USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1956 > Part 10
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Within sixty days after the date of the birth of any child born in the commonwealth with visible congenital deformities, or any condition apparently acquired at birth which may lead to crippling, the physician in attendance upon said births shall prepare upon a form provided by the state department of public health and file with the clerk of the town where such birth occurred a report setting forth such visible
110
congenital deformity, or any condition apparently acquired at birth which may lead to crippling.
Said clerk shall transmit forthwith to said department such supple- mentary report of such birth. The contents of such report shall be solely for the use of said department in connection with its functions relative to crippled children, and such report shall not be open to public inspection or constitute a public record.
General Laws, Chap. 46, Sec. 6
Parents within forty days after the birth of a child, and every householder, within forty days after a birth in his home, shall cause notice thereof to be given to the clerk of the town where such child is born.
General Laws, Chapter 111
Sections 110 and 111, require physicians, registered hospital medical officers, nurses or other attendants to report at once to the local board of health, every child one or both of whose eyes become inflamed, swollen and red and show an unnatural discharge within two weeks after birth.
111
REPORT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Honorable Board of Selectmen
Municipal Building Reading, Mass.
Gentlemen:
The report of the Police Department for 1956 is hereby submitted:
On May 20, John F. Beaudoin was promoted from Sergeant to Lieu- tenant. On July 29, John L. Power was promoted to Sergeant.
In October 2 regular Patrolmen resigned from this Department, these vacancies were filled in December.
Personnel of the Department consists of 20 regular Patrolmen, 4 Sergeants, 1 Lieutenant and Chief.
Following are the arrests and other services performed: Misdemeanors 125
Felonies 9
Total
134
Motor Vehicles violations 617
Other Services
Recovered Bicycles 24
Value of stolen property recovered $5,150.00
Ambulance trips 231
Automobile accidents investigated 140
Miscellaneous complaints investigated 168
Fees Collected and Turned over to Town Treasurer
Ambulance Fees
$1,309.00
Bicycle Plate Fees 110.25
Automotive Equipment
1 1956 Cadillac Ambulance
1 1956 Plymouth Suburban
1 1956 Ford Country Sedan
1 1955 Ford Sedan
1 1954 Ford Sedan
During this year three new Police Call Boxes were added to our signal system. I recommend that we continue to expand our signal system in order to have more patrols by Officers on foot in the heavy populated residential sections.
The Reading Police Reserves again served the Town on many occa- sions. This Organization numbers 40 uniformed, trained men who served more than 1,000 hours without expense to the Town.
In closing I wish to thank the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the members of this Department for their fine co-operation. Thanks also to all the other Town Officials and their Departments for their aid to us in the discharge of our duties.
Respectfully submitted,
ROLAND E. ELLIS, Chief of Police
112
Ambulance Purchased 1956 - Reading Police Department
NOIIVIS 30/70d
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
Town of Reading, Massachusetts
for the year ended December 31, 1956
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
Philip R. White, Chairman, 189 Summer Ave.
Term expires 1959
Newell H. Morton, 198 Woburn Street
Paul R. Bergholtz, 20 Puritan Road Barbara Winkler, 52 Pearl Street
"
=
1958
Robert E. Turner, 78 Middlesex Avenue
"
1957
William E. Burpee, 178 Wakefield Street
",
"
1957
School Committee Office
High School Building
62 Oakland Road
RE 2-0180 and RE 2-2384
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During Summer Vacation 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Superintendent of Schools
Robert F. Perry
22 Dudley Street
Secretary to the Superintendent
Mae A. Tanner
26 Mineral Street
Clerks in School Committee Office
Margaret A. McMullen Irene E. Reichardt
56 Intervale Terrace 90 Vine Street
School Physician
Dr. Robert W. Wakeling
60 Lowell Street
Supervisor of Maintenance
Roderick E. Macdonald 11 John Carver Road
Attendance Officer
Robert A. Grundy 25 Lewis Street or 74 Haven Street
Supervisor of Cafeterias
Lois Connor
268 Franklin Street
114
" 1959
=
1958
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Reading:
The School Committee herewith submits its annual report.
In separate sections the Superintendent of Schools, the Principals and Directors present individual reports which give specific information to the public concerning the schools, their needs, their operation, and especially their cost. In order to avoid duplication of reports, therefore, the School Committee in this general preface wishes to point out cer- tain highlights of accomplishment during the past year and to draw the citizens' attention to certain areas which we feel will continue to present acute problems in the future.
Housing is gradually coming under control although there are still sixth grades scattered all over town - one in the Prospect Street School, three in the High School, four in the Junior High, and not one in an elementary school.
The new Forest Street School is due to open in September and will provide eighteen new rooms for elementary grades. In anticipation of the opening of this new building, the Superintendent and principals have been gradually working out a re-districting of the whole town so that when school opens in September 1957 the town will find itself with new and more up-to-date districts drawn up to take care of the current school population.
Enrollment projections indicate that an addition to the Junior High School will be necessary by 1959 as the increase in our elementary school population reaches the secondary school level. The School Com- mittee will ask for an appropriation for preliminary plans in 1957 so that construction can be started in 1958.
It has been most encouraging to see the citizens of Reading looking ahead to future school building needs and buying property for the housing it is only too obvious we shall be needing soon. The town purchased two such pieces of property during the past year; one off West Street and one off Haverhill Street. Largely responsible for the choice of these locations has been a special committee studying sites for schools and recreation areas. This committee is continuing its study and we can look forward to a realistic and reasonable approach to acquiring land for schools.
The major work on grounds during this past year has been the completion of finish grading of the football field and cinder track, along with the installation of jumping pits in Birch Meadow. Second in size to this project was the partial installation of drainage in the Junior High School football field in an effort to repair the ravages of years of use by the High School football team. In passing, it should perhaps also be noted here that the Eaton School field is going to need a large facelifting for similar reasons since the football team practices there.
The real high light of accomplishment in relation to buildings and
115
grounds during the past year has been the tremendous gain made in maintenance under the direction of Mr. Macdonald. Our buildings and grounds represent an enormous investment of tax money, and keeping them in proper condition requires much planning besides a practical, down-to-earth approach to getting the work done. Great strides have been made forward but more thought must be given to these problems in the future. Without doubt additional personnel will be needed if we hope to keep up our plant. In the long run, skimping on maintenance costs offers a questionable means of economizing.
Many times the School Committee members express regret that in handling such immediate and practical questions as bus schedules, cafeteria accounts, and so on, they have little time to devote to curricu- lum. The staff, however, are constantly re-examining curriculum and report significant accomplishments. For instance, the principals and teachers have been studying the arithmetic course in the elementary schools. They feel that they have just about completed outlining and putting into effect what they consider desirable revisions. Our testing program seems to indicate that the next subject to receive concentrated attention should probably be language. While the children test above average in this subject, they show a wide range - a greater spread in scores than is desirable. For this reason the staff feels that this is the subject which should receive special study with an eye to probable future revision.
Before leaving the discussion of curriculum in general, it should be mentioned that the town voted to establish courses in adult edu- cation under the State Extension Program. This program will call for organization if it is to be put into effect in 1957. There will be a need for additional personnel as well as certain adjustments in build- ing maintenance.
We come to our biggest problem last; the one that transcends buildings and maintenance, buses, school lunches, and all the other "businesses" which the School Committee finds itself operating. This, in a word, is teachers, the real backbone of our system, the people who give Reading schools the reputation they have. The nationwide scarcity of classroom teachers has precipitated a mad scramble for qualified personnel and Reading is scrambling along with every other town trying to maintain its competitive position with other similar communities in this area. There is no question that salaries are basic to the eventual solution of this problem.
The special highlight of accomplishment in this connection during this past year was the formation of a joint committee to study the problem of teachers' salaries and to present facts which might be useful in preparing the 1957 budget. The teachers requested the formation of the special committee which was made up of four teachers, three members of the Finance Committee and three members of the School Committee. This group was not to bring in recommendations but was to act strictly in a fact-finding capacity. It was felt desirable to have members of each group concerned in possession of the same facts and figures in discussing the 1957 budget. Interpretation and
116
use of the facts and figures beyond that point would lie with the individual groups. The committee met regularly and often all fall and gathered much pertinent and useful information which was com- piled in a preliminary report. An inevitable and voluble by-product of these committee meetings was the increase in mutual understanding among the individuals representing the different groups. It is hoped that a similar committee will go on to study the problem on a long range basis. For years to come this is going to be the major problem confronting all people connected with schools. How Reading solves this problem will be peculiar to Reading. At times it seems almost to defy solution but we cannot sit back in Reading and wait for some other town to come up with the answers. We still must follow our basic policy "How can we best educate all the children in Reading?".
Respectfully submitted,
PHILIP R. WHITE, Chairman
PAUL R. BERGHOLTZ
WILLIAM E. BURPEE
NEWELL H. MORTON
ROBERT E. TURNER
BARBARA WINKLER
117
SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUDGET - 1956
Appropriations, Transfers & Refunds 1956
Expended 1956
SALARIES:
$ 36,046.66
Supt., Clerks and Enf. of Law
$ 35,125.60
26,450.00
Directors
26,450.00
840.00
Misc. Salaries of Instruction
840.00
28,633.30
Principals
28,950.04
545,046.06
Teachers
541,032.57
73,099.79
Custodians and Matrons
72,744.31
9,969.80
Health
10,124.10
$720,085.61
$715,266.62
MAINTENANCE:
$
1,000.00
Supt. Office Expense
$ 631.74
300.00
Research and Prof. Study
348.00
600.00
Printing
626.00
400.00
Travel Expenses
215.96
750.00
Prin. Office Expense
504.41
3,200.00
Telephone
3,023.00
150.00
Travel Expense - Enf. of Law
150.00
$ 6,400.00
Total General Control
$ 5,499.11
INSTRUCTION:
$ 800.00
Travel Expense of Directors
$ 845.09
12,700.00
Textbooks and Supplementary Books
12,635.10
11,500.00
Supplies - School
11,101.81
2,500.00
Supplies - Shop
2,514.60
1,000.00
Supplies - Dom. Science
740.97
2,545.00
Audio - Visual
2,135.63
2,000.00
Physical Ed Equipment
879.01
1,100.00
Tests
1,019.46
3,935.90
Instructional Apparatus
3,376.65
250.00
Express Charges
79.85
$ 38,330.90
Total Instruction
$ 35,328.17
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OPERATION OF PLANT:
Fuel
$ 21,159.68 1,591.72
Electricity
11,876.30
Gas 487.48
Laundry and Summer Cleaning
187.48
600.00
400.00
Exp. of Supr. of Bldgs. and Grounds
410.47
7,000.00
Janitors Supplies
5,588.73
$ 43,000.00
Total Operation of Plant
$ 42,001.36
MAINTENANCE OF PLANT:
$ 7,278.00
Grounds
$ 7,418.62
15,497.00
Buildings
16,554.39
435.00
Service System
316.64
Plumbing and Heating
2,987.18
2,305.00 410.00
Furniture Repair
746.41
$ 25,925.00
Total Maintenance of Plant
$ 28,023.24
AUXILIARY AGENCIES:
$ 2,500.00
Library
$ 2,263.40
600.00
Health Expenses
493.87
400.00
Commencement
357.81
$ 3,500.00
Total Auxiliary Agencies ....... $ 3,115.08
CAPITAL OUTLAY:
$ 1,303.30
New Equipment and Furniture
$ 2,988.44
$118,459.20
Total General Maintenance
1,500.00
Transferred to Transportation
$116,959.20
$116,955.40
720,085.61
Total Salaries
715,266.62
$837,044.81
Grand Total
$832,222.02
25,000.00
Transportation
Transferred from Gen'l Main.
26,500.00
26,481.13
3,000.00
Vocational Tuition
2,848.90
Athletic Account
8,000.00
Cafeteria Account
2,500.00
2,500.00
4.25
Highland School Boiler
0.00
119
1,500.00
8,000.00
$ 22,000.00 2,000.00 10,000.00 500.00 500.00
Water and Sewer
Ash Removal 699.50
READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE - 1957 Receipts not from Tax Levy - Showing Net Cost to Town January 2, 1957
Estimate 1957 Appropriation Credits $938,467.62
GENERAL ACCOUNT
Total Expenditures (less transportation)
$832,222.02
Receipts:
$136,666.70
State Reimbursement (estimate)
$129,581.71
33,000.00
Tuition
48,251.43
3,000.00
Tuition - other
3,171.48
2,200.00
Mentally Retarded
175,866.70
1,000.00
Sundry
752.54
181,757.16
$762,600.92
Net Cost to Town
$650,464.86
VOCATIONAL TUITION
$ 3,000.00
Total Expenditures
$
2,848.90
Receipts:
1,500.00
State Reimbursement
1,632.83
$ 1,500.00
Net Cost to Town
$ 1,216.07
TRANSPORTATION
$ 30,800.00
Total Expenditures
$ 26,481.13
Receipts:
1,000.00
State Reimbursement
$ 29,800.00
Net Cost to Town
$ 26,481.13
1956
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee and Citizens of Reading:
I herewith submit my report as Superintendent of Schools for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1956, it being the sixty-fourth in a series of such reports.
Enrollment
The enrollment of the public schools as of October 1, 1956, was 3489 which included 106 pupils from North Reading attending the Senior High School. This represents an increase of 157 over the enrollment of the previous year. As predicted in previous enrollment projections, the elementary schools were 8 classrooms over capacity which made it necessary to house all sixth grade pupils, with the exception of one group, in the Junior and Senior High School building. With the opening of the new Forest Street School in September 1957, all pupils in grades one through six will be housed in buildings accommodating only ele-, mentary school pupils. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to set up new district lines, organize new transportation routes, and continue the use of the Lowell Street School for pupils in grades one through four.
Bids for the Forest Street School were opened on July 26, 1956, the low bidder being J. F. Rand & Son, General Contractor, of 67 Sudbury Street, Boston. The contract was awarded to this firm on August 9, 1956, and satisfactory progress has been made to date in the construc- tion of this 18-room building. The general contractor has assured us that the school will be ready to open in September 1957 unless any unforseen emergencies and delays occur.
Staff
Turnover in the personnel of our teaching staff, and the necessity of securing additional teachers for an expanding school population presents a serious recruiting problem for the administration staff. The following analysis of our turnover in staff for the past five years indicates the problem:
Analysis of Turnover Figures
Reasons for Leaving
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
Totals '52-'56
To other systems
5
9
9
15
11
49
Left teaching
4
11
6
7
10
38
Retired
2
1
2
0
0
5
Military Service
0
0
0
1
2
3
Leave of absence
0
0
0
0
1
1
Deceased
0
0
0
2
0
2
Not reappointed
1
0
0
0
0
1
Other
0
2
0
0
0
2
Additional
personnel
for
in-
creased enrollment
0
2
16
5
6
29
-
-
-
-
12
25
33
30
30
130
121
As the supply of qualified teachers continues to dwindle in the face of a continued increase in school population, the number one problem facing public education is and will continue to be the staffing of our schools. The problem here in Reading will be no less acute than the one facing thousands of communities across the nation. In general, the public seems aware of the situation and neighboring communities as well as those throughout the country are making positive efforts to improve salaries for teachers as one way of improving the situation. However, no matter what is done, there will continue to be a great shortage of teachers. It, therefore, becomes a matter of supply and demand, and the highest bidder in most cases will likely secure the best product. There are several factors that attract a teacher to a certain school system, but certainly in these times of high living costs, salary is vital.
In order to determine the facts relating to our salary situation here locally, the School Committee initiated the organization of a study group composed of three members of the School Committee, three members of the Finance Committee and four teachers selected by the Reading Teachers Club. This committee worked diligently for a period of six weeks and submitted a report of their findings on November 12th. This group was strictly a fact-finding committee but the report does list certain conclusions reached by the group after their study. These conclusions are quoted as follows:
1. "Present minimum and maximum salaries of the salary sched- ule now in force appear to be out of line with those of other comparable towns."
2. "Turnover in personnel does not appear to be out of line on the basis of comparative situations."
3. "The ratio of male to female teachers in the Reading schools, although it has decreased, is on a par with that of the state as a whole."
4. "Consideration should be given in the future to adjusting the salaries of teachers already on the staff whenever the salary schedule is changed."
5. "Budget plans for 1957 should not be compared only with salary schedules for 1956, as communities all over the state are also studying the question and are expected to make changes in their salary sched- ules."
6. "Many communities all over the state and nation are studying the question of teachers' salaries. This committee has had no time to consider the various new plans for teachers' salaries now being adopted elsewhere. Therefore, it would appear that a continuing study should be made by this committee or a similar committee."
If the last suggestion of this fact-finding committee is followed, then such a committee would examine the present Reading salary schedule from every angle. It would look into what other communities are doing to attract and to hold teachers in the classrooms, and would attempt to find the answers to such questions as these:
Is our present traditional salary schedule which starts with a mini- mum for a beginning teacher without experience, and progresses by
122
regular annual increases (usually automatic) to a maximum salary in 11 years, adequate to attract and hold qualified teachers in Reading?
Is our maximum salary a limiting factor in our bargaining ability? Are there other limiting factors? Should we provide greater salary increases for our career teachers or teachers who have served in Reading for six years or more? Should our salary schedule make provision for rewarding competent and outstanding teachers on the so called basis of merit? If so, how should it be administered? Who would evaluate the individual teacher to determine salary increase based on compe- tence? Should teachers be hired on a 12-month basis to conduct sum- mer sessions, work on special curriculum committees and study groups?
Finally, any suggestions which involve increases in our school budget must be reconciled with an estimate of how much money Read- ing citizens are able and willing to pay for the education of their children. A growing community has many problems to solve and many demands for a large share of the tax dollar from all the various departments which provide the variety of services which citizens want continued and enlarged. Certainly the School Department is engaged in very important business. There seems no rebuttal for this statement. Whatever the schools are able to accomplish in the way of providing the type of education that Reading citizens seem to demand for their children will depend entirely on the ability, qualifications, and devoted service of the teachers in the classrooms. To secure and retain the services of a competent people who staff our schools must be our first concern. It is recognized that this problem has many facets, certainly not the least of which is adequate monetary return for services rendered.
During the past two years 60% of the teachers hired to fill vacancies on our staff have been young people without previous teaching ex- perience. Working each year with a larger number of inexperienced teachers has placed an additional burden on the principals and super- visors in our various schools. The early closing days on the basis of one afternoon every other week have provided some time for instituting programs for in-service training for new teachers. Although the prin- cipal is generally regarded as the chief supervisory officer in his school, in many cases the problems have become too difficult for the principals to cope with alone. It is a tribute to many of our exper- ienced teachers that they have been willing to share the responsibility of helping our beginning teachers solve the many problems that face young people as they take over for the first time the instruction of children in the classroom situation. As the result of the efforts of principals, supervisors, and our experienced teachers, it is gratifying to report that our new teachers seem to be making excellent progress in mastering those methods and techniques which are necessary for effective classroom instruction and control.
Adult Education
For several years an increasingly large number of citizens have enrolled in Practical Arts courses held in the evenings in the schools of surrounding communities. These courses are sponsored by the Di- vision of Vocational Education of the State Department of Education,
123
classes for adults. Reading is required by law to pay the tuition costs for all residents of the town who wish to take advantage of the evening school courses in Practical Arts. The local Y.M.C.A. has carried on a limited program of adult education for several years using the facilities of the Junior High School building, employing qualified teachers, and charging a modest tuition fee designed to pay the salaries of persons employed to carry on the instruction in the classes.
In October the School Committee received a petition signed by ap- proximately 375 residents of the town requesting that a program of adult education in Practical Arts be established in Reading. In order to establish these courses, which are under the direction of the State Department of Education, it was necessary for the School Committee to secure permission from the town to set up this program. Accordingly, an article was placed in the warrant for the special town meeting held on November 19th. At this meeting the town meeting members voted to accept the program and authorized the School Committee to take the necessary steps to establish those courses in Practical Arts which come within the provisions of the laws governing this program of adult education.
At the regular town meeting in March the School Committee will ask the town to appropriate the necessary funds to establish courses in Practical Arts to start in the Fall of 1957. These courses are usually held once a week for a period of twenty weeks.
Maintenance of School Plant and Grounds
The citizens of Reading now have a sizable investment in property and school plant which must be maintained and kept in good repair under the direction of the School Committee.
Mr. Roderick Macdonald, who for many years has been a teacher and director of our program of Industrial Arts in the secondary schools, was appointed by the School Committee in November 1955 to assume the responsibility for the supervision and direction of the work in con- nection with the upkeep, repairs and maintenance of all our school grounds, buildings and facilities. Under his able leadership the cus- todians of our schools are doing excellent work in the care and main- tenance of our school property.
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