USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1963 > Part 28
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COMPARISON OF INSTRUCTIONAL SALARY BUDGETS
1963 Budget
1964 Budget
Plus
Minus
October payroll, previous year
$2, 985, 850
$3,273,350
$287,500
Special items
76,225
82,698
6,473
Step-up master's degrees, etc. increments
20,284
21,307
1,023
Additional
33,800
17,660
$16,140
teachers
General increases
47,050
40,983
6,067
in September
$3, 163, 209
$3,435, 998
$294, 996
$22,207
Increase
3,163,209
22,207
$ 272,789
$272, 789
The allowance of $17, 660 for additional teachers will provide for two high school and high school annex teachers, two and one-half junior high teachers, three elementary teachers, a second speech therapist and a teacher of a special class for emotionally disturbed children as required by the new state law. It is planned that one of the new high school teachers will be a half-time guidance counselor at the Junior Annex. The new junior high teachers will include a half-time guidance counselor in each of the Bicknell, East and Central Junior High Schools and a half-time French teacher at Central Junior. The addition of these guidance counselors will place the high school and all four junior high schools on the ratio of one counselor for approximately 400 pupils, which is the standard established by the state department for the receipt of N. D. E. A. Title V assistance. Dr. James B. Conant in his widely read AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL recommended a ratio of one guidance counselor for 300 pupils. The second speech teacher is being added because the present instructor is only able to service slightly over half of the elementary schools during one school year.
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Last year's budget provided for 19-1/2 new positions (21 were added), this year's provides for 9-1/2 new positions, one-half as many. Projec- tion of enrollments and needs would indicate that next year's budget will have to provide for approximately one-half as many as 1964, viz., 4 or 5 new positions.
THE 1964 SCHOOL BUDGET
A great deal of time is spent each year in compiling and assembling the necessary facts and figures for the School Committee's consideration in determining the financial needs of the schools. Each item in the budget is given careful analysis and study. The many hours of work that are spent each year in the preparation of a detailed budget are necessary to arrive at the proper estimate to provide for the essential needs of our schools for a twelve month period.
Upon adoption, a budget becomes a guide for expenditures throughout the year. In fact, it would be impossible to control expenditures in as large an operation as our schools today without a detailed and well planned budget.
This budget shows the highest percentage increase (8. 9%) in the last four years as it reflects for the first time the full time, full year operation of both the old and the new high schools. In addition to the increase of $272, 000 in instructional salaries noted above, other sizable increases are in secretarial salaries due to added positions and salary increases, in- structional supplies, custodian salaries and supplies, electricity, mainten- ance, capital outlay and vocational school salaries and equipment.
As expenditures for the schools have increased each year, so have the receipts that come to the Town to help offset school costs. In 1964 the re- ceipts from state aid, tuition, and sales are estimated at over $740, 000. In addition, grants and aids from the federal government are estimated at $142, 000, a total of $882, 000. Ten years ago, these receipts were es- timated at $304, 000 with $2, 236 in federal funds available, a total of $306, 000. Thus receipts are 2. 9 times greater than in 1954.
A comparison of expenditures over a ten year span shows 1963 expen- ditures to be 2. 6 times greater than in 1953. The ratio of increase for various major classifications in the budget are as follows: operation of school buildings 2. 9 times greater, instruction 2. 8 times greater, auxiliary agencies - which includes pupil transportation - 2. 8 times greater, vo- cational 2. 1 times greater, administration 1. 9 times greater and mainten- ance and capital outlay only 1. 5 times greater.
WE ADAPT THE OLD FOR A NEW AGE
Some ten years ago Henry Commager, the noted historian, wrote what was for me an inspiring editorial for LIFE magazine in which he set forth the great achievement of our public school system in molding a nation of immigrants into a unified, dynamic people. Our public schools have created a nation capable of mobilizing our great physical and human resources to win two world wars, a nation capable of developing a great industrial complex and a nation capable of creating a standard of living inconceivable to earlier generations and to the peoples of backward countries today.
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This high level of mass education has enabled the American people to make the most productive use of our great natural resources. In contrast, in Brazil, a country also with great natural resources but with a low level of mass education, these resources remain relatively undeveloped and as a result the people have a low standard of living.
It has become increasingly evident in recent years that the type of regimented mass education that was sufficient to create this great prosper- ous nation with an annual gross national product of 600 billions of dollars will be inadequate to cope with the manpower and cultural needs and desires of an age of automation and atomic power. As a result, many schools throughout the nation are astir with the signs of change. The ferment is at work - where it will end no one can say. Certainly the American people still have great faith in their schools and to date they have not failed them. But to keep pace with the rapidly changing times in which we live, our schools must also change.
The Weymouth Schools have had a good reputation for at least half a century. This high repute has been built on a firm foundation of insistence on high standards and the mastery of the fundamentals. I believe a fair evaluation would add that although they have not been pioneers in change neither have they been traditional where good evidence was available to show that the new was better than the old. Weymouth established a vocation- al school in 1924, special classes for retarded pupils in 1929 and one of the first classes in the state for extremely retarded pupils in 1951. The high school business department has been outstanding for thirty years or more with a high level of achievement and placement. At the same time, the high school's record for college preparation, while for a smaller percentage of pupils than many suburban high schools, has been equally outstanding. Thus Weymouth for forty years has offered its students a broad range of courses in a comprehensive high school.
The establishment (beginning in 1951) of junior high schools located in two new buildings and two older buildings which have been converted for this purpose has revolutionized the school program for the pupils of this pre-high school age group. This is due to the broad curriculum offerings and the opportunity for a wider range of activities which the modern facili- ties of these intermediate schools make possible under the direction and guidance of skilled specialized teachers. Now the opening of our new modern high school and vocational technical high school with their extensive facili- ties for course offerings and activities has brought these same opportunities to senior high students.
But adequate, comprehensive and costly new school plants do not nec- essarily result in stimulating and effective school programs. These modern and varied facilities merely furnish better opportunities for teachers, super- visors and principals to devise and carry out better school programs to meet the challenge of a new age. And this we hope we are doing. Academic courses are being improved by more effective methods and materials, by wider use of new visual and audio equipment such as the overhead projector, language laboratories, and television, by team teaching in large class-small class situations, by new opportunities in classes in speech, in remedial reading and in developmental reading for increased speed and comprehension taught
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by skilled specialists, by the new P. S. S. C. physics program, by courses in modern mathematics starting in the first grade, by calculus for bright 12th grade pupils, by courses in French starting in the 5th grade and extending through the junior high grades to high school, by experiments in crossing grade lines in the teaching of reading in grades 4, 5 and 6, by school librar- ies staffed by trained, capable librarians and by in-service courses and summer workshops for teachers.
Our vocational programs housed in the most modern facilities, which have a student capacity forty per cent larger than the old cramped quarters, continue to offer the same high quality of instruction carried on by a highly capable director and a corps of teachers skilled in their trades. Our pro- grams in such fields as art, music and physical education are now taught in adequate quarters (in the new high school the facilities approach the best that modern planners have devised) but more important, these departments are staffed by competent, fully prepared specialists using up-to-date methods and achieving high quality performance from the large majority of pupils. Our program in such service areas as guidance and instructional materials are superior. They are directed by acknowledged experts in their fields and they are staffed by unusually capable people.
CONCLUSION
The Weymouth Schools have completed another year of service to the youth of the community. We hope that some progress and improvement has been made in these services. To the teaching and supervisory staff who are responsible for the everyday work in the classrooms goes my appreciation for the hard work and conscientious devotion to duty, without which progress in our schools would not be possible.
To the School Committee go my thanks for friendly support and counsel in the solution of the many problems which face all school systems today and finally, to my office staff I express my deepest appreciation for their faithful and efficient service.
Respectfully submitted, ELMER STEPHENS MAPES Superintendent of Schools
SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION
Report of Joseph E. Killory Director of Instruction
Before submitting my second annual report, I, as an educator, should like to pay tribute, to a great man and great president, John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy raised the status of education by many legislative acts, but his greatest contribution will not appear in the "Congressional Record. "
He provided the youth of America with a living example of intellectual excellence which may never be equalled again. There may be arguments about his political philosophy, but there is no questioning his intellectual "ability. In short, he made it "smart" to be smart. He proved to youth that
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it is possible to enjoy athletics and international relations. It is my hope that we, as teachers, will continue to inspire our students with this same "quest for excellence. 11
CURRENT PROGRAMS
ARITHMETIC-MATHEMATICS programs in both the elementary and junior high schools have received the greatest emphasis this year. After trying the new approach to the teaching of arithmetic in three elementary schools last year, the decision was made to adopt the program in all classes starting with grades 1-4 this year and to expand it to grades 5 and 6 in successive years. The new arithmetic is taught differently, and it was necessary to conduct an intensive in-service course for teachers. Mr. Thomas Misch, representative of the company from which we purchased our books, taught an eight week course for teachers, as a service. Per- mission was granted by the Weymouth School Committee to expand this in-service training to a full semester course and to allow increment credit to teachers, thereby increasing their incentive. I taught this so there would be no cost to the town.
It is my belief that parents should be informed of major curriculum changes, and I requested the opportunity to discuss the arithmetic program at P. T.A. meetings throughout the town. The response of the 1600 parents to whom I spoke was most heartening.
The direction of the new mathematics in the junior high schools will not be fully determined until the children in grades 1-4 reach grade 7; but in the interim period, selected divisions are working entirely with modern mathematics, and others have a modified program.
ENGLISH teaching at the junior high level has had two fundamental changes this year. Mr. William J. Longridge, Jr., Head of the English Department, working with a committee of four other English teachers during a summer workshop, developed "The Structure of Grammar" which is a detailed outline for use by Weymouth teachers in the teaching of sentence structure.
Eighth and ninth grade English teachers at East Junior High School are experimenting with the use of individual literature books (poetry, novel, etc. ) of the paperback variety. The purpose of this is to develop a program that will strengthen the students knowledge of the various forms of literature in addition to an appreciation of their content.
FRENCH teaching has been expanded to the eighth grade this year and was discontinued at the fourth grade level after a discussion with elementary principals as to the advantages and disadvantages.
READING continues to be the most important subject at the elementary level. Weymouth, unlike most communities, never dropped the teaching of phonics, but the program now requires re-evaluation with special emphasis on a more intensive program in grades 4-6. A committee has been estab- lished to work on this.
TESTING of the children of Weymouth is discussed in greater detail under the report of the School Psychologist, but a few significant facts will
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be noted in this report. Our interest in increasing the emphasis on reading has led to the decision to replace the first grade intelligence test with a read- ing readiness test. This will help us determine which youngsters will re- quire special help in reading.
We participated in a program of testing with a commercial publisher which required our giving two standardized tests to each child in grades 1-8. As a result of this we received a credit of almost $2, 500 towards the pur- chase of future tests, and there will be an additional saving in that the pro- gram was so complete that we shall not be required to conduct extensive intelligence tests next year. The publisher benefited from this by being able to use our results to establish norms for a new test.
An interesting note about our new arithmetic was indicated in the results of a standardized achievement test which we give each year to all pupils in grades III-VI. The two third grade classes that experimented with the new arithmetic were at the top for the entire town. Two classes are not enough to warrant any generalizations, but they are enough to encourage optimism.
WRITING (penmanship) has been under study this year in five elementary schools. These schools have used the manuscript method (lettering) rather than the cursive (writing) in the first grade. The purpose of this is to reduce the number of different alphabets that the children must learn and thereby reduce confusions in reading. The results will be evaluated next year to determine future policy.
FUTURE PROGRAMS
There will be a concentrated effort to help the children in the primary grades who do not develop the ability to read satisfactorily. This is a nation-wide problem and it defies simple solution.
There is a need for the establishment of broad goals for each subject at each grade level and a committee has been formed by Mr. Mapes to investigate these. It is hoped that we shall be able to develop these broad goals in such a manner that they may be listed in a single publication. This would enable teachers to have an overview of the entire spectrum of education from the first through the ninth grade in Weymouth.
SPECIALIZED EDUCATION
Most of the effort in the Weymouth Schools is devoted to the many who can profit from regular classroom work. There are, however, children who require special help or special schooling and to meet their needs we provide: remedial reading teachers, a speech therapist, special class (educable) teachers, special class (trainable) teachers, home teachers, a school psychologist, an adjustment counselor, and an attendance officer. In addition, it is possible for children with emotional problems who are unable to profit from regular class work to receive special education. We have established a screening committee to recommend children for con- sideration under this program which is sponsored by the state.
CONCLUSION
I should like to extend my sincere thanks to my assistant, Miss Helen C. McGovern; the school psychologist, Miss Dorothy E. Gallant; the school
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adjustment counselor, Mr. John E. Riley, my secretary, Miss Joan D. Cadman; my former secretary, Miss Marjorie G. Campbell, and to all school personnel for their complete co-operation.
WEYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Report of Wallace L. Whittle, Principal
December of this year marks the end of the first full year in our new building. It has been an interesting year, although at times, quite confusing. The moving from the old building and adjustment to the new building has been accomplished with a minimum interference to school work and in a manner of which both students and teachers should be proud. The details and prob- lems of effecting such a change were numerous, and the fact that every part of it was carried out so well is evidence of the exceptional co-operation given by all concerned.
The new building offers many advantages over the old, of course. Be- cause of this, we are now able to attempt some practices not possible before and to allow the various departments not only to enlarge their offerings, but to improve the teaching of all subjects.
We have added courses in public speaking, developmental reading, and a full credit course in art. These courses do not replace any of the usual, required subjects but are in addition to them. The first two have enrollments of approximately 600 students; the art course is open only to those who wish to continue further in art, have a sincere interest in so doing, and the ability to do so.
Because of the new music suite, plus the availability and ability of in- structors, all of our music groups have improved tremendously. We are proud of each of them.
The home economics courses are now available to all students as a part credit or full credit subjects. It is interesting to note that some boys now are taking the foods course.
The Instructional Materials Center has been able to aid the teachers much more than in the past. Although still inadequately equipped, it has already sent out programs on closed circuit television to various classes.
In the English field we have six college divisions involved in "large and small class" periods taught by a team of four teachers. In their program those regular divisions (approximately 90 students) meet together three days per week for work which can be done well in large groups and two days per week in half divisions (approximately 15 students) for composition writing, where more individual attention is needed. It is too early to evaluate this program, but indications are that we shall have improved results, especially in the area of composition. The English department has also spent a great deal of time in arranging the course of study in a more orderly and sequential manner.
While the general morale of the school has been much lower than we should like, due to double sessions and the fact that the seniors had been forced to leave the old building - "their home, " it is now at an excellent level. The student body, as a whole, has pride in its work, its building and
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its reputation. The spirit throughout the building is in marked contrast to that in previous years. One event which indicated the co-operation of everyone in the school was the powder-puff football game played by the girls. This game raised $1600. 00 to aid one of the seniors who had a tragic accident during the summer.
We still have the perennial handicap of lack of space. Of the 820 sopho- mores in the academic courses, only 140 can be housed in the new building. This, of course, means that 680 have to be quartered in the old building with the East Junior High. The new high school is using practically every room every period of the day - 85 per cent utilization is considered good because of scheduling difficulities - thus making it difficult for variations or flexi- bility in the program. In fact, we have found it necessary to make a seven- period day, as all classes could not be scheduled in the usual six periods. The sophomores, being separated and having a different time schedule, lose the "feeling of belonging" and find it difficult to participate in extra-curricular events of all kinds. From an educational standpoint, it would now appear that only juniors and seniors should be quartered in the new building next year. This situation will continue until more high school space is provided.
Our extra-curricular activities are functioning well. Some of the more outstanding results are hereby mentioned. The year book (Campus) and the school magazine (Reflector) each were awarded first prizes by both the Boston University Scholastic Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The football team won the Suburban League Champion- ship and the state "Class A" title. The Science team appeared on WHDH Television, beating Brockton and losing to Marlboro. The Mathematics team, selected from the Mathematics Club, is in monthly competitions with other schools and doing well. The Student Council has been very active and helpful to the school in addition to conducting dances and the book fair in order to raise $500. 00 for a scholarship. The Junior Moral and Spiritual Values Committee has continued its good work and has added tutoring help to those who wish it as well as spending many hours in helping the blind.
The faculty is holding meetings, at least one each week, to work on the self-evaluation of the school as required each ten years by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which is the accrediting association for all secondary schools in New England. Upon the completion of this study, we shall be visited by a committee from other schools, who will be with us for three days. At the end of this visit, the committee will give its evalu- ation of the school. This evaluation is not a comparison with other schools. Weymouth High School will be evaluated in terms of what it is striving to accomplish and in terms of the extent to which it is meeting the needs of the students for whom it is responsible. We hope to have the self-evaluation completed next spring and the evaluation of the visiting committee next fall.
The awards given in June were as follows:
Monday Club of Weymouth - Russell Knights P. M. Club, Evening Division of the Monday Club - Douglas Muir and Ellen Meloy Old Colony Club of South Weymouth - James Dowgialo, Joyce McClung
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Old Colony P. M. Club of South Weymouth - James Baird
Women's Catholic Club of Weymouth, Annie G. Scollard Scholarship - Virginia Smith
Sons and Daughters of Italy Loggia G. Verdi No. 278 - Janet Nicoletti Nevin School Par ent-Teachers' Association, Grace B. Simmons
Scholarship - Elizabeth Knox
L. May Chessman Scholarship - Jean L. Birtwell
Hunt School, C. Y. Berry Memorial Scholarship - Robert E. Donovan Central Junior High School Pupils' and Teachers' Scholarship -
Claire Bonvie, Linda Stetson
South Junior High School Pupils' and Staff Scholarship - Norman Forsythe
Weymouth High School Student Council Scholarship - Linda Stetson Herberta Stockwell Nursing Scholarship - Leonice Cordeiro Weymouth High School Key Club Scholarship - Stephen Carter Weymouth High School Teachers' Scholarship in memory of
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Rogers - Pamela Peterson Weymouth High School Alumni Association Scholarships -
Corinne Auld, Suzanne Bailey, Stephen Butler, Regina Clarke, Robert Cumming, Carol Gibson, Marlene Richards; Alice W. Dwyer Scholarship - Judith vonBerg; Louisa E. and Mary C. Humphrey Scholarships - Lois Ryder, Sandra Bowler; Frederick W. Hilton Award - Susan Fickett Weymouth Teachers' Association Scholarships
Flora Haviland McGrath Scholarship - Jane Cobbett
Parker T. Pearson Memorial Scholarship - Pamela Seymour Daniel L. O'Donnell Memorial Scholarship - Norman Olson
Weymouth High School Music Parents' Association Scholarship - Warren Smith, Priscilla Seabury
Hingham Civic Chorus Scholarship - Warren Smith
The Cast, the Committee, and the Director of "Ladies of the Jury" produced by the Weymouth Teachers' Association Scholarship < Karen Gelotte
The Cast, the Committee, and the Director of "Ladies of the Jury" produced by the Weymouth Teachers' Association Award - Gregory Coad
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