USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1894 > Part 14
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22
Teachers in mixed grammar and primary
11
Teachers in primary
14
Special teachers
1
Total number
.
54
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS.
LOCALITIES.
BUILDINGS.
ROOMS.
TEACHERS.
PUPILS.
PUPILS
PER
PUPILS
PER
ROOM.
Weymouth High.
1
4
4
142
35.5
35.5
South Weymouth High.
1
2
2
61
30.5
30.5
North Weymouth.
3
6
6
238
39.6
39.6
Weymouth Landing.
3
11
11
464
42.1
42.1
East Weymouth.
4
15
16
742
46.4
49.4
Ward IV.
4
6
6
215
35.8
35.8
South Weymouth.
4
S
8
328
41.
41
.
TEACHER.
-
.
7
TRUANCY. Taken from the reports of the truant officers:
161
Number of Investigations from Jan. 1, 1894 to Jan. 1, 1895, Number of pupils out of school because of poor clothing,
11
Number out by consent of parents
86
Number of truants
64
Number of truants caught and returned to school
19
Number of second offense truants .
5
Number of third offense truants
1
Number of arrests for truancy
0
Number sent to truant school
0
FINANCIAL.
The sum appropriated at the annual March meeting for school purposes from April 1, 1894 to April 1, 1895, was as follows: Salaries of teachers and superintendent $29,524 00
Janitors, fuel and cleaning
4,500 00
Text books and supplies
3,100 00
Miscellaneous expenses
350 00
Truant Officers
150 00
Transportation
1,300 00
Water rates
300 00
Repairs
1,500 00
Total
$40,724 00
To this amount was added :
$606 71
Alewife fund
252 00
Tuition of non-resident pupils .
155 00
$1,013 71
Total .
$41,737 71
Balance in the town treasury Jan. 1, 1894 for the support of schools from Jan. 1, 1894 to April 1, 1894 . .
$8,864 49
Total amount for all school purposes . $50,602 20 .
Expenditures from Jan. 1, 1894 to Jan. 1, 1895:
Salaries of teachers and superintendent
· $30,811 80
Janitors, fuel and cleaning
5,147 51
Text books and supplies
2,497 40
Miscellaneous expenses
330 13
Truant officers
73 75
Transportation
1,585 87
Water rates .
287 67
Repairs
1,347 15
Total
$42,081 28
·
One-half of the dog license tax
8
Leaving a balance for the support of Schools, from Jan. 1, 1895, to April 1, 1895, of
$8,520 92
The estimates for the ensuing year, submitted by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board, are as follows:
Salaries of teachers and superintendent
$30,800 00
Janitors, fuel and cleaning
4,500 00
Text books and supplies
3,100 00
Miscellaneous expenses
350 00
Truant officers
150 00
Transportation
2,000 00
Water rates
300 00
Repairs
2,000 00
Total
$43,200 00
.
This sum may be reduced by :
One-half of the dog license tax
$606 71
Alewife fund
252 00
Tuition of non-resident pupils
155 00
$1,013 71
Leaving a balance to be raised by taxation of . $42,186 29
The total enrolment for the school year ending June 30, 1894 was 2190, which is about 30 less than the enrolment in the day schools for the previous year. The daily attendance, (1821) however, exceeded that of the previous year by 83, and is the largest in the history of the schools. The per cent. of attendance also was the largest ever reported., An average of 95% is a very high record of school attendance in a town like Weymouth. Twelve schools reported 97% or over, and two only less than 90%. If attendance represents the degree of interest taken in the school work by parents, pupils and teachers, certainly the results attained last year must be gratifying,
One hundred and forty-six pupils were not absent, and 1360, more than one-half of the whole number, were not tardy for the entire year. Compared with other years in tardiness and dismissals a good showing has been made.
Pupils not absent for year.
Not tardy for year.
Number of tardinesses.
Number of Dismissals.
1892
101
1182
1804
5701
1893
116
1158
1968
4783
1894
144
1366
1319
3931
9
The following table gives the highest and lowest records for the past year. It is not an exact representation, for the general make- up of the schools is not taken into consideration in making the comparison.
ATTENDANCE.
IIIGIIEST.
LOWEST.
SOUTH HIGII
·
99%
POND, grades I-V. 86%
BATES, grades VIII, IX
98%
PRATT, grades I-VI · 88%
HOLBROOK, grades I-VI 98% LINCOLN, grade I. . 90.5%
WASHINGTON, grade IV
97.6%
ATHENS, grades VII-IX 97%
ATHENS, grades V, VI . 97%
BICKNELL, grade VI . 97%
JEFFERSON, grades III, IV 97%
WASHINGTON, grade V . 97%
HUNT, grade IX . .
97%
HUNT, grade VIII. 97%
HOWE, grade III, IV .
97%
TARDINESS.
BEST RECORD.
POOREST RECORD.
BATES, grades VIII, IX 4 cases NORTH HIGII · . 87 cases
Turrs, grade I . . 4 cases ADAMS, grades I-V . 86 cases
WASHINGTON, grade V . 6 cases HOLBROOK, grades I-VI 68 cases
The reports of the truant officers are more encouraging than usual. These officers made 161 investigations from Jan. 1, 1894, to Jan. 1, 1895, and found that 64 of the absentees were truants. Of this number five were second and one was third offense truants. In several instances the truants were from families that have come to this country recently and therefore did not know the demand for regular attendance.
At the North High the accommodations at the present time are insufficient to fully meet the demands of the school. The seating capacity of the building was barely sufficient for the pupils at the beginning of the present school year. Two years hence, according to present indications, enough seats cannot be placed in the building to accommodate the pupils. In North Weymouth the number of
- 10
pupils per teacher has increased in the past two years from 37.5 to 39.6; in East Weymouth from 42.5 to 46.4; and in South Weymouth from 37.6 to 41. If a similar increase is made in the next two years, which doubtless will be the case, rooms must be provided in these wards either by new buildings or by enlarging the present ones.
The question of providing school accommodations in the North, East and South villages is one that must require the attention of the committee in the near future. All the available rooms in these villages are in use and in Ward V. the high school is deprived of one of its rooms by an overflow class from the Bates school.
CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
The past year, Jan. 1, 1894 to Jan. 1, 1895, brought fewer changes in our corps of teachers than any year for some time. We lost but eight teachers by resignation, and transferred one only. The most important changes were the resignations of Mr. Sawyer from the department of music, of Mr. Russell from the North High, of Mr. Litchfield from the Franklin, and of Mr. Crocker from the Washington.
Miss Louise E. Humphrey, who for four years had assisted in the North High school, was given a leave of absence for one year in order to pursue a special course of study in Radcliffe college. Miss Jennie Wier, a graduate of Boston University, was ap- pointed assistant in the High school during Miss Humphrey's absence.
The following is a complete list of changes for the year :
RETIRED
Date.
Name.
School.
Grade.
April,
1894. Jennie W. Rice,
Athens
III and IV.
June,
Lydia B. Essex,
South. High,
Assistant.
June,
J. Q. Litchfield,
Franklin,
Principal.
June,
Lizzie G. Hyland,
Bicknell,
Sub Primary
June,
Winthrop N. Crocker,
Washington,
June,
M. Estelle Sprague.
Hunt,
Principal. VIII.
June,
Edmund F. Sawyer,
Music.
Dec.
Nellie J. Wentworth,
Hunt,
VIII.
11
TRANSFERRED.
Date.
Name.
From.
To,
June, 1894.
Annie F. Conroy,
Franklin(asst) Bicknell (asst)
APPOINTED.
Date.
Name.
School.
Grade.
April, 1894, Mary C. Flagg,
Athens,
III and IV.
July,
Charles F. Abbott,
North High,
Principal.
July, 66 Elizabeth B. Fowler,
South High
Assistant.
July,
66 John B. Hoag,
Franklin
Principal.
July,
G. Alvin Grover,
Washington,
Principal.
Aug.,
66 A. J. Sıdelinger,
Music.
Aug.,
Nellie J. Wentworth,
Hunt,
VIII.
Sept.,
66
Irene W. Braley,
Tufts,
II-IV.
Sept.,
Lizzie L. Hallahan,
Bates,
II.
REPAIRS.
Under this heading it has been customary to enumerate the small repairs that have been made upon each school building during the year, but as the selectmen's financial report gives in detail expenditures upon the several buildings, it does not seem necessary to enumerate them in this report. The expense in this direction has been much less during the past year than usual, not because the money could not have been well expended, but because the committee desired to curtail expenses as much as possible on account of the " hard times." What was left undone last year will be all the more imperative during the coming year. So long as we have twenty school buildings to care for, the expenses for repairs will necessarily be very large.
The only large expense during the year was in connection with heating the Hunt building. At the last annual town meeting it was voted to authorize the town treasurer to borrow $2,500 to defray the expense of putting a new heating and ventilating' ap paratus into the Hunt school building. It was also ordered that the money be expended under the direction of the school com- mittee.
As the necessity of better heating and ventilation in this build- · ing had been strongly urged by the committee for several years, prompt action was taken in the matter. A special committee was at once appointed with instructions to receive bids, plans and
12
specifications for heating the building and to submit the same to to the full committee. At the next meeting of the board the special committee presented plans as directed.
After considerable discussion upon the best methods of heating school buildings, and a careful consideration of the plans sub- mitted, the whole matter was referred to the special committee with full powers.
In compliance with these instructions a contract was made by the special committee with the Joseph I. Bates Co. of Weymouth to heat and ventilate the building satisfactory to the committee and the State inspectors for the sum of $2,500, the entire work to be completed before the 10th of September, 1894.
As the work of the company has been accepted neither by the State inspectors nor by the committee, comments upon the per- fection of the system would be out of place in this report.
TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS.
As early as 1876 arrangements were made with the Old Colony railroad corporation for the transportation of pupils from North and East Weymouth to the North High school. Since that time the town has paid to said corporation from $300 to $900 a year for transportation of pupils ; in all not much less than $10,000. The rate of transportation was as reasonable as the town could expect and so far as the committee knew, was satisfactory to the railroad under its old management, but under the new manage- ment a new order of affairs was put into operation.
The bill for transportation rendered by the station agent of the New York, New Haven and Hartford R, R. Co., at the be- ginning of the present school year, was about one-half larger per pupil than bills for previous years. As no notice of an increase in rates had been received by the committee, not even from the station agent when he delivered the tickets, it was thought that a mistake had been made and the bill was re- turned for correction. The station agent then showed a certain circular that had been issued during the summer and said that that represented the basis for rates of transportation of pupils in the future. The matter was at once referred to the full com-
13
mittee and a sub-committee was appointed to provide trans- portation for pupils in barges, providing better terms could not be made with the railroad officials.
The sub-committee had several conferences with the general passenger agent of the railroad but could effect no change in the rates. That the town had paid the company nearly $10,000 for transportation that had cost the company very few dollars ; that they were never expected to change the time of running the trains ; that the extra cost was a mere fraction of the income ; that the pupils had conducted themselves satisfactorily ; that the amount the company would receive the present year on the old basis would exceed $1,000 ; and that the committee would be obliged to find other means of transportation unless the former rates were re- stored, all were of no avail. The official, in action if not in words, said, pointing to the "circular," "What is written is written." As it was impossible to make satisfactory arrange- ments with the railroad the sub-committee engaged Messrs. Thayer and Hollis to transport the pupils in barges. The cost of transportation will be $400 or $500 more than by railroad on the old basis, but about $200 less than by the new rate. There was at first considerable opposition to barge transportation but it has nearly subsided. The principal objection to this mode of conveyance is that it gives no opportunity for pupils to remain after school to make up a lost lesson or to receive assistance from the teachers. As soon as the electric cars are in operation be- tween East Weymouth and the Landing doubtless better rates can be secured by the committee and much more satisfactory service given to the pupils.
CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS.
Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1894 contains the following sections :-
SECTION 1. The State Board of Education shall cause to be held, at such convenient times and places as it may from time to time designate, public examinations of candidates for the position of teacher in the public schools of the Commonwealth. Such examinations shall test the professional as well as the scholastic
14
abilities of candidates, and shall be conducted by such persons and in such manner as the board may from time to time designate. Due notice of the time, place, and other conditions of the exam- ination shall be given in such public manner as the board may determine.
SEC. 2. A certificate of qualification shall be given to all can- didates who pass satisfactory examinations in such branches as are required by law to be taught, and who in other respects fulfil the requirements of the board ; such certificate shall be either pro- bationary or permanent, and shall indicate the grade of school for which the person named in the certificate is qualified to teach.
SEC. 3. A list of approved candidates shall be kept in the office of the secretary of the board, and copies of the same, with such information as may be desired, shall be sent to school committees on their request.
SEC. 4. The certificates issued under the provisions of this act may be accepted by school committees in lieu of the personal examination required by section twenty-eight of chapter forty-four of the Public Statutes.
By the authority of the above act the Secretary of the State Board of Education has recently submitted a plan of State exam- ination and certification of teachers. The chief aim of the State plan is : " To discover by reasonable tests, formally described so far as practicable, the merit and promise of the candidate, and to recog- nize such merit and promise, if they are deemed adequate, by means of an appropriate certificate and a place in the State list of eligible teachers. The examination requirements should be viewed as minimum requirements only, and not to be interpreted as ruling out of consideration other and higher subjects of study in which the candidate may be proficient. On the contrary, evidences of scholarly attainment and professional power that might not be revealed under the limitations of a published scheme will be hear- tily welcomed."
I am cordially in sympathy with the State system of examina- tion, and strongly recommend that its provisions be adopted by your committee. It offers a relief from the necessity of the annual teachers' examination which you have been accustomed to hold, and at the same time gives an opportunity to adopt higher stand-
15
ards of qualifications for teachers. The State school authorities by their system of school inspection will be able to present a list of candidates who are fitted not only in a scholastic but in a profes- sional way for the difficult and exacting work of the public school teacher. The salaries paid in the lower grades of our town are sufficiently high to command the services of teachers who have made special preparation for their work, either by normal training or by successful experience in the schoolroom. Coupled with the demand for better scholastic and professional training on the part of the teacher should come tenure of office for the teacher. Al- though very few towns and cities have approved, as yet, of a stable tenure of office for teachers, I believe such an act should be adopted by our town. Your committee can afford to be one of the pioneers in this direction.
TEACHERS' SALARIES.
I wish to call the attention to the committee to the present system of paying the teaching force of our town and to suggest some changes that seem to me to be for the best interests of the schools. I know that it is somewhat hazardous to suggest changes in any time honored custom, but the necessity of the present case compels me to make the venture.
First, as to the time of payment; the teachers, including the superintendent, receive their pay at the end of every four weeks of service, that is, on Tuesday of the fifth, ninth, etc., weeks they are paid in full for all services to date. This gives any teacher, who is so disposed, nine opportunities to resign during the year with the loss of but one day's salary. It is true that a very large majority of teachers will not accept such opportunities, because they feel morally bound to fulfil their obligations to their schools ; but there are a few teachers whose moral sense, distorted possibly by ambition or prudishness, does not thus bind them. A few always compel the making of laws.
I will call the attention of the committee to two cases only of the several that have occurred in the past four years. Three years ago the principal of one of the buildings sent me his resignation, the last week of the summer vacation. Of course it was impossible to secure a suitable teacher upon such short notice and a substittue
16
was put in charge of the school. The school was injured because the principal, receiving a little better offer elsewhere, did not feel bound to fulfil his part of an agreement to give a notice of four weeks of his intention to resign. The second case occurred re- cently and was of a more aggravating character as it seemed to show on the part of the teacher a premeditated intention of injur- ing the school. A substitute was provided for the room. Dur -. ing the forenoon the principal of the school received word from the teacher that she was not to return. During the day her re- signation was received by a member of the committee. She had drawn the full amount of her pay so could lose nothing financially, and her sense of honor was not sufficient, so it seemed, to compel even a notice of one day. The committee fully understand the inconvenience and injury that such resignations bring to the schools. This trouble would be largely remedied by a slight change in the time of paying salaries.
Another reason for the change may be briefly stated. By the present method the teacher must forward her bill for approval by the middle of the fourth, eighth, etc. weeks. If she is taken sick on Thursday morning of those weeks and is unable to take her school for the rest of the week she draws pay for the work of the substitute for two days. In such cases (we have from 10 to 30 a year) the teacher must pay the substitute which is contrary to the rules of the committee, or the substitute must render her bill the next month for services rendered during that month which is con- trary to fact. Whichever horn of the dilemma I accept in settle- ing such cases I am placed in a false position.
The method also of paying the teachers, it seems to me might be materially simplified. The present plan of forwarding an approved set of bills to the selectmen for their orders places upon the selectmen a task that certainly cannot be congenial to them. They draw their orders for these bills when they had nothing to do with contracting them, and do not know whether they are correct or incorrect. It is a mere mechanical act on their part. The time of five men is taken to do what the Town treasurer could do in one fifth of the time. If a monthly teachers' pay roll were submitted to the school committee, approved by the finance com- mittee and board of selectmen and forwarded to the Town
17
treasurer for payment by cash or check, it would decrease the mechanical part, be quite a saving financially to the town, and give the teachers a much more satisfactory service.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS OF INSTRUCTION.
What shall be taught in the elementary public schools, and how shall it be taught, are questions that are demanding more atten- tion from school men than all other questions. Nearly every sub- ject that is taught in high school, college or university is now knocking through its zealous advocates for admission into the elementary school. The elements of many of these subjects can and should have a much larger place in our school work, but the ability of the teachers to teach the subjects. and the character of the schools must determine the extent of their introduction. The teachers themselves should receive special training in these lines of study before they attempt to present these subjects to the pupils. If teachers are not thus trained and are called upon to teach these subjects, from such text books as during the past year have been printed in abundance, the result will be greater confu- sion in the minds of the pupils. Take for instance the study of Latin, French and German that under the cry of "enrichment," now demand a place in the grammar grades. Under our present conditions to attempt the introduction of these studies into grades below the high school would be not only foolish but a positive in- jury to the schools.
The elements of algebra and geometry should have a large place in the elementary school, not as a separate study, but as a part of the work in arithmetic, not for the purpose of multiplying mathematical difficulties, but as an aid in overcoming those diffi- culties, not for the sake of drill, but as a help in developing the reasoning powers. A text book in these studies is not needed so much as teachers who understand the inter-relation of the subjects. Such teachers will give all the instruction in algebra and geometry that is necessary for high school preparation, will make the work in arithmetic more pleasant and instructive and will save time from the study of arithmetic for other studies.
The elements of zoology, geology, biology, anthropology, etc., are other subjects that demand places in the grammar school cur-
18
riculum. But there is no need of anxiety or discouragement at such an array of names. There is very little in a name. For years the best teachers have taught all these "ologies" and more. It is true, in most cases, they have taught them unwittingly but nevertheless successfully. The teacher who gives thorough and profitable instruction in geography must incidentally teach all these subjects as thoroughly as they need to be taught in the ele- mentary schools. Geography taught by the approved methods of today must include instruction in geology, meteorology, botany, zoology, anthropology, ethnology, etc. The course of study adopted by the committee four years ago, recognizing the inter- relation of such topics, calls for instruction in nearly all of the above subjects, although it mentions none of them by name. As in the case of algebra and geometry, these subjects should be taught not as separate studies, but as helps to teaching subjects already in the school curriculum.
Our public school system is already in a large degree an aca- demic system, a university on a small scale. The culture it im- parts is largely academic and has little reference to the life which the majority of the pupils will have to lead. Although the ten- dency at the present time seems to be in this direction, I am strongly of the opinion that our school system must sooner or later be radically changed. Industrial education which without fitting a child for any definite trade yet developes manual dexterity and respect for physical labor must to a large extent, take the place of academic education. The child of the laboring man must be given an opportunity for mental development along lines fitted to his possibilites, and the dull boy must be given a chance to gain abstract truths by the assistance of his hands. As in my last re- port, I strongly recommend the introduction into our schools of a modified system of manual training. It will be an added ex- pense to our school system, but I believe that the demand will be met by the people in the same liberal spirit as similar demands have been met in the past. We are a community of laborers and the nobility of hand labor should be recognized in the training of the youth of our town.
The subject of penmanship should receive the attention of the committee before the beginning of another school year. The sys-
19
tem of vertical writing is being introduced into many places and is meeting with a great deal of favor. It is not necessary at this point to present the arguments for and against this new system, but simply to call the attention of the committee to the subject.
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