USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Tewksbury > Town of Tewksbury annual report 1917-1925 > Part 21
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Unpaid bills
$ 1,921.91
Teachers
12,485.00
Supervisors
1,223.00
Supervision (Supt. of Schools)
990.00
Fuel
1,720.00
Janitors
2,562.00
Transportation
5,050.00
H. S. Tuition.
4,500.00
School Houses
3,500.00
Books and Supplies
1,500 00
Insurance
450.00
Medical Inspection
100.00
Miscellaneous
500.00
$36,501.91
:
Balance to credit unexpended. $ 400.73
Expected from State :
On Acct. of School Fund ..... $2,470.00
On Acct. of Supervision. 553.32
On Acct of H. S. Tuition. 2,250.00
On Acct. of H. S. Transp .... 1,149.00 6,422.32
$6,823.05
$ 6,823.05
Recommended for Town to raise. $29,578.86
(97)
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR YEAR 1920, SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Receipts
Balance Jan. 1, 1920
$ 23.71
Appropriation
21,449.73
Reimbursements from State :
Mass. Vocational School.
220.63
Tuition State Children
79.50
Supervision
375.00
Income Tax School Fund
1,620.00
High School Tuition. .
1,019.50
High School Transportation
596.93
Library, 1-6 coal and wood.
12.57
Interest on Liberty Bond.
38.25
Franklin F. Sapulding, receipts Pickering Hall.
170 00
Franklin F. Spaulding, material sold.
113.03
Mrs. Larrabee, rebate on tickets.
3.00
Mrs. French, use of hall.
3.00
Edward Walsh, use of Pickering Hall.
10.00
$25,734.85
Expenditures
Teachers
$10,116.42
Fuel and janitors.
3,979.32
Transportation
4,215.75
Supervision
905.00
Books and Supplies.
1,422.23
School Houses
2,015.76
Tuition
1,457.69
Retirement Fund
336.85
Medical Inspection
100.00
Miscellaneous
785.10
..
$25,334.12
Balance to credit.
$ 400.73
Unpaid bills
$ 1,921.91
MAY L. LARRABEE, FRANKLIN F. SPAULDING, ARTHUR FOSTER,
School Committee.
(98)
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR YEAR 1920, SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Special Appropriation for Library School
Appropriation $ 5,576.00
Paid to Robinson & Foster according to contract :
Covering: Carpenter Work, New Heating Plant, Approved Ventilation, Approved Sanitary . Accom., Refinishing Interior $ 5,281.11
Clarence E. Foster, Plans 294.89
$ 5,576.00
$ 5,576.00
MAY L. LARRABEE, FRANKLIN F. SPAULDING, ARTHUR A. FOSTER,
School Committee.
(99)
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
Lowell, Mass., Jan. 10, 1921. To the School Committee of Tewksbury,
Mrs. Larrabee and Gentlemen :-
I hereby submit my eighth annual report which is the thirtieth in the series of Superintendents' Reports. The past year owing to inflated prices in all school supplies and to the marked shortage in teachers has been a critical one to the local schools as well as in State and Nation.
Teachers. Miss Wathen, who taught music very successfully in the district last year, resigned in September to accept a better salary in West Springfield. Miss Isabel Gregory was selected to succeed Miss. Wathen and so far as can be judged in a short period of service is taking up the work satisfactorily.
Miss Gladys Arnold, who was promoted last year to the princi- palship, Miss Elizabeth Dowler and Miss Abbie Whitney, all of the Foster School, resigned at the completion of the school year to accept better salaries elsewhere. Miss Lilla McPherson, who completed the year in Grade Six, was serving as a substitute. It became necessary to secure five new teachers for the Center Schools at the beginning of the school year.
Miss Marion Mclellan, a teacher with a successful experience, was secured for the principalship of the Foster building. Miss Hazel Hodgman, also with several years' experience, was placed in Grade Seven, Miss Beatrice Symonds, a graduate of Lowell Normal with two years' experience, was placed in Grade Six, and Miss Bessie Sulli- van, a graduate of Lowell Normal with one year experience, was se- cured for Grades Three and Four. Miss Elizabeth Flynn, who has. taught successfully in this building for seven years, was the only teacher not new to the situation in September.
Four of the teachers mentioned above were lost to the Town di- rectly on account of larger salaries paid in other places. The work is progressing well at the Foster building when one considers the new teaching force. It is a serious detriment to the schools when several
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successful teachers leave at the same time. At the Center Primary Miss Nettie L. Eagles, who had taught with success for several years at the Foster School, has charge of the building and of Grade One. Miss Lillian Southerland is caring for Grade Two acceptably.
In the other schools of the Town, Shawsheen, North and West, fortunately no changes occurred this year. Work is going on very satisfactorily in all these schools. At the North Miss Lillian Allard, a graduate of last year's class at Lowell Normal, has been secured as assistant.
The Crisis. The war and conditions growing out of the war have made great inroads upon the teaching force of America. The Secre- tary of the Interior has reported that 143,000 out of approximately 650,000 teachers in the United States resigned last year on account of inadequate salaries; and the United States Commissioner of Edu- cation recently announced that 20,000 schools involving 500,000 pupils are closed for lack of teachers, and 40,000 schools are sup- plied with teachers below the minimum standard of proficiency. No immediate relief for the situation is seen by the Commissioner, Dr. Claxton, who states that while 150,000 new teachers will be needed during the coming year there will be at the outside only 35.000 pre- pared teachers to fill the vacancy, a deficit of at least 80,000.
The figures to illustrate to what extent Massachusetts is affected by this nation-wide shortage are taken from the report of the Spe- cial Commission on Teachers' Salaries Appointed by the Governor, August 18, 1920. The teacher shortage as manifested throughout the country has appeared to show these results: First, the closing of schools; second, the employment of teachers with less than the usual qualifications; third, a decrease in the enrollment of the teacher training institutions, that is the Normal Schools. The Commission has reported that in Massachusetts but forty schools were closed in 1919, and that the qualifications of the teaching force had shown but little deterioration, but that the State had shown to a marked de- gree a decrease in enrolment in the Normal Schools. Out of 2,070 teachers employed for the first time in the schools of Massachusetts in 1919, only 27% come from the State Normal Schools. The Com- mission adds: "It is clear that from the standpoint of the teacher supply, the State is not producing a sufficient number of teachers to fill the vacancies annually arising." While figures are not available for this year I am sure that the decrease is even more strongly ap- parent.
The enrollment in the ten Normal Schools of the State have de- ·creased from 2833 in 1916 to 2022 in 1919. Within a month I heard
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this question asked the Director of Education: "Is it not true that. the enrollment in the ten Normal Schools of the State is greater than: it was last year?" Mr. Wright answered, "Yes, there is a gain, but only a small one." This fact is of vital interest in showing when a relief from the teacher shortage may be expected. People who are not posted judging from other occupations often say, "Oh you will find plenty of teachers next September." Every student of the situation knows the fallacy of this statement. It takes from two to four years to train a teacher, and even then she is inexperienced. I am convinced that there can be but little relief from the present situation for several years.
The local situation for Dracut, Tewksbury and' the other Towns of this Union is this: During the school years of 1918, 1919 and 1920, the shortage affected us in the immediate vicinity of the Lowell Normal School only in this way, that we were obliged to take more and more inexperienced graduates to fill our vacancies. However, during the summer of 1920 it became exceeding difficult to fill any except the most desirable positions even with inexperienced teachers. One day in June I offered several positions in my Town to six girls of the senior class; everyone was refused. I later offered one school which a few years ago was eagerly sought by "beginners" to five different girls before a teacher accepted. When it was necessary to secure a principal for one of the four-room buildings in October it seemed for a time an impossible task to fill the place acceptably, and that, too, after the resources of nine teachers' agencies had been exhausted.
The above rather long article is but a hint of the situation, but I am sure that any one who reads it thoughtfully will be convinced that the present is a critical time in Local as well as National and State Education.
Salaries. The cost of living increased about 100% from 1910 to 1920, whereas the average salary of elementary teachers increased 85%. The average salary of elementary teachers in Massachusetts in 1920 is $1,237.83. It is evident that the increase in salaries though very decided has not been equivalent to the increase in cost of liv- ing. However, I am no longer considering the cost of living when I am considering the question of salaries. I know that the cost of liv- ing will be less next year than this; I know that nearly every occu- pation will be flooded with those out of work; I also know that your salaries must agree nearly with those paid by your neighbors in order to keep your schools up to the same standard that has been main- tained for many years.
A few years ago teachers were justly considered among the lead -.
(102)
ing citizens of a community. Young men and women of the highest character went into the teaching profession in ever-increasing num- bers. They often lived "at home" and found a great part of their reward, not in the salaries which were small, but in appreciation, influence and opportunity. Today, while the great proportion of teachers are self-denying and devoted to their profession, yet the tendency fostered by the State is to put the teacher upon a business basis. Therefore in considering the salary appropriation for your budget of 1921 you will have to consider the law of "supply and de- mand;" that, in my judgment you will have to consider strictly as a business proposition whether you will pay such salaries that you can compete (I am sorry to use this word) with other Towns of this vicinity who draw their teachers from the same source as yourselves, or whether you will deliberately allow Tewksbury to be discriminated against.
I have gained the following information about the salaries paid by twelve of your neighbors which I believe to be trustworthy and up-to-date, Jan. 1, 1921 :
Minimum $ 800.00
Maximum $1,250.00
4-room Principal $1,250.00
8-room Principal
Acton
Andover
1,000.00
1,350.00
$1,600.00
Billerica
850.00
1,200.00
1,400.00
Burlington
1,000.00
1,200.00
1,300.00
Carlisle
800.00
1,250.00
1,250.00
Chelmsford
800.00
1,200.00
1,300.00
1,400.00
Groton
850.00
1,000.00
1,100.00
Dunstable
825.00
925.00
Littleton
800.00
1,250.00
1,250 00
Pepperell
800.00
1,000.00
1,000.00
Westford
800.00
1,250.00
1,250.00
Wilmington
950.00
1,200.00
1,200.00
The Remedy. Several laws have already been passed to alleviate the present shortage by paying higher salaries. Among the bills proposed by the State Board of Education for the present legislature is one to increase the minimum salaries to $800.00 throughout the State with a greater reimbursement to the Towns and Cities. An- other is to increase the length of the Normal School course to four years, granting degrees upon the completion of the course, thus mak- ing the education obtained at Normal School of the same worth and dignity of that of the College, hoping thereby to attract to the State Normal Schools more young women of high scholarship and character.
While laws will accomplish much I agree with Lee Russell who writes, "The true remedy lies much deeper than any thing which has
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yet been proposed. It lies in such genuine appreciation of the im- portance of the work to the State as will lead to its being placed on a higher plane of honor and dignity than it has ever held. It will re- quire the. long, slow but unceasing growth of public opinion led by the conviction that upon the character and tone of the teaching force of the Public Schools the future of our country will surely depend."
In the meantime I recommend that the Town of Tewksbury in- crease its salaries to an approximate equality with those of its neigh- bors. I make this recommendation for the sake of your children who must attend your schools.
Primary. The remodeling of the old "Library" building into the present Primary School was successfully carried out during the past summer. School opened there in September with a good enrol- ment in each grade. The building, with exception of blackboards in one room, is pleasant, sanitary, up-to-date. Heating, ventilation, light, seating, water supply and toilets are as satisfactory as in any school in my district.
North. During the spring of 1920 building on Trull road was begun. In September of the present school year there were eleven children of school age living on this road. It was thought best at first to transport these children to the Center, but on account of in- crease in transportation this method was found to be more costly than to engage a second teacher for the North. Also the matter of keeping Trull road broken out to Wamesit during the snows of a se- vere winter entered into the problem. The children were sent back to the North School and an assistant was secured for Miss Hersey. This also enabled us to save a considerable item of expense by re- taining the Eighth Grade at this school instead of sending this grade to the Foster School. In my opinion this feature of retaining the Eighth Grade, is only temporary, for if the enrolment increases as it has in the past year there will not be room. for Grade Eight at the North. In fact it may become necessary to find more room at this building within a few years.
Shawsheen. For several years both Grade Seven and Grade Eight has been sent to the Foster School from this district. Cost of transportation had increased to such an extent that it seemed nec- essary to retain Grade Seven at the Shawsheen School in order to save expense. This was done, and another student-teacher was as- signed from the Normal School in order to take care of the extra Grade, Grade Four reciting in the hall to a student-teacher but being directly under the charge of Miss Wiggin.
Nurse. While the law of Massachusetts requires all Towns to appoint School Physicians it says but little about their duties and
(104)
nothing about their salaries. The result has been that while all School Physicians of my acquaintance have more than earned their small salaries, they have been unable to do the "follow up" work that is so valuable. At the February Town Meeting Dracut appro- priated a sum of money to secure a full time nurse to work in the schools during the school year, under the direction of the School De- partment, that is, under the supervision of the Physician and the Su- perintendent. The results of the work of this Nurse have been so beneficial to the children of the Towns that I am anxious that the other Towns of the
have reason to district should secure like
advantages. I believe that the Towns of Tyngsboro and North Reading will be glad to join with Tewksbury in securing a full time nurse for the coming year. The Town of Dracut paid its Nurse $1000 for this past year and have promised her $1200 for the coming school year. In order that you may judge of the value of such a nurse I will quote from my re- port recently prepared for Dracut: "Miss - has worked at all seasons and times conscientiously and wisely; she has been untiring in her efforts to improve the health of the pupils; she has justly won the good-will of teachers and pupils, and the admiration of the school officials. Her year's work has proved a blessing to the schools of your Town." During the ten months of service this Nurse has made 1124 home visits, including in these visits 1394 children. She has visited 90 measles cases and 53 under school age. She has taken cultures for 6 diphtheria cases, has discovered 2 appendicitis cases, has put on 76 simple dressings, has taken 53 to hospitals or clinics, has vaccinated 44 at school, has taken 19 to physician's office for vac- cination. She has had the following list of. "corrections": Tonsils and adenoids removed, 74; Uvula, 2; Dental treatment, 80; glasses changed, 12; Pediculosis corrected, 81; individual instructions to mothers, 88; calls for Tuberculosis work, 62.
Is this not a record work that you would like done in your own Town ?
Graduation. On Thursday evening, June 17, 1920, appropriate graduation exercises were held at Pickering Hall. Superintendent C. L. Randall presented diplomas to the following named pupils: Mar- garet Amiot, Morton Battles, Leslie Chambers, Alexander Cameron, John Connors, Francis Corr, Ruth Driver, Stephen Eliades, Gerald Eno, Douglas Flaherty, Wilbur Foss, Tony Furtado, Bernard Greene, Adelaide Holt, Alfred Johnson, Helen Kittredge, Dorothy Lavelle, Ethel Livingston, Arthur Maclaren, William McHugh, Allen Mac- Donald, Corinne Marion, Viola Pinkos, Eva O'Connell, Marion Rust, Arthur Scarlett, Frances Swain, Willard Scutt, Anna Sullivan, Rae
(105)
:
Sutherland, Alice Simpson, Melvin Tenney, Ethel Treadwell, Richard Wright, Figenva Zariphes.
Of these thirty-five graduates 20 entered Lowell High School, 3. entered Vocational School, 4 went directly to work, and the rest re- mained at home.
High School. The tuition at Lowell High School has justly been raised from $60.00 to $100.00 per year. The increase will make a considerable item in the school budget. However, no citizen of Tewksbury will wish to have the number of pupils in attendance at High School decrease in order that the tuition bills may be less. I consider it a matter of deep regret that the High School attendance- has constantly diminished since the outbreak of the war. While in many Towns the tide has turned and more pupils are in High School than a year ago, in Tewksbury the attendance is still constantly de- creasing. Two years ago there were fifty-one pupils enrolled from this Town at the Lowell High School, last year there were forty-five, and at present there are but 40.
The following pupils entered or continued at High School this. last September: Margaret Amiot, Alma Anderson, Ralph Anderson, Charles Battles, Ruth Cameron, Mary Clancy, Martha Coolidge, Stephen Eliades, George Eno, Douglas Flaherty, Bernard Greene, Clifford Haines, Adelaide Holt, Benjamin Holt, Nils ,Johnston,. Frances Johnson, Ethel Livingston, Arthur Maclaren, Corinne Mar- ion, Hubert McCoy, Allen MacDonald, William McHugh, Anna Mc- Killop, Charles Nash, Albert Newhouse, Eva O'Connell, Sadie Penney Archie Pillsbury, William Scarlett, Morton Battles, Harold Smith, Anna Sullivan, Kenneth Sunbury, Frances Swain, Bessie Tenney, Eunice Toothaker, Ethel Treadwell, Alice Trull, Helen Wright, Rich- ard Wright.
Conclusion. In conclusion I wish to call to your attention the reports and tables which follow this report and form a part of it. Again I wish to express my appreciation of the loyal co-operation of Supervisore and Teachers, and the cordial support of the School Board.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES L. RANDALL,
Superintendent.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF SEWING
Mr. Charles L. Randall, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir:
I hereby submit my third annual report as Supervisor of Sewing in the Foster School, Tewksbury.
My outline of work is planned to be as practical as possible. The girls of the lower grades have made iron holders, work bags, and large aprons and are now working on under clothes.
The girls of the upper grades have made aprons of all kinds, un- der clothes, middy blouses, bloomers, dress skirts, several dresses and rompers for younger children in the family.
Special work was done for Christmas, such as aprons, iron hold- ers, handkerchiefs and dust caps.
In conclusion I wish to express my appreciation of the hearty co-operation of the teachers and the support tendered me by the superintendent.
Respectfully submitted,
LENA M. COBURN. :
(107)
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
Mr. Charles L. Randall, Superintendent of Schools, Tewksbury, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir:
At your request, I herewith submit my second annual report as Supervisor of Drawing in the schools of Tewksbury.
War time is not the time of innovations unless it be in learning to do without the things we have always had. Many supplies are not procurable and others only at prohibitive prices. And unfortunately, as prices have increased, the quality has decreased. Paper is very thin and porous and paints are uniformly poor. This means that really high grade work is impossible with the most pains-taking child. All paste is now "war paste"-made with dark flour. Its sticking qualities are poor and the dark color soils the paper and causes mussy work. But in spite of these handicaps, the work has, it seems to me, gone very well.
First Grade children learn the colors, how to use crayons in dif- ferent tones, to use scissors-cutting to line and also free hand cut- ting, measuring inches, and have some nature work.
Second and Third Grade children do more difficult work along all these lines and learn the half inch.
In the Fourth Grade, the quarter inch is freely used in measur- ing. Water color is introduced as a medium for nature work after practice obtained in making colors (we make all colors from the three primaries) and in color scales.
In Fifth or Sixth, according to the way Grades are combined simple work is the foreshortened circle (in other words, the drawing of objects like tumblers, vases, etc.) is introduced with more difficult work in the same line the following year. Upper Grade object draw- ing is still more difficult, dealing with the perspective of parallel lines-boxes, books, etc.
In all grades, the special work for the holidays combines meas- uring, coloring and construction, the low grade construction work being with paper and the upper utilizing cardboard covered with paper and vellum-i. e., simple bookbinding.
At the June exhibition, as great a variety of work as possible is shown but conditions are not favorable for display of perhaps the most interesting things, the finely constructive work.
To the superintendent and teachers I wish to express my ap- preciation for their kindness and co-operation at all times.
Respectfully submitted,
EDITH C. MERCHANT.
(108)
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
To the Superintendent and School Committee of Tewksbury.
Music has grown through the ages and today is one of the most exacting of the arts and sciences. The study of this art in the Public Schools assumes three phases: chorus singing, appreciation and the- ory. Each phase demands separate consideration, but the success of one depends upon the cohesion of the three.
My aim in the musical education of the children is (1) To secure accuracy of thought and action; (2) To appreciate good music; (3) To develop the power of good musical expression.
The following is my weekly schedule :
Tuesday, p. m., North Tewksbury, once in two weeks.
Wednesday, a. m., Foster School; p. m., Library, alternating, Shawsheen.
Friday, p. m., West Tewksbury, once in two weeks.
I would be pleased to have you visit my classes at any time.
Respectfully submitted, ISABEL M. GREGORY,
Supervisor of Music.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Winter Term, 12 weeks: Jan. 3, 1921 to March 25, 1921.
Spring Term, 12 weeks: April 4, 1921, to June 24, 1921. Fall Term, 16 weeks: Sept. 6, 1921, to Dec. 23, 1921.
Winter Term, 12 weeks: Jan. 2, 1922, to March 24, 1922.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL
Given at 7.45 a. m. Whistle at State Hospital.
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TABLE OF STATISTICS
School
Teacher
Preparation . ( Graduate of)
Experience
Length of
Service in Town
Total Enrollment
Present Enrollment
Average
Average
Per cent. of
No. of Boys
No. of Girls
No. of Boys
No. of Girls
No. of Boys
No. of Girls
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No. of Pupils
No.of Pupils
No. of Pupils
in Grade VIII.
Foster.
E. Marion Mclellan.
Plymouth Normal.
10
30 24
23
21
95
6
5
6
11
2
Foster. VII ..
Hazel E. Hoderman.
Simmons College. .
4
24
24
24
23
95
11
13
Foster. VI .. .
Beatrice Symonds .. . Lowell Normal. ...
2
39
35
37
32
93
12
23
Foster. IV. & V. .
Elizabeth Flynn ..
Lowell Normal. .. .
7
6
45
39
37
36
96
23
22
3
1
22
23
Foster. III. & IV ....
Bessie Sullivan. .... Lowell
Normal. . . . .
1
4 S
40
39
38
96
4
6
19
19
Primary I.
Nettie L. Eagles .... Lillian Southerland. . Lowell Normal ..
20
13
40
33
33
30
90
12
6
11
11
40
Primary II. ...
Shawsheen. V. & VII. Miriam Wiggin .. . Shawsheen I. & IV .. Ethel M. Hadley ....
Brewster Academy .
13
10
40
31
32
32
93
16
24
7
14
1.0
Plymouth Normal. .
14
3
54
43
43
42
92
6
3
24
21
15
13
11
15
North, I. & VIII. . . Eva L. Hersey .
Gorham Normal ...
16
2
50
43
46
39
95
7
1
17
17
7
5
7
. 1
9
1
8
5
North. Asst . . ·
Lillian W. Allard ... Lowell Normal. ...
-
Lowell Normal . ..
2
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