USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1937 > Part 8
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1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
$2444
1407
2235
782
1930
1934
1935
1936
1937
$1649
1899
1454
2113
Transportation of Pupils
Compared with that of most towns having centralized schools, Fairhaven's expenditure for transportation is low. Reasons for this are the relatively small area of the town and the location of schoolhouses in each section. Further- more, the Town has not, until within two years, furnished transportation for any high school pupils. The cost of this item shows an increase this year and indications are that it will be considerably larger next. Not only will transportation to high school cost more but there is a rising and clamorous demand for increased service to elementary schools. Walking is becoming a lost art. Furthermore, the State law now requires the Town to provide for paro- chial pupils the same facilities as for those in public schools. This has increased expenditures since September by about $240. More than offsetting these increases, thus far, has been the reduction of cost due to retention of the seventh grade in Oxford.
The State law relative to transportation says,-"Every town shall provide and maintain a sufficient number of schoolhouses properly furnished and conveniently situated, for the accommodation of all children therein entitled to attend the public schools. If the distance between a child's
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residence and the school he is entitled to attend is more than TWO miles, and the School Committee declines to furnish transportation, the State Department, upon appeal of the parent or guardian, MAY require the town to furnish the same for a part or all the distance." The parent of a high school pupil appealed to the State Board several years ago. The Board ruled that the Committee need not change its general policy if it would see to it that no child was deprived of schooling through inability of parents to pay for transportation. The School Department has tried to limit expenditures in this way but finds it no longer feas- ible. It is not in a position to decide on the claims of parents as to their ability to pay. Practically all have demanded transportation on this ground. For the coming year tickets or passes will be furnished to all pupils, high or elementary, who live TWO miles or over from a school.
THE COST OF SCHOOLS
The following information relative to cost of schools is presented :
Cost Per Pupil in Fairhaven
Year
1930
Elementary $65.77
High School $127.91
Total Ele. and High $83.48
From Local Taxation $57.04
Total Ele. and High State Average $117.44 117.37
1931
77.41
123.23
77.41
52.85
1932
65.16
114.68
78.29
53.85
99.19
1933
60.69
90.93
71.85
49.69
97.86
1934
52.50
82.67
70.68
45.03
92.51
1935
57.31
83.86
70.29
44.43
93.74
1936
61.75
84.23
68.60
46.18
101.22
1937
61.48
82.33
69.46
45.47
108.41
Rank of Fairhaven in (83) Group II Towns (Population of 5000 or over)
Year
Total Per Pupil Cost
Per Pupil Cost From Local Taxation
1930
54th
75th
1931
70th
83rd
1932
67th
82nd
1933
66th
79th
1934
50th
81st
1935
65th
82nd
1936
74th
82nd
1937
74th
83rd
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Rank of Fairhaven among (355) Towns and Cities in Massachusetts.
Year
Total Per Pupil Cost
Per Pupil Cost From Local Taxation
1930
276th
302nd
1931
316th
317th
1932
314th
309th
1933
313th
301st
1934
288th
298th
1935
310th
317th
1936
331st
330th
1937
331st
335th
The above tables hold no information new to Fairhaven citizens. Every school report for 25 years has included the same or similar facts. Why repeat them again? They are repeated because there is a continual relation between financial support and school efficiency and, also, because the devotion of a community to the education of its children is, in some degree, at least measured by its willingness to pay for it. People may well be reminded of this. They wish and frequently demand the best educational advan- tages for their children at less than average cost. However desirous a school department may be of furnishing such, it is obvious that it can do so only within the limits of its budget. A town, like a person, has many necessary and pos- sible directions of expenditures; it cannot have everything that it desires ; it decides what it most wishes and provides money for that purpose. Let it be acknowledged that Fair- haven is not a wealthy town, that it has a small valuation per pupil; that it has a welfare burden; that its tax rate is rather high, and that any one of these conditions may be accepted as a reason for keeping school costs at a less than average level. To what extent would any or all of these reasons be decisive in a community where the taxpayers really believed and felt that the child's welfare, the com- munity's progress, and the nation's future were being vitally affected by the quality of education offered today ?
TEACHERS' SALARIES, AND QUALITY OF SCHOOLS
Low cost of education in Fairhaven is due primarily to low teachers' salaries. This has been iterated and re-iterated in previous reports. It becomes monotonous, but is nec- essary until something is done about it.
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In many communities the quality of public school educa- tion declined during the depression; in Fairhaven the re- verse was true. Our schools improved, due to the fact that teachers, even under low salaries, continued in their posi- tions. In the five years preceding 1935 there were very few resignations. With the stabilization of the teaching staff, the schools reached a higher level of efficiency each year. This condition began to change in 1935 and ended abruptly in 1936. In the latter year from January 1 to December 31, 17 teachers left our service. Five were married but 12 were lost because of low salaries here. During the current year there have been 14 resignations, 2 due to matrimony and 12 to offers of from $200 to $700 more annually in positions elsewhere. In September of this year, in a corps of 72 full-time teachers, 13 were without previous experi- ence and 9 had taught only one year. No industrial organi- zation could keep up either volume or quality of produc- tion with such a turnover. Under our present salary schedule this is bound to continue. No school system can continue to assimilate so much inexperience for long with- out serious impairment. Fairhaven may not be in a finan- cial position to compete successfully in its maximum sala- ries with the wealthier towns, but it can afford, if it values education sufficiently, to pay a higher maximum and a larger annual increment than at present. The result of such a policy would be the retention of teachers in service for a period of years.
At present the minimum salary in the elementary schools is $900. for the first year of service of a teacher who has had four years of training. It should be $1000., the mini- mum paid in most good systems. Our salary schedule calls for an annual increase of $50., thus requiring 10 years to reach the maximum of $1350. The annual incre- ment should be $100. enabling the maximum in five years.
In the High School the minimum should be $1200., in- stead of the present $1000., and there should be an annual increase of $100. until a maximum of at least $1500. is reached.
The above suggested changes are for regular full-time teachers. Positions carrying unusual duties and responsi- bilities will require higher schedules.
A Profitable Margin
Fairhaven has at present a corps of teachers and prin-
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cipals with splendid potentialities. Both the experienced and inexperienced members are, as a whole, well trained, interested in children, professional in spirit, and substantial in character. They are not mere time-servers but are zeal- ous and enthusiastic. They enjoy teaching under the conditions found in Fairhaven. They are ambitious, of course, to secure promotion and higher salaries but these are not their sole considerations. Given a reasonable maxi- mum to work toward, and a fairly generous annual in- crease, and most of them would remain for a period of years. Add these to the number who stay here because they live in Fairhaven or New Bedford, and a fairly stable staff will be the result. Thus, too much inmaturity and inexperience will not characterize our corps. This will make possible a higher standard of schooling for our chil- dren. Since schools must be maintained and the financial margin of cost between the quality possible under present conditions and the much better quality rendered possible with a more mature and stabilized corps, is small, it would seem that a community which valued education would be glad to pay the difference. The additional sum, the margin, will yield higher proportionate profits in education than any other part of the investment in schools. Not all of the "margin" of cost required for better schools would be raised by local taxation. The State General School Fund re-imburses all towns on the basis of the training, experience and minimum salary paid teachers. Since all teachers in Fairhaven conform to State requirements in respect to train- ing and minimum salaries, the amount of re-imbursement varies, in part, with their experience. For example,-if the 12 beginners in September 1937 had taught previously one year, State compensation to the Town would be $600. higher; if their previous experience had been 2 years, re- imbursement would have been $1200 more. It follows that if an annual increment and prospective maximum is established sufficiently high to retain teachers for a period of years, the additional amount received from the General School Fund will reduce somewhat the net cost of such from local taxation.
In this connection, it is pertinent to say that State aid for education in Fairhaven has increased in the last three years. In addition to the allowances mentioned above there is, also, supplementary re-imbursement. This is de- signed to aid the poorer towns. It is based on the propor- tionate amount paid by the Town of every million dollars
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of the State tax. If this amount divided by the average membership of the schools is $.95 but not less than $.85, there is allowed for each full-time teacher $50.,-if it is $.85 but not less than $.80, $100. is returned. The highest re-imbursement is given to towns where the proportionate amount of the State tax is only $.60, when it is $250. for each teacher.
Fairhaven qualified to receive supplementary re-imburse- ment in 1934. That year it received from the General School Fund $17,477. as compared with $14,240. the year before. In 1935 it received $21,585; in 1936, $21,918; in 1937, $21,631. As has been stated in previous reports, this money is paid into the General Treasury. If appropriated for schools, it would reduce directly the amount of appro- priation required for that purpose; indirectly, it has the same effect on the tax rate.
SCHOOL WORK
There have been no important changes in either ele- mentary or high school curricula during the year. At the present time Committees of teachers, each under the leader- ship of a Principal, are at work on revision of courses in English, History, Geography and Spelling. School practices in these subjects have been modified greatly since the present ones were introduced. It is hoped by the end of the year to bring the offerings in the subjects mentioned up-to-date on paper, as well as in the classroom.
A Committee is at work also on a revision of building rules and regulations.
SIGNIFICANT HIGH SPOTS Instrumental Music
In September 1927 instrumental music became for the first time an organized part of the school program in Fair- haven. Previously there had been a high school orchestra and, at times, groups in the elementary schools, dignified by the name, "orchestras", were trained to play for special occasions by the voluntary efforts of an interested teacher. Now, ten years later, what a change! There is an orchestra in every elementary school, a superior high school orchestra of 40 pieces, a larger second high school orchestra, a "Junior Symphony Orchestra" made up of selected players from the upper grades, and a School Band of about 50 pieces.
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The development of such a program in so short a period has been due to several factors, the most important of which has been public support. Evidence of this is found in the movement last spring, which, under public spirited leader- ship, raised the funds to send the Band to the State Music Festival and Competition at Haverhill and, also, to the New England meet of the same nature held in Gloucester, Mass. It was most gratifying that at both gatherings this organi- zation received a rating of "superior" in its class. This year the State Festival is to be held in Fall River so that expenses of transportation will be almost negligible. The New England competition however is in far-away Burlington, Vermont, to which the cost of conveyance of the Band would be heavy. But a campaign is already in progress, under the leadership of representatives of the local American Legion Post and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, with the cooperation of other organizations, to raise the funds necessary. The public spirited citizens of the Town will not permit the project to fail.
Ten years ago instrumental music was almost non-existent in the curriculum. It was apparently regarded as a frill, an unnecessary extra. Today no one regards it as such, no one advocates eliminating it; on the contrary, practically everyone demands it. The phenomenal progress made in- dicates what the active interest of the public can accomplish.
Education Week
The Fairhaven-Mattapoisett Teachers' Association has for several years, of its own initiative, sponsored and ar- ranged a program for a meeting open to the public during Education Week. These occasions have been notable for their interest and inspiration. This year was no exception, in fact, was one of the best. The program was centered about the Life of Horace Mann and was the Association's contri- bution to the celebration of the Horace Mann Centenial. It presented a pageant, excellently enacted by pupils repre- senting each school, and an address by Mr. Bernard R. M. Sheridan. The number of people attending these exercises testified to an increased interest in Education Week.
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Program YON GOLDEN KEYS A PAGEANT
1. Prelude to Episode I
2. Episode I-Horace Mann, His Youth at Franklin
3. Chorus-A New Kind of Fairy Tale Towner
4. Solo-Trees Rasback
Alden Hayward
5. Girls' Chorus-Sweet Miss Mary Needlinger
6. Episode II-Horace Mann, Lawyer, Statesman, Philanthropist
7. Episode III-Horace Mann, Teacher and Educator
8. Episode IV-Horace Mann, President of Antioch College 9. Evening Star Spencer
Alden Hayward, Eli Braley, John Handley
10 Chorus-A Merry Life Densa
11. Episode V-Aftermath 1937
The Massachusetts Centennial
12. Address-The Life and Work of Horace Mann Mr. Bernard R. M. Sheridan
The Clare Tree Major Players
The type of entertainments children attend signifies much in their development. For three successive years the Teachers' Association has sponsored a series of children's plays, given by a company of real artists, specializing in this respect. Three have been given this year, with a fourth one scheduled. The Association presents these not from a motive of profit-it could net far more by efforts along other lines-but because of a belief that it is important that children be trained to enjoy the best forms of enter- tainment. It is known that they are constantly being exposed to cheap, flashy offerings on screen and radio which are detrimental to their right moral growth. The programs presented by this company have been clean, stimulating and of high artistic merit; not dull and highbrow but suited to the mental and emotional level of childhood. Do children really enjoy them? If you had witnessed the interest, rapt attention, silence and good behavior of 400 youngsters at the last one, the enactment of Louisa Alcott's "Little Men", you would have no doubts on this score.
Children do not necessarily have a natural taste for the worst; on the contrary, the tendency to appreciate the best needs only to be cultivated in order to be dominant. Parents
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fail to meet their responsibilities when they permit their children to be exposed to so much cheap, suggestive, "blood and thunder" stuff. In doing so they are helping to develop in them a taste which is a real hindrance to good character. The Teachers' Association is to be congratulated on its willingness to put forth so much effort to bring before children such enjoyable and elevating opportunities. It is hoped that this is significant of a deeper interest in the future, by both schools and parents, in the important matter of children's entertainments.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Oxford School: The annual out-of-door entertainment given by the pupils in June is anticipated with pleasure by spectators and participants. This year the program was an exhibition of the folk dances of many nations. These were excellently performed and enthusiastically received.
By a re-arrangement of classes, room was found this year for a seventh grade in the school for the first time in many years.
In order to remedy reading disabilities more effectually, the building is organized this year so as to enable one teacher to be assigned to a mixed group of primary children, and another teacher to give part-time service in individual work with retarded pupils of all grades. The results thus far justify the wisdom of these plans.
An exhibit of useful gifts for the home, made mostly from discarded materials, won for the Special Class the State Award when displayed at the Fairhaven Grange Fair in the fall of 1937.
Edmund Anthony, Jr. and Job C. Tripp Schools: The home visitation projects undertaken by these teachers dur- ing the school year ending in June have resulted in an im- proved mutual understanding and cooperation on the part of parents, teachers and pupils.
These schools took the initiative in celebrating the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of Fairhaven as a Town, and thus may have helped to stimulate the community to a successful observance of the same event.
The December program of these schools, "Christmas in Foreign Lands", now in its fourth year of use, is ideal.
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Through it children become interested in worth while sub- ject matter, receive training in good-will toward other peoples, and are led to think less exclusively of themselves than is usually the case at the time of year.
Washington Street School: Interest in instrumental music is strong among these primary children. In the winter a musical travelogue, which took the listeners on a musical tour through several countries of Europe, Asia and South America, was developed. It was presented not only in the school but, also, in one of the New Bedford churches.
Rogers School: The pupils here are continually engaged in an effort to provide something that will improve their school. This year they have raised the money to renovate the curtains in the auditorium and, also, to buy a new Philco radio.
The assembly programs given by the different classes have been unusually excellent and worth while.
East Fairhaven School: A remarkably fine spirit among teachers and pupils characterizes this school. Several ex- cellent assembly programs, open to the public, have been given. Five Chinese Elm trees have been placed on the playground. The graduating class presented the school with a fine picture of Horace Mann.
HIGH SCHOOL
In June the student body, teaching staff, school officials, and entire community were inexpressibly grief stricken by the untimely death of Mr. George C. Dickey, Principal. He began his work in Fairhaven in September 1919, when the school numbered 225 pupils; at the time of his death over 600 pupils were enroled, and in the Addition there were 200 eighth grade pupils, also under his supervision.
The high morale of the teaching staff and the school spirit of the pupils under his administration, were evidences of the influence of his personality. He was interested in school athletics and other student activities, but he fostered scholarship also, for it was through his efforts that a branch of the National Honor Society was formed in the school. The number of pupils entering college after graduation in- creased greatly while he was Principal. He loved and understood boys and girls, and this was the source of his most valuable contributions to the school.
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Mr. Downing
The selection of a successor to Mr. Dickey was a difficult task. It involved interviewing and investigating very many candidates. Mr. Chester M. Downing, a Housemaster in Brookline (Mass.) High School was chosen. In scholarship, training and previous successful experience, he was out- standing among the candidates. He has demonstrated since the beginning of his work here in September that he possesses, also, those personal characteristics, that will enable the continued progress of the school.
High School Graduation Exercises
The class of 1937 presented for its graduation exercises another "vitalized commencement." It took the form of a panel discussion on the subject of "International Peace." Each of the six participants contributed one phase of this and, also, engaged in the general discussion following each presentation. No subject of greater importance or more current interest could have been selected. The compre- hensive understanding of the subject displayed by these young people, their interest in and keen desire to make clear their points, as well as their poise, ease of manner and forceful speaking, elicited the close attention of a capacity audience.
Such exercises are far removed from the former essay type. They signify a new trend in high school education, a trend more in accordance with the needs of a democracy and in harmony with the purposes of public education as set forth by its founders. The old theory, still an obsession of many educators, was that if young people have their minds sharpened by the study of algebra, grammar, Latin and the various disciplinary studies, if, in fact, they are held to faithful school work in any direction, they will be keen enough to cut through the problems confronting our nation and the world, and solve them. This theory has been in force long enough to enable evidence of its validity. Is it sound? Do present civic conditions in our country indicate that it has given adequate training in social and political citizenship or do they indicate the futility for the purpose of this theory of mental discipline?
A letter is at hand recently received from Columbia University. It reads,-"I am developing a list of schools reported to be doing something significantly out of the ordi-
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nary. My attention has been called to Fairhaven schools, and I understand that current, social, civic and political problems and situations have become centers around which so much of the class work in these schools revolves that they can almost be said to be the central feature of the schools' curricular pattern." Follows a request for detailed information. I wish it might be truthfully said that "social, civic and political problems" constituted the curricular pattern of our schools. Some progress has been made in this direction, but the goal suggested is still very far ahead. If the trend is strong in that direction, it is gratifying. Evidence that it is may be found in the "vitalized commence- ments" of the last two years.
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS Financial Support
Every school system has problems peculiarly its own and which it must solve itself. Fairhaven has them. Several have been suggested in this report. The most pressing one concerns the provision of adequate financial support so that, through the longer retention of good teachers, the level of teaching skill may steadily rise higher, thereby enriching the lives of pupils. There are many other desirable di- rections of progress. There ought to be another "Special Class" organized for children three years or more retarded in their grade. More pre-vocational work is needed in the high school curriculum for the benefit of the non-book- minded pupils. There is, also, the question of extending educational opportunities downward to younger children by establishing kindergartens and upward to adults by maintaining evening schools. In fact, there are very many ways in which our school system might increase its contri- bution to the community, if the problem of financial support could be solved. The solution of this problem will come when the general public appreciates more fully the strength of the intangible forces developed and made available by education, and is convinced that these are more necessary to its permanent welfare than are some of the things for which it now expends money.
CURRICULUM PROBLEMS
Drastic social and economic changes have made problems in education as in business. In both fields there is acute disagreement as to their solution. Recently the press
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announced a plan for revolutionizing the curriculum of the senior and junior high schools in Chicago. In essence, it included the elimination of much of the academic matter taught in these schools and the substitution for it of training in the trades and handicrafts. The discussion evoked by this suggestion among both laymen and educators serves to call attention again to the fundamental differences of opinion which exist in regard to the purposes and materials of high school education. It is desirable that the general public know of these, therefore, I am closing this report with an excerpt from an article which clearly expresses them :-
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