Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 24

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 24

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The syllabus of instruction at one time made this provision, under the head of morals and manners: "Inculate reverance and love for God as the father of all, obe- dience to parents and teachers, and a kind and forgiving spirit toward brothers and sisters and schoolmates. Memorize verses and max- ims. Use Bible and other stories to illustrate principles in morals and manners."

We find frequent allusions to the subject in the printed reports of boards and super- intendents. In the twenty-fourth annual re- port, issued in 1871, occurs this passage: "Moral and intellectual culture are insepar- able. . . Of the two, the former has the higher claim to a place in any system of pop- ular education, since it is far more important to society that its members possess hearts of love to God and man than that they be giants in intellect. But it is idle to talk about mak- ing the instruction in the schools purely secu- lar. We could not do it if we would. Ten- der and impressible as are the hearts of the young, every teacher cannot but exert over the moral nature of his pupils an influence either good or bad. A silent unconscious in- fluence goes out from the inner life and char- acter of the teacher which cannot be meas- ured.

"It remains for us to see that a healthy, moral influence permeates all the instruction and all the discipline of the schools. And this can be done without any infringement or violation of the principle of religious liberty. It does not require the teaching of creeds or catechisms, nor the inculcation of the pecu-

liar dogmas of any sect. Nor do I believe it requires the enforced reading of the Bible in schools. Better than the Bible in schools is its spirit in the hearts of the teachers. Bible reading in public schools should not, in my opinion, be enforced, neither should it be pro- hibited by either State or local enactment."

The question of prohibiting the use of the Bible in the schools was once before the board. After considerable discussion, it was laid on the table, where it still rests.

WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS AND PROMOTIONS.

In the twenty-fourth annual report (year 1870-71), the superintendent makes mention of this subject. It had been the practice for some time to conduct monthly examinations in all the grades. This had become burden- some to the teachers, and the number of ex- aminations was reduced to two each term. This seemed sufficient to keep up the pupils' interest, and to test the thoroughness of the instruction. About 85 per cent of all the pu- pils examined were promoted.

The same subject receives attention in the thirty-first annual report, as follows:

Regular examinations were held every tenth week, making four in the year, and two gen- eral promotions were made, namely, at the middle and at the close of the year. There are thus two examinations for each promotion. Before commencing the examination imme- diately preceding each promotion of pupils, the teachers have been required to report a list of the names of their pupils, together with an estimate of the attainments and capabili- ties of each. The promotion of a pupil is thus made to depend on the result of two ex- aminations, taken in connection with his teachers' estimate of his fitness.

The plan of semi-annual promotion in our schools has been productive of good results. It affords better classification, and more fully adapts the instruction to the wants of all classes of pupils. The shorter intervals be- tween grades afford better facilities for the brighter and stronger pupils to advance ac- cording to their attainments and abilities, and,

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at the same time, it is better for those who fail of promotion, permitting them to go over again the work of a half year only, instead of throwing them back an entire year.

At the middle of the school year promo- tions were made as follows, high school not included :

Whole number examined 1924

Number not promoted 245

Per cent of promotions 86.3

Number advanced two grades. 44

Number withdrawn because not promoted. 4

At the close of the year the promotions in all grades below the high school were as fol- lows :

Whole number examined 1840

Number not promoted 147

Per cent of promotions 92

Number withdrawn because not promoted 2

It is a noticeable fact that the average age of pupils not promoted exceeds that of those of same grade promoted.

MIDDLEBURY ANNEXED-BOARD ENLARGED.

The village of Middlebury became a part of the city of Akron by annexation in 1872, adding four schools and four teachers to Akron's system, besides a considerable addi- tion to the high school. About the same time, the statute was so altered as to enlarge the board of education to twelve members. From its first organization under the Akron school law to this time, the board consisted of six members, two elected at large each year. Un- der the later statute the board consisted of two members from each ward, one elected each year. The city having six wards, the board consisted of twelve members. When, a few years later, the number of wards was increased to eight, the board had sixteen members.

This was a gain in quantity, but a loss in quality. When two men were chosen each year from the city at large, representative men were usually chosen-men of enlarged views, but when each ward chose its man to represent it, it seemed to be the small poli- tician's opportunity. Men of small caliber and little fitness were often able to push them-

selves in. A change in the spirit and policy of the board was soon apparent. Personal and local interests often prevailed against the gen- eral good. Fortunately, a recent revision of the statute has virtually restored former con- ditions.

TEACHERS.

The necessity of well qualified teachers for the schools was the burden of nearly every re- port in the period now under consideration. It is declared to be the most important of all subjects connected with public education. "The selection of teachers is the vital point in our common school system. The neces- sity of employing untrained and inexperienced teachers is the greatest evil with which we have to contend. The loss of time to the pupils, to say nothing of the idle and vicious habits formed, during the apprentice- ship of our young girl teachers, is a serious evil, and I often wonder at the patience of the pupils and their parents under it.

I have little hope of further progress until some decided steps are taken in this matter."

Measures were considered from time to time in mitigation of the evil complained of. At one time we find the superintendent sug- gesting, "as the least that we should do under our present circumstances, that our young graduates, who desire to teach, be required, before receiving appointments, to spend at least one year in the study of pedagogy, in- cluding the human powers and the means and methods of their development and train- ing, in the more minute and thorough study of the common branches with reference to teachig them, and in such observation of the best methods of teaching and such practice under experienced teachers as our own schools might afford." This seems like groping in the right direction-groping which. a few years later, resulted in a well-equipped nor- mal school. Meanwhile, so great seemed the need, resort was had to a temporary expedient. which had the merit of originality and sim- plicity. and which gave promise of good re- sults. A new building of eight rooms was converted into a quasi-training school. Sev-

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HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

eral young ladies, graduates of the high school, without experience in teaching, were employed at a nominal salary, and set to teachi- ing. Over them was placed a teacher of expe- rience and approved skill and ability to direct their work day by day . The plan was inexpen- sive and met with favor to the extent that it was subsequently adopted in another build- ing. It was with the same end in view that a little later a woman of marked ability and success in teaching was employed as super- visor of primary instruction. All these efforts to secure better teachers and improve the teaching tended in the same direction, name- ly, the establishing of a normal department as a permanent part of the city school system.

THE MORALE OF THE SCHOOLS.

A characteristic of the period of Akron school history now under consideration was an improved and improving moral tone. There was a general toning up all along the line. Citizens spoke of the improved bearing of the pupils on the street. There was more prompt and regular attendance. For exam- ple, with 1,541 pupils enrolled in the school year ending in June, 1869, there were 6,006 cases of tardiness reported ; with 3.005 pupils enrolled for year ending June, 1880, there were 1,223 cases of tardiness. There was less of severity and more of gentleness in the gov- ernment of the schools. It became a rare thing for any case of discipline to be brought before the board of education. These gains were largely due to the high character of the teachers employed. It is a rare thing to find so much strength and goodness of character in a corps of public school teachers.

Mrs. N. A. Stone, already mentioned, con- tinued in charge of the high school, with marked ability and success, until 1873, a pe- riod of five years. Of her a leading member of the Akron bar said that she had the intel- lect of a great, strong man, and the heart of a refined, gentle woman.

Mrs. Stone retired for a year of rest and travel, and was succeeded by Miss Maria Par- sons, who was eminently faithful and emi-

nently successful. Too much cannot be said in her praise. Under her management the high school continued to grow in interest as well as in numbers. After seven years of very exhausting labor, she declined re-election, and was succeeded by Wilbur V. Rood, the first man called to the position since Superintend- ent I. P. Hole. Mr. Rood was not a man of great physical strength, but he conducted the school with a good degree of success for eigh- teen years. Just as he was completing the work of his eighteenth year, only two or three days before commencement, he was suddenly called home. His years of service in the Akron high school were characterized by great faithfulness. Well done, good and faithful servant, is the verdict in his case.

Miss E. A. Herdman, who became prin- cipal of the senior grammar school in the au- tumn of 1868, and managed it with phenome- nal success, continued in charge of that de- partment, with the same eminent success that marked her first year, until the spring of 1874, when she retired on account of ill health, and died in November following. Her strength of character, combined with fervent affection and genial humor, gave her great power over her pupils. She governed by the strength of her own personality, rather than by the infliction of pains and penalties. Miss Herdman was succeeded by Miss Kate Ur- ner, and she by Miss Josephine A. Newberry. These two last named were strong and suc- cessful teachers.

COLLEGE PREPARATION.

It was about 1874 that four lads from the Akron high school passed the entrance exam- ination and were admitted to Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio. These are proba- bly the first students prepared for college in the Akron high school. They prepared in Greek under Miss Oburn, one of the assist- ants in the high school, in part out of regular school hours. Three of the four completed the college course and were graduated with credit.

Subsequently, an advantageous arrange-

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ment was effected with Buchtel College, whereby high school students wishing to pre- pare for college were admitted to the regu- lar preparatory Greek classes in the college without cost, the Greek thus acquired being accepted as an equivalent for such part of the high school course as might be agreed upon. This arrangement continued in force for a good many years and proved mutually advan- tageous to high school and college, as well as to those students who availed themselves of the privilege.

After fifteen years of continuous service, Superintendent Findley declined a re-elec- tion and retired. His term began in 1868 and ended in 1883, starting with twenty- two teachers and ending with sixty-two. Within this period, two hundred and eighty- nine pupils were graduated from the high school, making a total of three hundred and four, including fifteen graduated prior to 1869 The following named two-story brick build- ings were erected, nearly all the small, frame buildings previously used having been aban- doned: Bowen, Crosby, Perkins, Howe, Al- len, Spicer, Kent, Henry. These buildings contained at first from four to eight rooms each. They have since been enlarged by ad- ditions, one containing eighteen rooms; sev- eral others, twelve rooms.

PROF. FRAUNFELTER'S SUPERINTENDENCY.

Elias Fraunfelter entered upon the super- intendency of the Akron schools in Septem- ber, 1883. After three years of service in the Union army, he taught in Vermillion Insti- tute and Savannah Academy, subsequently filling the chair of mathematic in Buchtel College for ten years. He filled the office of superintendent very acceptably for fourteen years, being compelled to retire on account of failing health, and dying soon after.

Owing to the fact that no report, in form to be preserved. was published in the time of his term of service, no very full nor detailed account of Superintendent Fraunfelter's ad- ministration can be here given. No radical changes were inaugurated at the outset nor.

indeed, at any time. The same general or- ganization of the schools, the same classifi- cation and the same principles and methods of instruction in vogue in recent years were continued. There was no disposition to make changes, merely for the sake of change. The period, as a whole, was one of harmony and success. The school system grew rapidly and maintained a high place in public esti- mation.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL AND OTHER NEW BUILDINGS.

The need of more school rooms had been frequently brought to the attention of the board. Many of the schools were over- crowded. It had been shown that to assign to each teacher only a suitable number of pupils would require the employment of twenty additional teachers, and the providing of a corresponding number of additional school rooms. And besides, the unsuitable- ness of the rooms occupied by the high school, the very defective heating and ventilation of the entire high school building, and its close proximity to railroads, mills, depot, etc., ren- dered it very unfit for school purposes.

The location and construction of a new high school building had been under consid- eration for some time, but the matter was taken up in earnest in 1883. Conflicting in- terests, and diversity of opinion, both as to location and character and style of structure. caused considerable delay. A lot was selected and purchased at a cost of $19,000. A con- tract for the erection of the building was en- tered into in 1885, and the whole was com- pleted and ready to occupy in September, 1886. The entire cost, including heating ap- paratus and furniture, was about $135,000. Besides twelve commodious school rooms with their appurtenances, there were a large as- sembly room, offices for the board of educa- tion, the superintendent of instruction, the high school principal, clerk of the board. truant officer, etc., teachers' parlor and rooms for literary societies, library, museum, etc.

When first occupied the new building con-

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tained, besides the high school, a consider- able number of upper grade grammar school pupils, but it was not long until the entire building was required for the high school, and provision had to be made elsewhere for the grammar school pupils. At the present time (1907) the high school has outgrown the building, and a large addition is almost com- pleted.

Other new buildings erected in this period are those known as the Grace, the Leggett and the Bryan.

COURSE OF STUDY CHANGED.

Near the end of the old eentury the course of study in the high school was restored to a four-years' course. This was done in re- sponse to the requirements of the Ohio Col- lege Association. A committee of college men had visited the high schools of the State, and proposed to admit to college, without exami- nation, students from those high schools whose course of study and teaching were found to be of sufficiently high grade. The Akron high school was thus placed in the list of accredited schools. It was felt that the reduction to a three-years' course had ac- complished its purpose of popularizing the school and building it up in numbers.

MANUAL TRAINING.

About the same time steps were taken in the direction of manual training. Special teachers were employed, and the girls received lessons in cooking and sewing, and the boys, in wood-working. The work along these lines was conducted with considerable inter- est for a time, hut the interest waned, and the work was discontinued, with a view to being resumed later with better equipment.

FREE TEXT-BOOKS.

Various remedies had been proposed from time to time for the evils growing out of the adoption of text-books for use in the schools. It was even proposed that the State should

secure copyrights and publish all the books necessary to supply the schools. A law was enacted requiring boards of education to pur- chase the books at wholesale and sell them to the pupils at cost. This plan was followed in the Akron schools for a time, but it had many drawbacks, and was, on the whole, un- satisfactory. At length, a law was passed granting to boards of education the option of adopting the free text-book plan. Akron was among the first to adopt the plan: First, as applicable to all grades below the high school. This proving satisfactory, the high school was subsequently included, so that, at this writ- ing, the text-books used in all grades of the schools are purchased and held as the prop- erty of the board and furnished for free use by the pupils. The plan has decided advan- tages, and gives general satisfaction.

EXAMINATIONS AND PROMOTIONS.

There seems to be an ebb and flow in the management of schools as in most human af- fairs. There was a time when it seemed that written examinations might prove the specific for most of the ailments of school manage- ment. At one time the president of the Akron board of education suggested the sub- stitution of written examinations for the daily recitation in all grades above the pri- mary. But in the period now under consid- eration, about 1890, we find it announced as a "valuable advance," that "formal examina- tions for promotion" have been dispensed with, that promotions are made on the rec- ommendation of the teachers and principals of the several schools, and that "the plan has so far worked most admirably." The pendu- lum has sinee swung baek. Examinations still have a place in the Akron schools.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

The supply of qualified teachers for the sehools has continued to engage the attention of school officials through all the years. Al- most every conceivable expedient has been tried for providing the necessary training

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without undue expense. One of the latest ex- periments was the employment of one student teacher for each building to be in daily at- tendance, and to act as substitute in case of the absence of a regular teacher, from sickness or other cause. At length, in 1896, a normal training department of the city schools was established. A two-years' course of study was prescribed, with practice under a critic teacher. The school was a success from the start. It was not long after the opening of the school, when twenty-five of its graduates were employed as teachers in the schools within a single year. This is undoubtedly a wise measure one having in it much of promise to the schools of the city.

TRUANT OFFICER.

About this time a law was passed requir- ing compulsory attendance at school. The taxpayers' money was forcibly taken to main- tain schools for the education of the children. It is right to see that the end sought be not defeated by the indifference or waywardness of the children, or the negligence or cupidity of their parents. Of necessity there must be a truant officer to enforce the law. Perhaps the following report of that officer for a year will give a fair idea of the working of the law :

Visits made at schools 473

Visits made at homes 1450

Pupils sent for 1323

Absentees brought to school. 170

Truants apprehended and brought -to school 54

Pupils under 14 caused to attend school. 162

Pupils between 14 and 16 caused to at- tend school

Notices served on parents. 223

Pupils excused on physician's certificate. 39

Pupils moved from the city 101

Reported to poor director for shoes. 231

Reported to poor director for clothing. . 54

Pupils withdrawn and engaged at regu- lar employment 169

Pupils under 14 caused to be discharged

from shops and sent to school. 64

Pupils brought before the mayor 24

Parents prosecuted 21

Pupils sent to reform school. 4 Notices served on truants. 79

Dealers prosecuted and fined for selling

cigarettes and tobacco to minors .... 3

Children placed in charitable institu- tions 37

WOMEN AS SCHOOL DIRECTORS.

About 1895 a law was passed authorizing women to vote at school elections and to hold any school office, except that of State Com- missioner of Common Schools. At the first election following this enactment a consid- erable number of Akron women registered as voters and cast their ballots, and two women were regularly nominated and elected mem- bers of the board of education, namely, Mrs. Miner Allen and Mrs. O. L. Sadler. They were representative women, well qualified for the duties of the office. Mrs. Allen had taught in the schools for several years quite successfully. Both women served faithfully and efficiently for the full term of two years, at the end of which time, Mrs. Sadler declined to be a candidate for re-election. Mrs. Allen was renominated, but lacked a few votes of re-election. Since that time, no woman's name has been presented as a candidate for the office, and few women have claimed the privilege of voting. Interest in the move- ment seems to have died a natural death.

IHIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.

In this period, pupils were graduated from the high school as follows:

1884 35 1891 69

1885

1892

1886

1893

1887 59 1894 85

1888

1895

107

1889

1896

1890

1897

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HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

Total in Superintendent Fraunfelter's term 918

Total from the beginning. 1222

Total number of teachers employed in all the schools in 1897, including principals and special teachers 137

Total number of pupils enrolled in all departments for year 1890-1901 .... 5283 Total expenditures for year 1890-1901. including $25,000 for a new building $111,581

SUPPLEMENTARY READING MATTER.

A feature of Superintendent Fraunfelter's administration deserving of special mention was the supplying of every grade below the high school and above the lower primary grades, with suitable reading matter, in addi- tion to the regular reader of the grade; ~ 0 that each pupil in every half-year grade had from two to four good books to be read in class, under the teacher's direction and in- struction-hooks of story, travel, biography. general literature, etc. This was a great gain. Something in this direction had been attempted in previous years, by inducing pu- pils to subscribe for children's and youth's magazines. But this was only partially suc- cessful. There was great gain when the board purchased well chosen books in quantity, and lent them to the pupils without cost.

Through the stimulus of interest and infor- mation, the pupils more readily gained the ability to read independently and fluently. They acquired much useful information. But above all, by being introduced to good au- thors, many learned to love good reading and laid the foundation of a taste for the best in literature.

SUPERINTENDENT R. S. TIIOMAS.

On the retirement of Dr. Fraunfelter, Mr. R. S. Thomas was called from the superin- tendency of the public schools of Warren, Ohio, to take charge of the Akron schools.

He took up the work in September, 1897, and held the position for three years.

NIGHT SCHOOLS.

- It was about this time that night schools were established for the benefit of youth of school age whose circumstances would not al- low their attendance at the regular daily ses- sions of the schools, but who yet desired to gain some education. In some cases, foreign- ers embraced this opportunity of gaining a knowledge and use of our language. Me- chanical drawing was sometimes taught in these schools, but students usually paid for their tuition in this subject.

TRANSITION SCHOOLS.

A movement looking in the direction of kindergartens was started under Mr. Thomas' superintendency. Schools known as "transi- tion schools" were organized in some of the buildings. Into these were admitted children between the ages of five and six years, for whom instruction was provided which par- took more or less of the nature of kindergar- ten exercises, designed to mark the transition between the home and the school. These seemed to serve a good purpose, and, in a short time, very naturally grew into fully equipped kindergartens.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 24

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