USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1945 > Part 10
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Frances Haskins Grade 3
Aroostook State Normal (1943)
Velma E. Herrick Grade 1
Perry Kindergarten School; Boston Univ .; Tufts (1927)
Beth G. MacGregor Grade 1
Salem Teachers' College, B.S.Ed. (1943)
Mary W. Moore
Grade 5
Provincial, N.S., Normal School; Boston Univ., B.S.Ed. (1941)
Elizabeth Robinson Grade 2
Wheelock, Hyannis Teachers' College, B.S.Ed. (1945)
Helen D. Stockwell Salem Normal; Boston Univ. (1930)
Special Class
Lois Taylor Grade 3 ,
Wheelock College, B.S. (1945)
Margaret Traquair Special Class
Salem Teachers' College, B.S.Ed. (1945)
Myrla Wilbur Grade 6
Lowell State Teachers' College, B.S.Ed. (1945)
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Doris V. Williams Grade 3 Milwaukee State Teachers' College; Fitchburg Teachers' Col- lege, B.S.Ed. (1944)
Lowell Street School
Nellie P. Beaton Principal, Grade 4 Hyannis Teachers' College; Boston Univ. (1920)
Isabel W. Carley Grade 3 Salem Normal; Penn. State College (1928)
Helen F. Frederic Grade 1 Farmington Normal (1945)
Jessie L. Goddard Grade 2 Bridgewater Normal; Boston Univ. (1937)
Prospect Street School
Charlotte M. Burnham
Grade 1 Hartford Seminary Foundation, B.S.E .; Trinity College, A.M. (1945)
Grace L. Gifford Grade 1 Wheelock (1943)
Jean E. Hertel Grade 2 Mt. Holyoke, A.B .; Boston Univ. (1945)
Alberta R. Mathieson Grade 2
Salem Normal (1936)
Catherine Chipman Lowell State Teachers' College (1944)
Grade 3
Helena A. Markham
Grade 4
Framingham State Teachers' College (1934)
Chestnut Hill School
Irene Royea Principal, Grades 1 and 2 Aroostook State Normal; Boston Univ. (1928)
Clara A. Anderson Grades 3 and 4 Gorham Normal; Boston Univ. (1944)
132
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, 1945
To the School Committee Reading, Massachusetts Mrs. Earley, Mrs. Milton and Gentlemen :
Herewith please find my seventh annual report as Superintendent of Schools, which is the fifty-third of a series of annual reports describ- ing the work in the Reading Public Schools.
During this year we have witnessed the end of the second world con- flict and have successfully demonstrated our ability to uphold our way of life against the challenge of the dictatorships of Europe and the Far East. The struggle heightened the cooperation and the unity of every- one in the Reading school system. Through victory loan drives, cloth- ing drives, rationing procedures. and civilian defense, both pupils and teachers have worked enthusiastically with community groups to further the war effort. The induction of nine men teachers in the Armed Serv- ices and the large turnover of the teaching personnel have made it dif- ficult to procure the continuity of teaching service which would have prevailed under normal circumstances.
Purposes of Education
Due to the many problems we have had to meet during the past few years and the ingenuity we have had to display in meeting them, the people have begun to realize that our schools must give our youth an education beyond the fundamental skills of reading, writing and arith- metic. True, the deficiencies of the draftees showed we must be more thorough in teaching the fundamental tools of learning but our men in the armed forces excelled primarily because they had received school training of a much broader nature than had been offered in other coun- tries. We have encouraged youth to use their judgments and defend their own opinions so that they have developed an understanding of, and ap- preciation for, individual liberty.
Before the beginning of the war the American policies commission outlined the four basic purposes of Education in American Democracy and the teachers in the Reading schools have continually emphasized the value of these purposes. They may be briefly outlined as follows : Self-realization, human relationship, economic efficiency and civic re- sponsibility.
The first of these purposes places emphasis on developing the in- dividual pupil to attain the highest achievement of which he is capable. Through study and diagnosis of each pupil's difficulties, our teachers are helping our pupils to learn as efficiently as possible.
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Our classes are groups of individual pupils which, in turn, are di- vided into smaller groups within the class itself. This method of group- ing individuals gives an opportunity for pupils who learn at about the same rate to progress together. It often develops opportunities for group leadership. In working together on a given piece of work pupils learn to understand others through actual cooperation.
The third purpose is to help individual pupils through a carefully worked out guidance program. In this program the home-room teacher studies each pupil under his supervision and helps him construct some occupational objective within his abilities and interests. Guidance coun- selling also helps the child to make adjustments to the world, and to understand social relationships better.
The fourth purpose emphasizes practices in civic responsibility through participating in, and contributing to. the student organizations in the school ;- through the development of loyalty to democratic ideals.
High School Teachers Study School Problems
The faculty of the Senior High School with the superintendent and the High School principal this year has studied and discussed reports and studies emphasizing broader service to the youth of to-day.
Certain changes in the curriculum seem imminent and the High School faculty is studying these to determine their value to the youth of Reading. We feel that we should take advantage of good practices in other school systems but they should be adapted to our needs only after careful analysis and recognition of their value in our educational program.
Changes in School Membership and Personnel
The war has made significant changes in both the Elementary School and the Senior High School enrollments. From the point of view of numbers of students the war has had little or no effect on the Junior High School.
The entire school membership on October 1, 1945, was as follows :
Senior High School
495
Junior High School
514
Elementary Schools
1.180
Total
2,189
Elementary School membership on October 1, 1945.
Grade 1
2
3
4
5
6
Opp. Total
Pearl
106
75
71
69
59
59
34
473
Highland
33
37
35
30
106
97
338
Prospect
47
58
37
36
178
Lowell
32
45
22
23
122
Chestnut Hill
20
14
22
13
69
Total
238
229
187
171
165
156
34
1180
134
If we compare these figures with those of each year since 1940, we find distinctive changes in the school population. -
School
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944 1945
High School
681
599
548
491
508
495
Junior High
533
524
521
514
524
514
Elementary
1063
1093
1103
1150
1152
1180
2277
2216 2172 2155 2184
2189
The war has hit the High School membership hard. Boys in large numbers have left school to join the armed forces. Many others-both boys and girls-have left for employment in war industries. Between 1940 and 1945 the High School membership fell from 681 to 495. It is not expected to rise significantly until the induction of young men is termi- nated or modified-the armed forces are now advising students to finish their high school courses and are deferring them for this purpose. In the fall of 1946 there should be 40 or 50 more students in the High School because the graduating class is small and the incoming sophomore class is large.
During this period when the school membership fell off, the High School faculty was reduced by two regular teachers. In the place of one of these teachers a librarian was substituted to permit the instructional service to be more effective. We now have, thanks to Mrs. Edward Raymond's generous gift and additional books purchased by the School Committee, a fine working students' library of 2500 volumes effectively administered by a trained librarian. This service has been a great asset to both teachers and pupils.
A directly opposite trend has been operating in the Elementary Schools-their enrollments have increased from 1063 in 1940 to 1180 in 1945, a total of 117 pupils. Because the Elementary School classes were crowded in 1940, it was necessary to add three regular teachers and one special teacher during the last five years. Two regular teachers have been added to the faculty of Prospect School and one to Pearl. The Prospect School was unable to house the additional pupils so they had to be as- signed to two rooms in the Junior High School building made vacant by reorganizing the Junior High School. This meant added construction in the cafeteria so that it might be used as a class room. The limit to which the Junior High School organization can absorb pupils from the Prospect Street School district has been reached. Relief can come only by putting pupils on half-day sessions or immediately starting construction of the new school on Summer Avenue and Oak Street. Transportation to other schools is out of the question because their enrolments are up to capacity now and the school lots at Prospect and at Chestnut Hill are so small that there is no room for portable buildings.
135
The school housing problems in the Elementary Schools have been accumulating for a number of years. The effect of this accumulation can clearly be seen when one realizes that if the Summer Avenue School were to be opened today, it would enroll nearly 350 pupils, or over 400 if it included kindergartens! True, this would relieve the Highland School of three fifth and three sixth grades but, at the present rate of growth of Elementary School enrolment the capacity of the Summer Avenue School will be reached within three or four years after it is built.
At the same time it should be realized that the Pearl Street School has reached its capacity and next year an additional room must be con- structed in the basement to house the incoming first-year pupils. A number of classes at Pearl Street School have 36 to 40 pupils in them. This number is too large for effective classroom instruction. Nor will the construction of this Summer Avenue School give must relief to the Pearl Street School. A solution to the present predicament can be seen in the purchase of land at or near Birch Meadow, now - for future construction of an Elementary School there. This will be needed by 1950 at the present rate of growth of Elementary School membership.
During the year there have been 23 changes in personnel throughout the school system. Three veterans returning from the armed forces- Mr. Arthur Spencer and Mr. Robert Bronner from the Navy and Mr. Arthur Griffin from the Army Air Corps, are included in this number. Mr. Griffin stayed with us only a month. He succeeded Mr. Herman Wheeler and was in turn, succeeded by Mr. Bronner. These changes, due to military leave, were all in the High School. This school also had four other changes, the Junior High School three changes, and the Ele- mentary Schools 13 including an addition of one teacher to the Pros- pect Street School staff. Since 1940 there have been 99 changes in a teaching personnel of 96 people! Obviously, many of the new teachers stayed only a year or two. In some teaching positions three or four teachers covered the same assignment at various times during the period. Under these circumstances, it has been difficult to maintain the same continuity of work we have enjoyed in normal times. It is hoped, however, that the termination of the war period and the new salary schedule will help to retain our staff members for a longer time, - though the very low enrolments in Teachers' Colleges and Schools of Education lead to the conclusion that the bidding for teachers will last for some years to come.
School Costs About Average
Providing present educational facilities in the Reading public school costs about the average amount so expended throughout the State as a whole.
Expenditure figures for the major divisions of the school budget have been issued by the State Department of Education based on the
136
school returns for the school year of 1944-45 and in this study the per pupil costs were figured by using the net average membership.
In the tables worked out by the State Department the average per pupil expenditure for 1944-45 for the entire State was $139.07; for Read- ing this figure was $135.86. In the following table will be found the breakdown of these per-pupil costs by divisions of the budget and also the percentage of our budget for individual division of the budget as against the budget as a whole.
Per-pupil Expenditures School Year 1944-45
Items
State
Dollars
Per cent
Dollars
Reading Per cent
General Control
$ 5.49
3.9
$ 6.00
4.3
Salaries
97.43
70.1
96.77
71.2
Textbooks
1.54
1.1
1.65
1.2
Other Expenses (supplies, etc.)
3.50
2.5
4.61
3.4
Operation
17.20
12.4
18.61
13.7
Repairs
5.11
3.7
2.98
2.1
Libraries
.13
.01
Health
2.31
1.7
2.34
1.7
Transportation
3.73
2.7
2.84
2.1
Tuition
1.23
.9
.03
.2
Miscellaneous
1.40
1.0
.02
1
Total
$139.07
100.0
$135.86
100.0
Our General Control is a little higher than the State's because the commiteee rooms and the superintendent's office are in a separate build- ing. In nearly all the other school systems these are located in a school building where the costs are absorbed. Reading's expenditure for sal- aries is a little lower than the average and its expenditure for textbooks a trifle higher.
The figure on operation reflects the need of keeping up relatively old buildings, and until these are replaced by new ones, this figure will re- main high. There is a contrast between the State's figure and Reading's figure as regards repairs. The very low figure for Reading has resulted from strict reduction of repair items in the budget-this is rather doubt- ful economy and will add increased expenditures in future budgets.
In Reading during 1944-45 transportation was lower than the State average in accordance with our compliance with the regulations of the Office of Defense Transportation during the war.
The figures in the table show that during the last year of World War II per-pupil expenditures in Reading were not unduly high-as a matter of record, they were just about average.
137
Maintenance of School Plant
Every business faces the need to operate and maintain its plant so that the upkeep will be normal from year to year. The larger the plant and the longer it has been built, the greater will be the maintenance costs. In Reading our school buildings range from 6 to 70 years old.
The present assessed valuations on these school buildings are as fol- lows :
School
Type
Location
Assessed Valuation
Senior High School
Brick
Sanborn Street
$189,825-
Junior High School
Brick
Temple Street
355,325
and bleachers
Pearl Street School
Brick
Pearl Street
219,550.
Highland School
Brick
Middlesex Avenue
157,800
Prospect St. School
Frame
Prospect Street
30,075
Lowell St. School
Frame
Lowell Street
24,850
Chestnut Hill School
Frame
Hopkins Street
7,900
Grouard House and Garage Frame
School Street
7,025
Total assessed valuation
$992,350
Besides this $992,350 valuation of school buildings there exists an assessed valuation of $43,825 on the land upon which they are located. If we add to these figures the estimated value of $105,400 for all the equip- ment in the schools, we have a total of $1,141,575 invested in school prop- erty. A business with this amount of capital assets would undoubtedly set aside at least 2% for maintenance of buildings. Two per cent of the $992,350 valuation of buildings comes to $19,847. In 1945 the School De- partment expended $9,484.18 for plant maintenance-and $9,936.50 was. allowed for maintenance in 1946. These figures show clearly that our school property will be in great need of repair in the near future. If maintenance of buildings is not kept up, future costs for repairs will be needlessly great. A reasonable way out of this dilemma is to develop a long term itemized program of painting and repair so that in each year an assigned amount of work will be done and this work be a part of a 5. or 10 year plan. Such a program will cost a little more each year than. a paired-down budget, but will cost the taxpayers less in the end.
Status of Senior High School Education
The American secondary school is becoming more and more the people's college, and many institutions of secondary school grade are beginning to provide for instruction beyond the twelfth year. Newton has recently established a thirteenth grade with courses on the first year college level. Many other school systems are offering instruction to high
138
INVE
-
BUY DEFENSE BON
BU
Purchasing Defense Stamps, Senior High School
school graduates and adults. Wakefield High School has been desig- nated as the Regional Veterans' Center of this area and will possibly grow into a school offering courses beyond the twelfth grade. Reading High School has, in the past, enrolled as many as forty students as post graduates. It is not unthinkable, then, to imagine the swing back to high school education creating a demand for local education beyond our twelfth grade. This is something which might well be included in plans for a new high school building.
Whether there is an immediate increase in the high school enroll- ment due to the termination of the war or a gradual increase due to ad- vance from grade to grade of the rapidly increasing elementary school population, or increase due to building expansion, the Senior High School should plan to accommodate 800 students by 1950 and 1,000 by 1955. The need will be more than merely housing these pupils. Facilities such as auditorium, cafeteria, library, gymnasium and space for outside physical education should be planned now. In fact, they are present necessities if a well-rounded modern secondary school program is to be offered the young people already in High School. The High School program now in operation is, to a great extent, restricted to book-content learning be- cause there is no room in the present building for much else. Pupils go to the Junior High School for shop, domestic arts, and athletic activities. Music and art have far from ideal conditions in the present building, yet within these physical limitations the academic instruction has not ma- terially suffered though teachers have had to work under adverse condi- tions. The reports we get from various institutions of higher learning show the following facts about the 1945 graduating class :
Four students entered Boston University; 3 entered Northeastern University; 3 the Massachusetts School of Art; 2 the New England Conservatory of Music; 1 entered the University of Vermont, Smith, Bowdoin, Brown, M.I.T., University of Pennsylvania, Colby Junior Col- lege, Lasell Junior College, Vermont Junior College, State Teachers' College at Framingham, Gordon Theological College and Vesper George School of Art. Besides these, six were accepted for training as nurses, two of whom entered the Melrose Hospital training course and one each that of the Children's Hospital, Peter Bent Brigham, Symmes and Salem. Eleven graduates entered business college in Boston. Besides these students there were fourteen taking college courses who had ten- tatively made arrangements to enter college but had to delay their col- lege careers because of being drafted, or accepting voluntary appoint- ments to the armed forces.
The preparation which the High School program gives students is. thorough and covers various fields. Below will be found the courses of- fered in the three-year program.
139
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
Senior Year
Junior Year
Sophomore Year
Periods Points
Subjects
5
5
English II
5
5
Mathematics I, II, III
5
5
U. S. Ilist. and Civics
5
5
Mathematics I or II
5
5
Prac. Math. A or B
5
5
Mathematics I, II, III ..
5
5
Prac. Math. A.
5
5
French II or III
5
5
Solid Geom. & Trig.
5
5
French I or II
.
5
5
Latin I, II or III
5
5
Math. Cp. 3
2
2
Latin I or II
5
5
Spanish [ or Il
5
5
Adv. Arithmetic
5
5
Spanish 1
5
5
Mod. Eur. History
5
5
French III or IV
5
5
World History
5
5
Probs. of Living
7
5
Latin II, III. or IV
5
5
7
5
Biology A
5
5
Spanish II or III
5
5
. .
5
5
5
5
Chemistry
7
5
Stenography I
5
21/2
Bookkeeping
5
5
Prac. Science
1
5
Biology A
5
5
A Cappella Choir
5
21/2
Art
5
Bookkeepitng
5
5
Band
1
1
A Cappella
Choir
5
21/2
Stenography
.
.
.
2
2
Orchestra
1
1
Art
Music Appreciation
5
5
Industrial Arts
Girls Glee Club
2
2
A Cappella Choir
5
21/2 3
Band
1
1
Boys Glee
Club
2
2
2
2
Girls Glee Club
15
71%
Industrial Arts
15
71%
Practical Arts
2
1
5
5
Periods Points
Subjects
Periods Points
Subjects
English IV
English III
5
5
5
5
Prac. Math. A or B
5
5
Biology A
5
5
Biology B
7
5
Probs. of Living
7
5
Bookkeeping I
5
5
Prac. Science
5
5
Physics
5
5
Art Appreciation
5
5
Stenography
5
21/2
Music Appreciation
5
5
Typewriting
5
21/2
Biology B
5
5
Orchestra
3
3
Typewriting
5
21/2
Boys Glee Club
2
2
Band
5
212
Girls Glee Club
Boys Glee Club
2
2
15
71/2
15
71/2
Industrial Arts
15
71/2
3
Practical Arts
2
1
Practical Arts
15
2
73/2 1
Physical Education
Physical Education
.
5
5
Biology B
Physics
Typewriting I
.
.
3
3
Music Appreciation
5
Physical Education
Orchestra
Ancient History
57 points are required for graduation. All pupils should take certain basic courses including three years of English, one year of United States History and Civics, one year of mathematics (Bookkeeping acceptable) and one other history course. Physical Education is required.
Owing to the limited facilities for Physical Education only about one- third of the High School students can take gymnasium work. There is no opportunity to have any out-of-door physical development due to lack of space.
In this connection Major General Louis B. Hersey pleads with school authorities to increase the physical educational program of American youth. In a recent article he stated: "Of the 17,000,000 registrants be- tween 18 and 37 years of age who were physically examined, about 5,000,- 000 were rejected for military service. Roughly, about 30% of American young manhood has been found physically unfit to bear arms in the Na- tional Defense. I cannot help but feel that our educational system-from kindergarten through colleges and universities-has neglected one of its most important responsibilities ; that of preserving the balance between physical, mental and emotional. That balance must be restored. With- out physical strength and emotional stability, youth cannot, and will not, be capable of utilizing to the fullest the knowledge imparted to them in our schools. The child spends so much of its time in the school that the school must assume a very large responsibility for his entire de- velopment."
An increased interest in Industrial Arts during the last five years has resulted in a growth in that department from 40 students in 1941 to 77 students in 1945. This growth necessitated the addition of one shop teacher in 1941. During the same period the enrollment in the Home Economics classes has declined. Many pupils prefer to stay in the High School building rather than walk over to the Junior High School. This is particularly true of the girls during inclement weather.
The preferences of the students in the High School indicate that there is no decided need for a vocational school in connection with the High School. There is, however, considerable interest in Industrial Arts as a part of a general educational program. Instruction in this field can become a very important part of the education of Reading youth who, together with the youth of the nation, should have some experience with, and knowledge of, industrial processes, if for no other reason than that they will be consumers in an expanding industrial world.
Survey of High School Commercial Work
During the year Miss Svea Kling of the Commercial Department made a thorough study of the work our graduates are doing in the com- mercial field. Her conclusions are here outlined as an evidence of the results we are obtaining in these courses :
1. On the whole, the Reading High School seems to be filling the needs of these students.
2. Since most students are using stenography on the job, it is de- . sirable to continue teaching it in the high school.
141
3. The three-year secretarial program apparently gives our stu- dents an advantage over those students graduating from schools with a two-year program, and our graduates realize and appreciate it.
4. Since most of our students work in the Boston area, the training should be directed toward the kind of work found in Boston rather than elsewhere.
5. The high school is doing an excellent job of finding positions- and desirable ones-for its graduates. and the students realize and ap- preciate this.
6. Due to the fact that labor was scarce most of the students did not have to take employment tests; therefore, in the years following the war, probably more and more testing will be done.
7. Salaries are high due to scarcity of labor. Experience does not seem to count for much, since the average salary varies little in the four classes; the class of 1945, in fact, having a higher average salary than the class of 1942! This condition. however, is abnormal, and will prob- ably right itself in the years to come.
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