Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 23

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 23

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The next superintendent in order was Mr. T. C. Pooler, a teacher of experience, from the State of New York. He received a salary of $1.000. Besides acting as principal of the high school, it was required by the rules of the board to visit each school at least once in four weeks. and advise and direct the teachers in regard to classifying and disciplining their schools. After three years of service, he declined a re- engagement, and was succeeded in Septem- ber, 1860, by Mr. I. P. Hole. Like most of his predecessors. Mr. Hole served in the double capacity of superintendent and prin- cipal of the high school. His salary was fixed at $900 at first, but in the course of his

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eight years' term of service it was increased from time to time until it reached $1,500. This increase in salary was no doubt in large measure due to the increased cost of living which prevailed in the time of the Civil War; but it seems fair to infer that there was in it also an expression of approval and endorse- ment of Mr. Hole's work. There is abundant evidence that he was a capable, industrious and efficient worker. His term was a period of growth. The village of Akron had become a prosperous little city of nearly 10,000 peo- ple The youth of school age had increased from less than 700 in 1846 to 3.000. The schools had become crowded. Enlarged school accommodations had become a necessity. To meet this need the board issued bonds to the amount of $15,000, and made an addition of four rooms to the high school building. Each of these rooms had a seating capacity of 80 or 90 pupils and a recitation room attached These new rooms were occupied by the sec- ondary schools and the overflow from the grammar school. Each of these rooms had a principal teacher and one assistant, while the high school and grammar school had each a principal and two assistants. The primary schools were housed in small one-room build- ings, so located as to be most accessible to the little ones.

Tardiness and irregularity of attendance constituted a source of annoyance and hindrance from the first organization of the schools. To correct these evils the board from time to time resorted to various devices. At one time the expedient was tried of closing the doors against tardy pupils, shutting them out until recess. This caused a good deal of irritation and dissatisfaction without curing the evil. In 1864 the board adopted a rule authorizing the suspension of pupils for three absences in one month, pupils so suspended being required to make application for resto- ration at a subsequent meeting of the board. This rule is said to have resulted in improved attendance. In 1847-8 the percentage of at- tendance was 551/2 in the primary schools and 88 in the grammar schools, while in 1866 the

attendance reached 90 per cent in all the schools.

The statute under which the free graded school system of Akron was organized con- tained a provision for the periodical visitation of the schools by persons appointed by the council and mayor. There seems to be in this provision some recognition of the neces- sity of supervision in a system of public schools An unpaid school visitor was a cheap substitute for an expert salaried superintend- ent. In its eleventh annual report the board calls attention of the council to this feature of the law, saying that "while exclusive con- trol of the schools is given to the board of education, the school visitor might be the means of bringing to the aid of the board the best light and the highest intelligence on the subject of education, with all improved methods of instruction, discipline and man- agement of schools"

Some such visitors were appointed. The board's fifteenth annual report contains the report of R. O. Hammond, Esq., as school visitor, in which he commends warmly and censures sharply. Among other recommenda- tions, he urges regular and thorough instruc- tion in vocal music. "This, in my judgment," he says, "should be taught in our schools as a component part of daily instruction. I mean that the principles of music should be taught -taught as a science. In this way. at a small expense, singers with well cultivated voices, able to read music readily. may be fitted for the choir, the concert and the par- lor."

The tables accompanying the reports of Mr. Hole as superintendent show that the at- tendance in the grades below the high school steadily increased, while the attendance at the high school steadily diminished. This fall- ing off in the attendance at the high school arrests our attention, and we naturally inquire for the cause. We discover that early in Mr. Hole's administration the course of study for the high school was expanded into a four- years' course, and was made to include nearly all the studies of a college course save the

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classics. Among the requirements were such studies as political economy, logic, moral science, mental philosophy, evidences of Christianity, astronomy, domestic economy and geology. The first graduation from the high school occurred in 1864. There was at. that time but one graduate, Miss Pamela H. Goodwin, and up to and including 1868, there had been but fifteen graduates.

The high school at that time may have been ideal in its organization and appoint- ments, but manifestly it was not meeting the popular demand. The records for one term show an average attendance of four males and twenty-one females. A complaint not unfre- quently heard was to the effect that after spending so long a time in completing the high school course of study, those who wished to go to college were compelled then to seek admission to a preparatory school to secure fit- ness for college entrance This touches the important question of the harmonizing and adaptation of high school and college courses of study-a question much discussed in re- cent years, with profit to both high schools and colleges.

About the time we are now considering, a great deal of difficulty was experienced in the management of the grammar school. The room occupied was large and often much crowded, sometimes containing two hundred or more pupils, and it was not easy to secure either man or woman equal to the task of handling such a school. Of this department we find the president of the board saying in a printed report: "Its fortunes have been as checkered as those of some of the many who have taught or kept it, being by turns a small success and a great failure." Fortu- nately, school authorities have grown wiser than to attempt to conduct schools in that way.

In 1868, after a term of service of eight years, Mr. Hole declined re-election, and in June of that year he and all the teachers asso -. ciated with him in both the high and gram- mar departments retired.

AN EDUCATIONAL REVIVAL.

The school year opening in September, 1868, was the beginning of a new period in the history of the Akron schools. It was a period of change, revival, progress. Akron was now a city. Its growth and promise had brought in new men, and with new business prosperity and success, larger and more lib- eral views prevailed. In order to have a full understanding of this period, it seems desir- able to notice some things not primarily con- nected with Akron schools.

In the summer of 1867, an educational re- vival started in Cleveland, which soon spread throughout and beyond Ohio. While it is probable that the work done in the Cleveland schools in that day was not below the preva- lent standard of the time, the impression pre- vailed that something better was attainable. It was under the impulse of this impression that, in June, 1867, two of Cleveland's prin- cipals, Henry M. James and Samuel Find- ley, with the approval of the board of educa- tion, made a pilgrimage to the normal school at Oswego, New York, in search of new light. As a result of this pilgrimage, a corps of in- structors from the Oswego Normal School came to Cleveland in the following August and held a teachers' institute for one week. Those composing this body of educational missionaries were Professors Krusi and Poucher, Mrs. Mary Howe Smith, and Misses Lathrop, Cooper and Seaver. The fame of this movement having reached Cincinnati, the president of the Cincinnati school board came to Cleveland and persuaded the same corps of instructors to do missionary work in Cincinnati the following week.

It was about this time that that stalwart educational reformer. Andrew J. Rickoff. was called to succeed Dr. Anson Smyth in the superintendency of the Cleveland schools, and it was in the midst of the session of this in- stitute that he entered upon the duties of the position. These two events, the coming of the Oswego missionaries, and the coming of Andrew J. Rickoff, mark the beginnings of an educational revival which extended beyond

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the limits of the city of Cleveland, and be- yond the limits of Ohio, and which, we may not doubt, is still a living educational force.

Something of the bearing of these events upon the educational interests of Akron may be understood when it is known that, a year later, Samuel Findley, one of the two Cleve- land principals who made the pilgrimage to Oswego, was called to the superintendency of the Akron schools at a salary of $2,500. Prior to his engagement in Cleveland, he had been engaged in the schools of Xenia and Colum- bus, Ohio, and during his last year in Cleve- land he had some part in the work of recon- struction undertaken by Superintendent Rickoff in the Cleveland schools. The period of his superintendency of the Akron schools was fifteen years.

At the time of Superintendent Findley's call to Akron several specially strong teach- ers were also employed. Of these, Mrs. N. A. Stone, a woman of strong character and lib- eral culture, was made principal of the high school, and Miss E. A. Herdman, a graduate of Monmouth College (Ill.), was made prin- cipal of the grammar department. Great credit is due to these two ladies for the high degree of success attained by their respective departments. Mrs. Stone's salary, at first $1,200. was afterwards increased to $1,400; Miss Herdman's salary started at $900, and was soon after increased to $1,000.

The school system at this time consisted of eleven primary schools housed in eleven small one-room buildings, and the high school. grammar school and secondary schools in the one central brick building.

The school- opened in September, 1868, with twenty-three teachers besides the super- intendent, who, for the time being, heard two or three daily recitations in the high school. It is to be noted in this connection that in this year there were but forty-one pu- pils pursuing high school studies. As a mat- ter of expediency, the pupils of the A gram- mar grade occupied the upper room with the high school pupils, and were taught by high school teachers.

No radical changes in classification, course

of study, or methods of instruction, were made at the opening. The schools were started in their accustomed grooves, and changes were made from time to time as occasion seemed to demand.

The first matter of importance to which the superintendent directed his attention was the classification of the primary schools. A loose classification had prevailed in these schools, so that in most of them there were six or seven different grades or classes of pupils, ranging from beginners to third reader classes. Of course, it was impossible for the teachers to secure the best results under such condi- tions. There were obstacles in the way of remedying the evils, chief of which were the extended territory and scattered population of some portions of the city. Proper classifica- tion would necessitate the separation of chil- dren of the same family who had hitherto at- tended the same school, and in many cases would require them to go a greater distance to school. But it was believed that the ad- vantages to be gained would far more than counterbalance these inconveniences, and the city was divided into six primary-school districts instead of eleven, giving to each dis- trict two schools, with one exception. In one of these two schools was placed all the more advanced pupils of both, and in the other all the less advanced of both, reducing each school to half 'its former number of grades, and nearly or quite doubling the teaching force without any increase in the number of teachers or any additional expense.

From this time (1868) onward. the fol- lowing general classification has prevailed in the Akron schools:

Primary grades, four years. Grammar grades, four years. High school grades, three or four years.

COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.

In the autumn of 1868 the course of study for all grades below the high school was thor- oughly revised. The course was divided into yearly steps or grades, and the work for

KENT SCHOOL

SPICER SCHOOL

CROSBY SCITOOL

FINDLEY SCHOOL

FOUR OF AKRON'S SCHOOL BUILDINGS

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each grade was prescribed in detail, thus set- ting up a standard of attainment for teach- ers and pupils.

SEMI-ANNUAL CLASSIFICATION AND PROMOTION.

Four or five years later the course of study was broken into semi-annual steps, and pro- motions were made semi-annually instead of once a year. This made the classification much more flexible. Because of the shorter steps, strong, bright and industrious pupils could and often did overtake the next grade ahead, and pupils who failed of promotion found the fall to the next grade below much more endurable than when they were com- pelled to fall back an entire year.

When the semi-annual plan was first adopted, there was some apprehension that it might work mischief when it came to the high school. It would double the number of classes, and necessitate the employment of more teachers. But the problem solved itself. As population grew, high school attendance increased, until ere long it would have heen necessary to break the annual classes into sec- tions for purposes of recitation alone. Thus, almost of necessity, came to pass semi-annual promotions and graduation in the high school, and so the practice is unto this day.

ORAL INSTRUCTION.

The revised course of study provided, al- most exclusively, for oral teaching in the pri- mary grades, or first four years of the course. The reader was about the only book used in these grades. The spelling book was dis- carded in all grades. Instead of wasting time over long columns of words without meaning to the pupils, the plan was to secure thorough drill in the spelling of words within the pu- pils' vocabulary, each being held accountable for the correct spelling of all the words he uses.

There were daily oral lessons in number from the start, but no text-book in arithme- tic was used until the fourth or fifth year.

First lessons in geography were also oral, a primary text-book being introduced about the fifth year.

SCHOOL HOURS.

On the recommendation of the superintend- ent, the daily sessions of the schools were shortened. The school day for all grades had been six hours. With the adoption of oral and objective methods of instruction, came a necessity for shorter hours, for the sake both of pupils and teachers. For the children of the first and second years there were pro- vided two daily sessions of two hours each. For all other grades there was a morning ses- sion of three hours and an afternoon session of two hours. There was no perceptible diminution in the amount of work accom- plished, and both teachers and pupils mani- fested greater vigor and interest in the work.

EFFORTS IN BEHALF OF TIIE HIGH SCHOOL.

We have seen that for considerable time the high school, with its protracted and heavy course of study, did not seem to meet the popular demand. Few pupils seemed disposed to remain long enough to complete the course and graduate. With a view to popularizing the school and securing larger attendance, the course of study was revised, the more ad- vanced studies were eliminated, and the whole was reduced to a three-years' course. The ef- fect of this was immediate. Seventeen pupils graduated in 1872, whereas the largest num- ber of graduates in any previous year was five. And in the six years ending in 1875, the number attending the high school in- creased 234 per cent, while the increase in all the schools for the same period was only 50 per cent.

Another measure which added considerably to the interest of the high school and proved of permanent value, was the organization of two literary societies, one for each sex, known as the Academic and Philomathean societies. Friday afternoons were devoted to the ses- sions of these societies, under the general

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oversight of the principal and teachers. Each society adopted a constitution, elected its own officers and prepared and carried out its own program. The program usually consisted of essays, declamations, debates, reports of crit- ics, miscellaneous; etc. Many of the members gained considerable facility in extempore speaking, and most gained more or less familiarity with parliamentary usage. Some have testified in after years that the best part of their high school training came from the Friday afternoons in the literary society. These societies have existed for almost forty years, and are still successfully operated.

WOMEN AS TEACHERS.

A feature of the school management at this period was the almost exclusive employ- ment of women. At one time no man was employed in the department of instruction, except the superintendent. In the annual re- port for 1874-5 are found these statements: "The testimony of all familiar with the schools is that the discipline has been uni- formly better under the management of women than formerly when under masculine rule. . The experiment we have made for several years of employing none but women as teachers has been eminently suc- cessful."

Whatever may have seemed to be the teach- ing of this experiment, it is noticeable that as the system has grown in size and become more stable in its appointments, men and women have been employed as principals and high school teachers in about equal numbers, with little, if any, discrimination in salaries, as between the sexes.

VOCAL MUSIC.

It was about the year 1870 that vocal music was made a part of the regular course of in- struction in the schools of Akron. No doubt, there had been from the beginning more or less of practice in singing school songs. But after the subject was given its place in the list of required branches, thoroughly graded

music lessons were given daily, beginning in the lowest primary grades with the simplest exercises in distinguishing and making musi- cal sounds, and advancing by regular grada- tion to the practice of classic music in the high school. Opposition arose. A good many people, among them some members of the board, looked upon the movement as a waste of time and effort. They believed musical talent a special gift, possessed only by the favored few in sufficient degree to make its cultivation desirable. Opposed to this view was that of those who maintained that the Creator has distributed musical talent among men about as generally as he has mathe- matical talent, and that any person who has the ordinary vocal organs, with power to use them so as to make the varying tones used in common conversation, may learn to sing with as much facility as he learns to read. We find the superintendent saying, after the experi- ment had been continued four or five years, that among the pupils of the lower grades, who have been carefully trained from the time of their entrance at school, we find none unable to learn to sing.

In view of the agitation of the subject and the opposition developed in some quarters, it was deemed desirable to know what rank the subject of vocal music held in the school sys- tems of other cities, and the estimation in which it was held by leading educators of the country. Accordingly, a list of questions was mailed to the superintendents of leading cities throughout the country, to which over a hun- dred replies were received. About four-fifths of the cities and towns responding reported that vocal music was included among the re- quired branches of the regular course of in- struction, and that the results in music were about equal to those attained in other branches. There was great unanimity of sen- timent among the superintendents as to the value of music as a branch of study in public schools. From such responses as these there was no dissent: H. P. Wilson, Superintend- ent Public Instruction, State of Minnesota : "It should be taught in every grade of schools, as it is in Prussia." John B. Peaslee, Cincin-

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nati: "It is almost indispensable." Daniel Worley, Canton, Ohio: "For discipline, cul- ture and general influence upon pupils, I place a very high estimate upon it." J. L. Pickard, Chicago: "Its value cannot be over- estimated." Edward Smith, Syracuse, New York: "I would as soon recommend the dis- continuance of any other branch." William T. Harris, St. Louis, now National Commis- sioner of Education, Washington, D. C .: "I consider it of great importance for its moral effect in softening the disposition and render- ing it teachable, and in cultivating the higher sentiments." A. M. Gow, Evansville, In- diana: "It is invaluable to the individual, to the school and to society."

The board was very fortunate, at the out- set, in securing Mr. W. L. Glover as music master. Besides high attainment in his specialty and great skill in the work of in- struction, he has everywhere and always ex- hibited true manliness and strength of char- acter. No other person has had so long a term of service in connection with the Akron schools.

THE STUDY OF GERMAN.

The question of German in public schools has received more or less consideration in the board and in the community from time to time. In 1877 the question came before the board in the form of a petition from citizens, asking that the German language be given a regular place in the course of study. The matter was referred to a committee consist- ing of three members of the board, two citi- zens outside of the board and the superin- tendent of instruction. Deeply sensible of the importance and delicacy of the subject, the committee entered upon its investigation in the spirit of candor, and with the determina- tion to reach, if possible, a conclusion based solely upon the merits of the case. By means of personal conference with leading citizens, by visiting neighboring cities which have . made provision for instruction in the German language. by correspondence with college

presidents and with superintendents of in- struction in all the more important cities and towns of this State, by examination of various school reports, and by full and free discus- sion of the subject in its various phases, the committee sought to gain a comprehensive and correct view of the whole question.

As was to be expected, the investigations re- vealed great diversity of sentiment on the sub- ject, ranging all the way from strong opposi- tion to the introduction of German into any grade of our public schools, to a strong desire to see it introduced into every grade. And this diversity of sentiment was found no less among educators and others who have made the subject a special study, than among those who have bestowed but little thought on the subject.

After many meetings and much discussion, majority and minority reports were submitted. The majority report, signed by four mem- bers of the committee, may be thus sum- marized: The study of the German language should be pursued in the schools of this coun- try for purposes of higher culture. by those who seek a liberal education. rather than for purposes of practical utility, by those whose means and opportunities can afford them only a limited education. We conclude :

I. The German language may. with pro- priety, be made an elective study in the higher grades of our public schools.

II. It is inexpedient to provide instruc- tion in German for the pupils in the lower grades.

These conclusions were well sustained in the report by terse and cogent reasoning.

The minority reported to the effect that it is inexpedient and impracticable to introduce the study of the German language into any of the grades of our public schools.

These reports were received and printed in full in the thirty-first annual report of the board of education. No formal action was taken at once, but the policy advocated in the majority report has prevailed in the schools ever since.

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MORAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

This subject has received considerable at- tention from time to time. The following was one of the standing rules of the board for a good many years: "It shall be a duty of the first importance, on the part of teach- ers, to exercise constant supervision and care over the general conduct of their scholars, and they are specially enjoined to avail them- selves of every opportunity to inculate the observance of correct manners, habits and principles."

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 23

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150