USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1853-82 > Part 5
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PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
THE WEST was taught by Miss Jane B. Loring. She succeeded well in a private school in this district, and was therefore selected to take charge of the town school. She labored diligently and faith- fully, but under many disadvantages. The school-room was un- comfortable, being too cold for study until afternoon, except in the immediate vicinity of the stove. This occasioned much disorder. There was a want of due respect for the teacher, a deficiency in point of order and regularity, and although this was confined to the few, it was sufficient to injure the school materially. This has al- ways been a difficult school to govern, and always will be, until parents heartily and continually aid and support the teacher both by word and deed.
THE SOUTH was taught by Miss Lydia A. Robinson. Her every effort was successful. It was a delightful school to visit or to teach, and not the less so on account of some six or eight large girls, who under other circumstances, would have attended the large school. We were much pleased with the quiet and orderly condition of the entire school, as well as the gentle and loving rule this teacher held over all her charge. They made good improvement in all their studies. The singing was particularly pleasing, and seemed to be enjoyed by scholars as well as their numerous friends.
Miss Mary A. Buttrick was employed to teach the CENTRE PRI- MARY. She had shown herself a good teacher and an excellent governess, in the North School. Good government was much needed in this school, and without it the Committee felt that the money would be wasted. The teacher was well nigh disheartened in her first week, but after much labor and some punishment,
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brought the school into fine order. The scholars loved, respected and obeyed their teacher, while she was laboring for them contin- ually. The mutual good will exhibited here was always grateful to us. The school was pleasant, orderly and studious. The whole company appeared exceedingly well at the examination. It was the universal and outspoken testimony of the parents-many of whom were present-that their children had never learned so much or so well before. Deportment-6 bad, 13 ordinary, and 24 extra.
The Committee have decided to mark the merit of teachers in numbers from 1 to 10. The highest number denoting the highest style of teacher-five denoting mediocrity.
It has been asked how we estimate the standing of teachers ?- We answer, we consider
I, as to their moral character.
II, their educational preparation.
III, their power of imparting instruction.
IV, their ability and fitness to govern a school.
V, the labor performed ; and finally,
VI, their success,
It will be seen that each of these several qualifications is essen- tial to the good teacher. The good teacher is moral, educated, apt to teach, fit to govern, laborious and successful. It would be pleas- ant to us to give each teacher his mark in all the above specifica- tions separately, but now we present only the aggregate. We do not number the schools, believing we have made their standard sufficiently clear in the general description. Our opinion is no less decided than ever, that the teacher, as a general rule, makes the school. Children are imitative creatures. They copy instinctive- ly the pattern we place before them.
We number the teachers as follows :-
Miss Joanna E. Hartwell, of the West School, 5
Miss Caroline E. Tuttle, Centre 7
Miss Lucy Barnard, 6. East 71
Miss M. H. Finney,
South 8
Miss Lydia A. Robinson,
So. East 8
Miss Mary A. Buttrick, 66 North 66
81
WINTER SCHOOLS.
Mr William D. Dow, of the Centre School, 82
James M. Burnham,
South "
6
David F. Smith,
S. East, "
6
A. B. Cochran,
North
6
17
Charles F. Fiske, of the West School, 8 7 1
Luther Conant, Jr. " East
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
Miss Lydia A. Robinson, of the South, 82
Miss Mary A. Buttrick, Centre, 8
Miss Jane B. Loring, West, 6
We cannot pretend that we have done exact justice to all the teachers and all the schools. The language of commendation is far more pleasant to us, far more congenial to our feelings than cen- sure, even implied censure. We can never bring ourselves to say severe things, however needful, until we are lashed up to it by a sense of duty from which we cannot escape. All we can say is, we have endeavored to do right. While we have insisted on un- conditional obedience on the part of the scholar, we have demand- ed of the teacher that the sternest duty should be tempered with kindness and unmistakable good will. Our constant endeavor has been to bring our schools up to the highest style of a New Eng- land pattern; to prepare, in some measure, our young people to act well their part in future life, as Massachusetts men and women.
HARRIS COWDREY,
WM. DAVIS TUTTLE, Committee. EBEN'R. DAVIS.
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Names of Scholars reported neither Absent nor Tardy. WINTER SCHOOLS.
West School.
Ann M. Stockwell, Eben S. Stockwell, William Condon.
Centre School.
Henry D. Parlin, Elbridge Conant, Mary A. Smith.
South School.
Frances A. Brooks,
Charlotte C. Faulkner,
William B. Gray,
Winthrop E. Wood,
William H. Faulkner,
Charles A. Faulkner, Edwin Batchelder,
Amos Clough, Jos. W. Reed.
North School.
George N. Pierce.
East School.
Susan Augusta Davis,
Carrie Hayward Smith,
Susan Maria Smith,
Clara Wetherbee,
Emma Wetherbee, William Henry Boss, Eben Harlow Davis, Daniel S. Davis,
William Handley,
Addison Bright Wheeler,
Warren Rice Wheeler,
Alfred Henry Smith.
SUMMER SCHOOLS.
South-East School.
Fannie Fletcher, Hepsey Fletcher, Lucy A. Fletcher.
Centre School.
Mary A. Parlin,
Mary E. Spaulding,
Amanda M. Wheeler, Sarah A. Sawyer,
Annie E. Jones,
Henrietta Conant,
J. Gardner Despeau, O. Trask Despeau, Henry H. Hanscom.
North School.
Mary A. Harris, Harriet A. Harris, Sarah S. Harris.
South School.
Charles A. Faulkner, Alvin Lothrop, Sarah C. Blood,
Angeline Sherman,
Elizabeth Pentland,
Martha A. Putnam, Rosella Reed.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
South School.
George H. Patch, Jonas Wood, Emma A. Todd.
Centre School.
Orin T. Despeau, Austin A. Richardson, Horace Tuttle, George Ames.
Districts.
TEACHERS.
Wag. pr. mo.
Amount.
Whole No.
Average.
| Over 15.
| Under 5.
Length of
Schools.
SUMMER.
North.
M. A. Buttrick, $ 14,00 $ 52,50
37
2616
6
S. East L. A. Robinson,
14,17
63,00
30
23
1
1
4}
West.
J. E. Hartwell,
16,00
51,00
59
43
1
3
Centre C. E. 'Tuttle,
14,00
56,00
68
5018
1
8
4
South.
M. H. Finney,
14,48
48,62
58 41
4
31
East.
L. Barnard,
14,00
42,00
46|37
1
4
3
Total,
86,65
313,12 298
220
4 23
211
WINTER.
South.
J. M. Burnham,
35,00
105,00
35 31
19
3
Centre
W. D. Dow,
36,00
108,00
48
43
22
3
West.
C. F. Fiske,
35,00
105,00
55
47
17
3
S. East D. F. Smith,
37,50
112,50
34 30
10
3
North.
A. B. Cochran,
34,00
102,00
41
35
4
3
East.
L. Conant, Jr.
33,00
107 33
52
44
10
31
Total Males,
639,83 265
230 82
18
PRIMARY.
West.
J. B. Loring,
14,00
40,25
43|31
3
23
Centre
M. A Buttrick,
14,00
42,00
45
39
4
3
South.
L. A. Robinson,
14,50
43,50
46
35
3
3
Total Females,
$ 42,50
125,75 134 105
10
-.
Males, 18 1-4 months. Cost, $639,83. Females, 30 1-4 months. Cost, $438,87. Average for males per month, $35,08. Average for females in Summer, $14,44 1-6. In Winter, $14,17.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON,
MASSACHUSETTS,
FOR THE YEAR 1855.
CONCORD : BENJAMIN TOLMAN, PRINTER. 1856.
REPORT.
In obedience to the Statutes of the Commonwealth and the well established customs of the town, your Committee would respectfully submit to their fellow citizens and townsmen, their Annual Report for the year 1855.
The past year has been one of very general health and prosperity. No wide-spread disease has been permitted to invade our homes and decimate our schools ; but our children and youth, through the in- terposition of a kind Providence, have been spared to enjoy another year's instruction-thus preparing them, in no unimportant degree, we would hope, for the duties of future life.
While the din of war and the clash of arms have disturbed the peace and progress of the nations of the Old World, our own people have prosecuted with vigor the more peaceful arts of industry, thus increas- ing the elements of material prosperity, and advancing the interests of all classes of society. Nor has the cause of education been neglected or forgotten. On the contrary, every year but increases the interest which is felt in this noble work, while it is receiving the attention of some of the best intellects of the age. Here, as elsewhere, the spirit of progress is at work ;
4
the people are addressing themselves to the task of regenerating and perfecting their schools. The rapid progress in every department of practical life-in trade and commerce, in manufactures, agriculture and the mechanic arts, which is characteristic of the present day, calls for a more liberal system of educa- tion-a more thorough discipline of the mental powers. While science is forging our machinery, spinning and weaving our cotton, mowing our fields, reaping and threshing our grain, and furnishing the motive power by which the commerce of the world is carried on, increased intelligence is required in those who are to superintend the machinery by which all these labors are performed. As friends, then, of social progress and universal education, we cannot but hail with sat- isfaction the generous efforts which are now making to extend far and wide the blessings of our system of free schools. The subject of education is one that commends itself to the common sense of every man, as one of paramount importance, whether we regard it in relation to individuals, or to states and nations. It banishes, for a time, even political hostilities, and men of all parties cheerfully unite in carrying forward the good work. While no tax is more cheerfully borne than that which is raised for the support of schools, private liberality is added to public munificence, to increase their efficiency.
We rejoice that Acton largely participates in this feeling of liberality toward her public schools. This is as it should be. It is a matter of great conven- ience to have good roads and bridges-it is the duty of the town to make suitable provision for its poor, and there are many subjects of minor importance, which
5
a town in its corporate capacity ought not to neglect- but, high above them all, rises the obligation to edu- cate those who are to be its future citizens, and who are to exert a controlling influence over its character in succeeding years. Let us, then, give our children every advantage that lies in our power for intellectual, social, and moral improvement. The time allotted to this important work, is all too short to accomplish much that could be desired, ere the busy realities, the cares and anxieties of life are upon them. How important then, that every opportunity should be improved- that no effort should be spared, to fit those who are to come after us for the varied and responsible duties of life. We have been gratified and encouraged by many unmistakable evidences of increasing interest on the part of parents in several of the districts. Still, there is too much indifference-too little appreciation of the great blessings we enjoy in our free schools. With all their defects, and they are many, they are ac- complishing a vast amount of good.
That many improvements have been effected in the methods of teaching and the character of the text books used in our schools, within a few years, no one famil- iar with their past history can doubt. Higher attain- ments are made now, than formerly, by those attend- ing them, and we cannot but regard their condition as improving ; yet much remains to be achieved. They are susceptible of great and almost indefinite advancement.
There is not enough of system, either in the method of instruction or course of study pursued, and too much depends upon chance.
Let excelsior still be our motto, and our course be onward and upward.
6
EMPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS.
In submitting their report, your committee would venture a few suggestions, looking to the prospective improvement of your schools. And first, in regard to the employment of teachers. The necessity of exercis- ing much care in the selection of teachers, has often been urged upon those on whom this duty devolves ; yet we regret to say that its importance is not duly estimated. The history of the past year does not par- ticularly elicit this remark ; but the experience of every year serves to confirm us in the opinion that this is a matter of vital importance to the welfare of our schools. " As is the teacher, such will be the school," is a trite observation, but a true one. This business is now managed by the prudential committees of the several districts. It is one of much delicacy and re- sponsibility, and should be confided only to men of intelligence and known devotion to the interests of education ; who have sufficiently at heart the welfare of our schools, to be willing to make some sacrifice of time (and money, if necessary,) to obtain teachers of proper qualifications.
We hazard the assertion, that teachers are often employed with less satisfactory recommendations, and with less inquiry and actual knowledge as to their intellectual and moral fitness for their profession, than would be required of a laborer on a farm, though in the latter case pecuniary interests only are involved. Says the prudential committee, " it is my business to employ the teacher-it is the duty of the town's com- mittee to look after his qualifications-if not satis- factory, they may refuse him a certificate."
Let us look for a moment at the practical working
7
of this system. Teachers are engaged by the pru- dential committee-most of them entire strangers to the examining committee-they are presented to the latter for the first time, on the afternoon of the Satur- day before the Monday on which the schools are to begin (and not unfrequently till Monday morning), for examination. A few of them, we will suppose, pass a tolerable examination ; more of them get through after a fashion, while some of them prove clearly in- competent.
Now, what shall be done ? The schools are ex- pected to commence without delay, and if a candidate is refused, the prudential committee knows not where to find another, and perhaps would feel indignant should the man of his choice not be approved. Now, who can fail to see that here is a dilemma ? It is late in the season-the best teachers are engaged, and much difficulty may be experienced in obtaining a suitable one, if obtained at all. A delay in the time of commencing the school is unavoidable, and most probably there will be much dissatisfaction in the dis- trict with the town's committee, for thus arbitrarily abusing their power, and if they do not get what is significantly called a " jawing," they may be sure of the silent anathemas of the rejected teacher's friends and sympathizers.
On the other hand, if he is approved, the school must inevitably suffer from the disadvantage of having an incompetent teacher, and the district is but little better off than if the school had not kept. The ex- amination of teachers under such circumstances is in most cases a mere farce, and the power of the com- mittee practically reduced to a cipher. More depends
8
on the teacher than upon any and every thing else connected with a school.
It thus becomes a question of primary importance, how we shall secure instructors of proper character and qualifications ? Under the present system, diffi- culties often occur ; teachers are frequently pressed into the service who are wholly unqualified, and the superintending committee fettered in their efforts to raise to a higher standard the qualifications of our in- structors. Such will undoubtedly continue to be the case, so long as the duties of providing and approbat- ing teachers are entrusted to different hands. In this view of the case, we cannot but express our firm con- viction that our schools will never be what they should, and might be, until a radical change is effected in the method of selecting and employing teachers. Proba- bly no system which could be proposed would be wholly unobjectionable, and under which failures would not sometimes happen ; but leaving out of consideration the illegality of the present mode, it does seem to us, that many of the evils arising from the employment of incompetent teachers, might be avoided, if the duty of selecting teachers were wholly intrusted to the town's committee. We are aware that it would increase the duties and responsibilities of the latter, but we believe their task would, on the whole, be much more agree- able than at present, while it would prevent many em- barrassments under which they now labor. That many advantages would attend a change in this re- spect we are confident. Less delicacy would be felt in discharging teachers who might prove incompetent ; and having, from their position, a more intimate knowl- edge of the condition and wants of the schools under
9
their supervision than others can be supposed to have, they would, we are persuaded, secure to the districts the services of a better class of teachers than we sometimes have. Will it be said that the proposed change would place too much power in the hands of the superintending committee ? We would reply that the power is already theirs to refuse to approbate any teacher, and thus defeat the plans of the prudential committee, while they have not the power to select those teachers whom they deem best qualified to in- struct in our schools. Again, the money appropriated for the support of schools is raised by the town, not by the districts ; why then should it not be expended under the direction of its duly constituted authorities. Moreover, as the town's committee are chiefly held responsible by the town for the character of its schools, and is the only official medium through which an account is rendered, to the town, of the manner in which its money has been expended and its children educated, we think they should have the exclusive control of this matter. This plan has been adopted, with the best results, in many of the towns in the State, and is fast becoming the policy of the entire Commonwealth.
QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS, &c.
We live in an age of improvement, and we have a right to expect higher qualifications in our teachers than heretofore. The teacher works, not only for time, but for eternity. To him is committed the training of immortal minds. How important then that he should feel his responsibilities, and be able to meet them ; that his influence should be of such a character, as to leave none but good impressions on
2
10
the minds and hearts of our youth. Tact is as im- portant as talent ; wisdom as learning. He ought to know much more than he is called to teach. He ought to have, not only a familiar knowledge of the elementary branches, and many that are not elemen- tary, but he should possess an aptness to teach, tact in management, firmness and decision of character, mingled with gentleness and unmistakable kindness. Above all, he should possess a capacity to govern- one of the highest qualifications of a teacher, and with- out which all others are of no avail. For one that fails in literary attainments, there are ten that fail for want of the ability to govern. Good order is the first requisite of a good school; and a school-room in which the noise of whispering and drumming of feet is continually heard, is about as favorable for study as the interior of a cotton mill. While we would have order preserved, we would not have every trifling mis- demeanor visited by corporal punishment, by rod or ferule. The better feelings of children should ever be appealed to, and moral influences brought to bear upon the mind in their happiest and most efficient form ; while physical remedies are held in reserve as a last resort, to be used sparingly, yet effectually, when milder treatment fails.
Very many of the disturbances which arise, from time to time, in our schools, are almost always trace- able, directly or indirectly, to bad management at home. It is feared that the wholesome parental dis- cipline of former years, is becoming relaxed. The supremacy of law must be made apparent in the school-room, yet unless children are taught to be obe- dient and respectful at home, how can we expect them
11
to be submissive and orderly at school. Parents are too ready to listen to the complaints of children against their teacher. He is too strict, or not strict enough ; the lessons are too long, or too short, or something is the matter. Too often are his measures made the subject of criticism and condemnation by parents, and this in the hearing of the children, thus greatly diminishing that respect and consideration which should always be felt by scholars for their teacher, and rendering all his efforts for their improvement, com- paratively fruitless. Teachers, it should be remem- bered, are but human beings, and as well as other people, have their failings ; and to suppose they will not sometimes be guilty of trifling indiscretions, in word or act, or trivial errors in their conduct, would be unreasonable. There will be faults in government, faults in instruction, errors in management, but they ought not, for a moment, to shake our confidence in a teacher, unless of sufficient magnitude totally to disqualify him for the discharge of his duties, or of such a nature that he can no longer claim our respect.
Teachers can do little without the cheerful and hearty co-operation of parents, and this they should receive. Concert of action is the secret of success.
GENERAL REMARKS.
High School.
The disposition is too general with many of our scholars to begin the study of the higher branches be- fore mastering the more elementary ones ; for instance, to commence the study of Algebra, before obtaining a thorough knowledge of the principles and practical applications of common Arithmetic. This is a great
12
mistake. There is nothing like thoroughness in the elementary branches. If the foundation is not well laid, the superstructure can never be stable. Nothing is more common than to meet with errors in orthog- raphy, which the veriest tyro in the spelling-book ought to be ashamed of-to say nothing of the glar- ing deficiency of grammatical knowledge, so frequent- ly met with in the construction of sentences. No one can be said to be well educated, who cannot write an ordinary letter with grammatical accuracy, and with- out violating the rules of the spelling-book, no matter how exalted may be his attainments in other respects.
Algebra, Geometry, &c., are useful studies, indis- pensable to some, and necessary for all who would attain proficiency in the higher departments of mathe- matics ; yet they should not be entered upon, till a complete and thorough knowledge of the more elc- mentary studies is acquired. Many, it is feared, in their haste to " get through the arithmetic," as it is called, fail to gain any thing like an adequate knowl- edge of its principles. It is not enough to repeat the rule, or solve the problem, but the reason of the rule, and the rationale of the operation should be known. Nothing should be passed over that is not well under- stood. The old adage that, " what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," is pre-eminently applicable to teaching.
Our common schools were not intended to super- cede the necessity of. higher institutions of learning, and they never will. Their function is to give to every child in the Commonwealth the elements of a good English education, and this is all they can well perform. If you wish to give your children a better
13
education than these afford-if you would teach them the Languages, higher Mathematics, Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, &c., with success, you must establish a high school, or send them to academies and private schools, where the acquisition of these is made an object of special importance, and where facilities are afforded for their successful prosecution. Nothing is gained, in our opinion, by introducing them into our common schools. No addition can be made with advantage to the number of studies already pursued, and every such addition must be made at the
expense of those already taught. Even were our teachers abundantly qualified to teach the higher branches, the temptation is very great, when intro- duced, to devote too much attention to these, to the neglect of the more common, yet certainly more widely useful studies. The subject of a high school has several times been brought before the town, yet nothing has been done ; though money enough is an- nually paid by the inhabitants for instruction in private schools, to sustain one for at least three months in the year. We trust a movement will soon be made for the establishment of a school of this character, for the benefit of the whole town.
With regard to the amount appropriated by the town for the support of schools, we do not believe it to be too great ; at least, we think the town could do much worse than to expend $1500 for the education of its children, and we hope it will not be diminished. If properly expended, it will surely repay good in- terest in coming years. Some may think the amount extravagantly large, yet it may be doubted whether a less sum is sufficient to maintain them in their present
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