurisdiction of the teacher and parent is concurrent.
If the teacher sees or knows a boy to violate the laws, if he finds him acquiring habits of a dangerous character, if he sees him becom- ing vicious, and his example injurious to others, or calculated to affect his own standing at school or at home, it is his duty to inter- fere to restrain and reform. For this purpose it is his right to pun- ish to a reasonable extent, if no other method will avail. But the teacher must hold himself responsible to the law in his punishment, and be careful not to transcend in severity its humane and proper limits."
We have thought it well to insert this charge of Judge Lord, in this report, in order that the law by which the relations of parents and teachers are to be determined, may be better understood by all concerned.
MONTHLY REPORTS.
The committee have adopted the plan of requiring the teachers to make monthly reports of their respective schools ; and from these re- ports they have made abstracts which have greatly aided them in estimating the comparative excellence of the several schools, of learn- ing important facts in relation to each, and of enabling them to dis- cern almost at a glance in what schools to require changes, reforms, &c. A copy of the blank reports used, and an abstract of said re- ports for the month of January, is as follows : -
WEYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MONTHLY REPORT FOR
To be made out at the end of each month and forwarded to School Committee.
1. Whole number of scholars connected with your school during the past month Male, Female, Total.
2. Average attendance,
ABSTRACT OF SCHOOL REPORTS OF WEYMOUTH, FOR THE MONTH ENDING JANUARY 20, 1871.
WRITTEN ARITHMETIC.
MENTAL ARITHMETIC.
GRAMMAR.
GEOGRAPHY.
Rending.
Spelling.
Writing.
Drawing.
HISTORY,
ALGEBRA.
NAMES OF SCHOOLS.
NAMES OF TEACHERS.
Grade.
Male Scholars.
Female Scholars.
Half- Days Absent.
Times Tardy.
Excused before close.
No. of Classes in Sebool.
No. of Scholars.
No. of Classes.
No. of Recitations
To what Page ad-
No. of Scholars.
No. of Classes.
No. of Recitations
To what Page ad
No. of Scholars.
No. of Classes.
per week.
vanced.
No. of Scholars.
No. of Classes.
No. of Recitations
To what Page ad-
No. of Classes.
No. of Times per
No. of Classes.
No. of Times per
Read and Spell.
No. of Scholars.
No. of Times per
No. of Scholars.
No. of Times per
No. of Scholars.
No. of Times per
To what Page ad-
No. of Scholars.
To what Page ad-
Philosophy. No. of Scholars.
French, No. of Scholars.
Latin, No. of Scholars.
Greek, No. of Scholars.
Chemistry, No. of Scholars.
Physiology, No. of Scholars.
Mental Philosophy.
English Literature.
Zoology.
Music.
North High. South High
H. H.
19
34
53 15.21
237
24
SO
23
18
Through 261
16 18
1
5 23
94
102
10
3
3
5
18
5
46
209
110
45
High Street
R. F. Curtis G.
46 13.2
11
10
3
85
40
5
108
46
2
85
5
1 1
102
108
59
Broad Street
J. W. Armington
G.
31
65,13.1
3
5
166
5
104
3
5
60
2
50
2
20
5
173
35
118 152 59
40
Inter through 3
171
33
101
Through
Through
41
F
89
49
42
2
165
128
87
Central Street
L. Brown
G.
42 12.48
283
15
42
5
1
10
42
. 14
Broad Street
A. A. Hayes F. G.
41
1
58 11.35
200
18
18
58
33
5.8
55
2-3
19
56
118
.2-5
120
129
Adams
E. French & Ass't,
25
24
49
9.35
200
25
25
28
24
45
46
5 2-10
2-10
35
78
25
3-5
3-5
260
Middle Street
L. L. Howe
21
46 10.75 214
38
38
33
4
4.1
2-21
33
182
46
4
5
00
5
4
40
التـ
51
Athens
L. C. Pratt .
I.
19
11
30 10.6
120
S
5
$55
30
5
10
10
30
1
I.
29
28 57|10.81
15
15
19
16
4
5
14
10
14
3
3
5
86
58
67
89
5
Pleasant Street
E. G. Parrot
24
46 10.57
52
132
16
15
16
111
83
4
35
45
Perkins
A. M. Richards .. I.
19
19
9.81
67
36
11
18
1
38
+
3
3
5
38
2
Mt. Pleasant
E. A. Bosworth
26
21 17 10.35 471
110
47
31
47
93
35
5
2
5
47
do.
A. M. Adlington .
23
20
9.45
284
45
10
43
75
20
1
10
Main Street .
L. L. Cushing
26
17
43 9.4
138
10
11
5
5
43
1
2
Central Street
27
2
48 11.6 165
80
48
20
1
109
48
3
5
5
2
do.
M. A. Merrill I.
28
6-
178
13
6
12
CO
5
39
55
5
110
1-10
19
1-10
3-
3-5
5
13
20
2
66
Pond Street .
E. J. White
I. M
13
34
262
17
21
D
5
110
20
P P. 122
149
6 2-10
$117
5
10
20
Randolph Street
A. C. Orentt .
21
28
171
34
12
4
55
10
41
10
36
16
3
4
65
17
24
Athens
M. F. Burrell
P.
29
60
:1
17
12
C
5
14
10
36
Middle Street .
23
21
11
319
98
20
15
5
28
IO
21
High Street
M. C. French
27
51
7.65
477
33
35
13
40
10
10
25
Pleasant Street
L. M. Hodgdon
P.
19
51
6.69|
261
128
UT 5
64
10
1-5
Grant Street
L. Totman
24
52
7.69
360
20
37
11
95
64
1
5
Commercial Street.
18
23
=
7.31
110
36
18
13
16
11
5
16
30
10
3-10
24
Perkins .
. A. Smith
16
36
6.45 360
16
21
2-2
P. 52
5
1
5
10
Mt. Pleasant
A. M. Baker
P
14
7.45
136
10
10
3
10
10
do.
M. L. Foye .
P.
23
5 8
28
10
20
1
50 40 57 70
15
5
30
3-5
25 12
Washington Street.
C. E. Spilstead
P.
2
46
200
64
42
13
19
29
4
58
5
3-5
96
2-10
Main Street .
L. T. Cushing .
16
52
130
13
10
13
32
4
5
45
2
1
8
10
10
P.
20
3
6.35 554
20
9
32
29
-1
+ 10
10
35
G.
40 12.45
114
52
15
18
107
1
130
Main Street
C. W. Fearing G.
30
50 12.1
79
10
=
1
5
118
80
19.3
45
50
58
12
4
5
4
58
5
2-5
M.
10
4
79
Through
Through
215 133
101 74
19 68
41
1-5
50
$31 §21 74
57
1-23 2-5
50
-21
96
19
1
4
99
77 75 77
83
44
96
55
63
S
1
17
78
10
10
43
3
38 89
F
1
F
10
108
96
45
Union Street
E. L. White
M.
21
48
332
12
10
17
9
19
P
5
80
18
00
109
124
92 20 30
TO
106
145
120
4
51
121 16:
5
10
10
80
47
173
13
56
21
16
2
Through
39
35
10
20
12
- 15
-1
31
4
40
Pratt
A. L. White
P.
280
11
30
17
8
18
10
4
80
Central Street . . .
L. L. Whitman . .
10
03
33 15
47
46 12.5
142
41
16
30
1
10
110
41
185
52
co 2
212
118
49 50
50
264
263
150
.
77 77
5
43
27 38
41
28
High Street .
M. W. Seymour
30 77
55
40
5
06
5
T
A. R. Rogers .
I.
13
48
2
47
98
39 48
21
7.50
36
15
120
121 190 250
Through
14
-
1
P
24
P.
10
1-1
all
10
14
15
2
10
10
.
5 2-10
10
Athens
G. A. Littlefield
G.
5
10
Astronomy,
Geology.
Geometry.
Book Keeping.
17
10
12
13
17
3
5
Physical Geography.
18
18
14
19
31
3
10
-1
per week.
vanced.
per week
vanced.
No. of Recitations
To what Page ad-
vanced.
week.
week.
week.
week
week.
vanced.
vaneed.
Total.
Average Age.
G. W. Shaw
F. B. Gamwell
13
10
238
Pratt
H. J. Clarke
M.
F
30
12 L.
55
-
T.
to
8.9
27
8.49
64 84 87
3-5 1-1
I. M.
9.48
13
P
28
E. J. Fay
P.
Through 35 35
85
1
6.9
P.
36
6.52
123
56
10
130
78
128
2
S. S. Thomas
P.
7.2
62
1-4
OSS
196
240
4
00
5
10
39
per week.
1
No. of Scholars that only
Rhetoric, No. of Scholars.
63
3. Number of scholars absent or tardy during the past month. Absent, Tardy,
4. Number of scholars exoused before the close of the morning or afternoon ses- sion during the past month.
5. Order and discipline of your school during the past month, and how does it compare with previous months,
6. Have you had any particular trouble, if so, what?
7. Is whispering or communication allowed in your school?
8. How many classes have you in your school including all departments of study?
9. Number of scholars, and how many classes in Written Arithmetic, and how often does each class recite?
10. Ditto for Mental Arithmetic.
11. Number of scholars, and how many classes in Grammar, and how often does each class recite ?
12. Number of scholars, and how many classes in Geography, and how often does each class recite ?
13. Does the whole school read and spell every day one or more times or what is your practice ?
14. How many classes in reading?
Method of Spelling?
How many classes in Spelling?
15. Do you require special attention to pauses, accent, emphasis, inflection, &c., in reading, so that all the scholars may become familiar with the rules?
16. How many scholars have you pursuing no study except reading and spelling?
17. How many of your scholars write, and how often do they write?
18. What system of penmanship do you use?
19. Are any other studies besides those mentioned above taken up in your school, if so what are they, and number of scholars in each?
20. Do you insist upon thoroughness in study?
21. Please.state under each department of study, when appropriate, what page in the text book classes have now reached.
22. Please state in your first monthly report for each term the number of scholars in your school of the age of 5, 6, 7, and so on up to the age of 21, reckoning ages from their last birthday.
23. Is the Bible read in your school according to the statutes, by whom and in what manner? '
24. Remarks.
Teacher.
64
The committee have also required the teachers to keep a record of the attendance, behavior and scholarship of each scholar in their school, and to forward a report thereof to parents or guardians at the close of each month, to be examined and signed by them before re- turned.
TRUANCY.
From the return of the assessors made to the committee, it appears that on the first day of May last, there were nineteen hundred and three persons, between the ages of five and fifteen years, residing in the town of Weymouth ; at least two hundred of these do not attend school as required by law. We believe that the enforcement of the accompanying By-Laws would tend to diminish the number of those who have thus failed to comply with the laws of the State.
BY-LAWS ON TRUANCY,
Adopted by the town of Weymouth, and approved by the Judges of the Supreme Judicial Court of Mass.
SECTION 1. Every person having under his control a child between the ages of eight and fourteen years, residing in the town of Wey- mouth, shall annually during the continuance of his control send such child to some public school in said town, at least twelve weeks ; six weeks of which shall be consecutive ; and for every neglect of such duty the party offending shall forfeit to the use of the town a sum not exceeding twenty dollars ; but if it appears upon the inquiry of the truant officers or school committee of the town, or upon the trial of any prosecution that. the party so neglecting was not able by reason of poverty to send such child to school, or that such child has been otherwise furnished with the means of education for a like period of time, or has already acquired the branches of learning taught in such schools, or that his bodily or mental condition has been such as to prevent his attendance at school or application to study for the period required, the penalty before mentioned shall not be incurred.
SECT. 2. Teachers having charge of pupils who are habitually truants, shall report in writing their names, the number of times absent with the dates for the same, and the names of their parents or guardians, to the committee or superintendent of the town, and it shall be the duty of either the committee or superintendent to inves- tigate cases so reported, and if in their judgment it shall be deemed
1
65
necessary they shall report the same to the truant officers, who shall prosecute such offenders. The party convicted of truancy under this section shall forfeit to the use of the town a sum not exceeding five dollars for the first, and a sum not less than five or more than ten dollars for each subsequent offence.
SECT. 3. Any minor convicted under either of the preceding sec- tions, may at the discretion of the justice having jurisdiction of the case, instead of the fines mentioned in said sections, be committed to any such Institution of Instruction, House of Reformation, Alms- house, or other suitable situation provided for the purpose, for such time, not exceeding two years, as such justice shall determine.
SECT. 4. A minor convicted of either of the offences mentioned in these By-Laws, and sentenced to pay a fine, may, in default of pay- ment, be committed to such Institution of Instruction, House of Reformation, Almshouse or other suitable place provided as aforesaid.
SECT. 5. Any trial justice shall have jurisdiction of complaints, made under the preceding sections. All warrants issued upon such complaints shall be made returnable before said justice at the place named in the warrants.
SECT. 6. The town shall appoint at the annual meeting, four the constables of the town as truant officers, who alone shall & authorized in case of violation of the preceding by-laws to mal , the complaint and carry into execution the judgment thereon.
TARDINESS AND ABSENCES.
The committee would call the attention of parents to the prevalence of tardiness and absences in some of our schools. The evil to our schools from these causes is under-estimated. The scholar who comes strolling in after the hour for commencing school has arrived, disturbs the school, attracts the attention of teacher and pupils, causes a sus- pension of recitations, and enters upon the study of the lessons of the day at a disadvantage. The evils resulting from absences are two- fold. First, the scholar absent injures himself. While he is absent his classes are advancing, principles are being explained to his classes by his teacher in a fuller and more explicit manner than afterward there may be an opportunity to do, and only those scholars present will grasp their meaning and relation. The principles also in one part of the book are the foundation of the principles that follow. A
5
66
scholar must understand the principles on which the lesson of the day hinges and which may have been previously developed before he can learn his lesson understandingly. Thorough and satisfactory prog- ress by the best of scholars can be made only by regular attendance. The boy who is allowed to be in school, or out of school, as the whim seizes him, will never obtain more than a smattering of a rudimentary education. No boy can keep up an interest in his studies unless he is promptly in his seat day by day, ready to learn the lessons assigned. Secondly, there is an evil to the school. Irregularity of attendance on the part of a few even, discourages teacher and pupils. It throws a damper over the whole school. It keeps classes behind for the lag- gards to catch up, and observation and experience have shown it en- courages an insubordinate spirit among the scholars. No parent, on any consideration, except sickness, or some other imperative rea- son, should allow his children to remain at home during school ses- sions ..
By the accompanying abstract it will be seen that the half days absences during the month of January alone, reach the enormous number of 8,775. At this rate there would be 43,875 days loss of schooling to the town during the year, and this not including the tardiness and excuses from the schools. We know that this amount in irregularity of attendance is of great detriment to all the school interest, and have required reasonable excuses to be rendered in each case ; and it now remains for the parents, by a wiser consideration of this great evil and loss to the town, to sustain the committee and prevent the occasion for any absences or excuses, except those of actual necessity.
SUPERINTENDENT.
Your committee recommend the employment of a Superintendent of Schools.
We believe that with a superintendent, a greater uniformity and a better classification in the schools can be secured than in any other way. No matter what the ability or how wise the plans of the com- mittee, if the execution of those plans is intrusted to thirty or forty teachers, without the guidance of one controlling mind, confusion and inefficiency may result.
The importance of a thorough and efficient supervision of our schools can hardly be over-estimated.
67
No committee that can be appointed in this town will be able to do all that ought to be done for the schools. Educated and intelligent men only can perform this work properly. A great amount and variety of labor is required, such as personally examining teachers and scholars for promotion from one school or grade to another, visiting the schools and giving directions, making rules for the school ; settling difficulties that are continually arising between teach- ers and scholars, parents and others ; the charge and care of the school property ; the examination of schools at their close ; the making of returns, reports, etc. Such members of the committee as are qualified to do all this, are generally fully occupied with their own affairs, and soon find the labor necessary to a conscientious discharge of their duties, a greater draft upon their time than they can afford. The burden and annoyance of the office occasion frequent changes. Committees usually divide up the work, assigning to each a special field of labor, and consequently no one member of the board has such knowledge of the schools as will enable him to form a just estimate of them, or to understand the wants of all. Committees do not make a specialty of education, and have other duties that occupy their time.
The work needs a man well acquainted with school systems, one capable of advising both teacher and committee, one perfectly famil- iar with all the branches taught in our schools, and one who shall devote all his time and ability to the work. It is believed that such a superintendent can perform the work vastly better than any com- mittee of six can do it, and that as a matter of economy simply, it is cheaper to employ such an one and pay him liberally, than to pay the committee's bills for what they do, even though they do a large amount of work without charge, as has been the case during the past year.
The committee are perfectly satisfied that there ought to be as much of this kind of work done as any one man can do, however well qualified he may be; that no committee of six can do it, or if they could, would or could afford to do it as cheaply as it could be done by one man, and that in proportion as any part of this work is neglected the schools must suffer, and consequently a portion of the appropriation wasted.
APPROPRIATIONS AND SCHOOL SYSTEM.
In accordance with a vote of the town, the School Committee have erected a commodious and convenient school-house on Commercial street, East Weymouth. The contract for its erection was given to
68
Charles Simmons, for $5,550, and he has fulfilled it to the satisfaction of the committee. The above sum was not to include the finishing and furnishing of the upper room, and the committee recommend an appropriation of one thousand dollars for that purpose, as it is needed in order to supply Ward Two with a sufficient number of schools, and to have the same properly graded. Also, that the town purchase the basement of the school-house on Pond street, at an expense not ex- ceeding one hundred and fifty dollars, or in case it cannot be secured for this sum, that it be submitted to referees to fix the price, as it is understood the proprietors are willing to do.
We estimate that at least three thousand dollars will be needed for repairs of school-houses the ensuing year.
The committee are impressed that a permanent change of the school year from its present time to the first day of August, would be advantageous to the educational interests of the town. We there- fore advise that such a change be made.
Among the most prominent advantages to be derived from such a change, are the following : -
1st. It would obviate the necessity of a vacation in the months of February and March, two months as well adapted to study as any two of the year, and months when scholars are less needed at home and are more generally unemployed than at other times.
2d. It is the time when most of the cities and large towns elect their teachers, and would therefore be the most favorable time to se- cure good teachers, and we should not be so much exposed to a change during the school year, in consequence of our teachers being elected by others to fill places more desirable.
3d. It would afford sufficient time to the committee to examine the schools near their close, and thus save one of the examinations now rendered indispensable in order to make their report in season to be printed for the use of the town at their annual meeting in March, and there would be ample time to get in all the bills, so that the entire cost of the schools for the year could appear in the Treasurer's report of town expenses, instead of as at present, having the expense of parts of two different years.
There are other advantages of more or less importance that would accrue from the proposed change.
Should this change be made, it would be necessary in the first instance, to appropriate a sufficient sum of money to continue the schools to the summer vacation of 1872, or in other words a sufficient amount for one and one half years.
69
1
WARD ONE.
ATHENS GRAMMAR
Has been under the instruction of George A. Littlefield, during the entire year. At the beginning of the year the school showed a lack of experience on the part of the teacher ; but applying himself with unabated ardor to his duties, the school was soon in a satisfactory condition. An improvement in some direction was discernible at nearly every visit of the committee. The order and discipline has been superior, and the best of relations has existed between teacher and pupils. At the examination the school did not in some depart- ments of study, meet expectations that had been 'formed of it during the year.
ADAMS GRAMMAR
Has been, during the entire year, under the instruction of Miss Eliza French. It was considered necessary on account of the great number of classes and scholars, to place an assistant in the school during a part of the day, and the services of Miss S. Annie Blanch- ard were secured. She has performed her duties acceptably to the committee. From the long experience of the principal, the commit- tee were led to expect in this school admirable methods of instruction, clear illustrations of principles, and explanations suitable to the age and capacity of all her scholars. In these respects they have not been disappointed. The order of the school has not been satis- factory. This is to be accounted for, partially, from the indifference to, and disregard of her authority by a few of the largest scholars.
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