USA > Ohio > Summit County > Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 25
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GETTING OUT OF THE RUTS.
A feature of this period was an effort to do things in another way, to avoid monotony. to keep out of the ruts. There was also a slackening of the tension, a less rigid adher- ence to classification and course of study, and an attempt at greater liberty and originality in the teaching. There was seeming good in the end sought, but the inevitable tendency was to confusion and slackness. The suc- ceeding administration found readjustment. and the restoration of former conditions in large measure, essential to the best interests of the schools.
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HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
There seems to have been a considerable falling off in the number of graduates in the three years of Mr. Thomas' administration. It is noticeable, too, that the records contain no mention of mid-year graduation. A good class was graduated at the end of each half- year, from 1886 to 1897. Why the practice of mid-year graduation was intermitted in these three years, does not appear. The rec- ords show the following graduations :
In June, 1898 30
In June, 1899 24
In June, 1900 18
The falling off may be accounted for in part by the change from a three-year to a four-year course of study.
Mr. E. H. Birney succeeded Mr. Rood in the principalship of the high school, and held the position for two years.
THE SUPERINTENDENCY OF DR. H. V. HOTCH- KISS.
It was in the last year of the old century that Dr. H. V. Hotchkiss was called from the superintendency of the schools of Mead- ville, Pennsylvania, to take charge of the Akron schools. His work in Akron began in September of that year. This work, for con- siderable time, consisted, in large measure, of reconstruction and reorganization. Many va- cancies in the teaching force had to be filled, among them the principalship of the high school and one other principalship. Territory recently annexed to the city had to be dis- tricted, and the pupils assigned and classified. An elaborate syllabus of instruction. had been prepared and printed in 1897; but very little attempt was made at any time to follow it, and at length it was wholly ignored. Confu- sion reigned in all the grades, but espe- cially in the high school. The labor involved in bringing order out of this confusion was very perplexing and very great. But it was soon manifest that the new superintendent
and his helpers understood their business. Order was at length restored, and the schools, in every department, have ever since contin- ued to run smoothly and prosperously.
STATUS IN 1901.
These statistics, gleaned from the annual report for the year ending August 31, 1901, give a fair view of conditions then existing :
Total expenditures (including building and grounds, and bonds redeemed, $83,643.97) $249,471.68
Enumeration of school youth. 11,877
Average monthly enrollment 7,361
Average monthly enrollment in high school 698
Whole number teachers employed . . . High school teachers-men 9, women 13, total 22
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Teachers in elementary schools -- men 13, women 155, total 168
High School graduates -- boys 19, girls 21, total 40
Number of Kindergartens 8
Kindergarten children enrolled 240
COURSE OF STUDY.
A large share of space in the report is devoted to the course of study-a discussion of the advantages in a large system of schools. of a clearly defined published course, and its underlying principles. Four courses of study are prescribed for the high school, namely, the Latin course, the German course, the business course, and the manual training course. These courses are printed side by side, with directions and suggestions to aid parents and pupils in making choice of the course to be pursued.
The same subject is continued in the report for the next year, more especially with refer- ence to the schools below the high school. The "course of study and manuals of instruc- tion" provided "outlines the work to be done, and enumerates many of the principles, laws
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and methods by which it is to be accom- plished." In the weekly teachers' meetings, conducted by the principals in the several buildings, a considerable portion of the time is spent in a critical study of the provisions of the course of study. Grade meetings are also conducted by the superintendent, in which the aim is to make clear and familiar to the teachers the prescribed work grade by grade-the aim and purpose of all which is to make true artists of the teachers.
ORGANIZATION FOR EFFICIENCY.
From the annual report for the year ending August 31, 1902, it is learned that the su- perintendent gave much consideration to the perfecting of the organization of the schools in every department, to the end that the highest efficiency may be attained with the least expenditure of money and effort. With a million dollars invested in school buildings and their furnishing and equipment, and the annual expenditure of one-fourth of a mil- lion dollars on account of the schools, or thirteen hundred dollars for every school day, or more than two hundred and twenty-five dollars for every hour of every school day, the necessity for the best organization of all the forces is apparent from a financial stand- point. The superintendent thus presents the moral phase :
"The element of organization is a mighty factor in rendering school management effective for the moral training of the pupils who come under its influence. A system of schools which insists that pupils attend school every session; that they be punctual at all exercises; that they conduct them- selves in an orderly and quiet manner in coming and going; that they restrain themselves from whispering, and thereby disturbing others; that they be considerate of the rights and privileges of others; that they be respectful, not only toward teacher, but toward fellow-pupils as well; that they he industrious, accurate, neat and painstaking- such a system, if thoroughly organized and strictly administered during the six to twelve years of the school life of the child, when habits are formed, will go a long way toward the develop- ment of those habits of conduct which constitute the basis of good citizenship in the republic."
As examples of this organization for effi-
ciency the following are given in the report:
"Upon the last day of the school year, every teacher in the city knows just where she will work during the next school year; what grade or grades of pupils she will teach; the number of pupils in her room, harring transfers and with- drawals, and the names of those pupils. Every pupil is told just what his work will be next term. In every school room are placed the books and supplies necessary for the use of the teacher and pupils at the opening of the term in September. The course of study tells each teacher what her class has done, and what they are expected to do within the term that they are to be under her instruction. She will be able, therefore, to plan her work so that within ten minutes from the opening of school upon the first day every pupil shall be at work upon lessons that are to be learned by him within the term."
"The present system of ordering and distribut- ing stationery supplies is also a great saver of time, money and labor. Early in June, the su- perintendent makes a sheet, stating in tabular form the quantity of each kind of supplies needed for each building in the city. These aggregates are combined in a circular letter asking for bids. These letters are sent to manufacturers, jobbers, and dealers all over the eastern part of our coun- try. Early in June the bids which have been re- ceived, are opened and tabulated, and the contracts for furnishing the several kinds of supplies are let to the lowest and best bidders. The result is that we are buying our stationery supplies as cheaply, probably, as any dealer in the country, and very much more cheaply than most school dis- tricts can buy them. When the contracts have been let, the orders are placed in such a way that the shipper packs the goods In separate bundles, mark- ing each bundle to the bullding to which it is to be delivered. In this way, the supplies are de- livered directly from the factory to the school buildings where they are to be consumed; there- hy saving the labor, time and expense of much handling."
FREE TEXT-BOOKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
Reference is made elsewhere to the sub- ject of free text-books. In January, 1901, the Board of Education entered completely upon the plan of furnishing all text-books and school supplies free to the children in ele- mentary schools. Beginning with the school vear 1905-06, the free text-book system was extended to the high school. Thereafter, everything needed by the child to pursue his studies in any of the public schools of the city was furnished free.
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DUTIES OF THE PRINCIPALS.
Under the superintendency of Dr. Hotch- kiss, all the principals were relieved from the duty of supervising and teaching separate school rooms as regular teachers. It did not seem wise, as a business enterprise, to employ men and women as principals at principals' salaries, and then confine them to separate, single school rooms and require them to per- form the work of the grade teacher, which ought to be performed for the salary of such a teacher. Principals are expected to teach almost constantly. Their work, however, is to be with teachers, with small groups of pupils, and occasionally with schools. Each principal is held responsible for the progress, not only of his schools as a whole, but of the individuals in them. If there is a single pupil, or a small group of pupils in any grade, especially strong and capable of mov- ing forward into the next grade with a little wise help. it is the principal's business to give such help and to make such promotion. If there are individual pupils, or small groups of pupils, who find the work a little too diffi- cult, but who might, with some individual help of the right kind, at the right time, maintain their positions in the several grades, it is the principal's business to ascertain that fact and to give the help needed.
KINDERGARTENS.
The kindergartens, fifteen in number, are now as much a part of the city school system as any other school. They constitute the con- necting link between the home and the pri- mary school. It has been the fault of many advocates of the kindergarten to seek to pre- serve the mysticism and symbolism of its founders and early exponents, and to claim for it a special and mysterious merit. The later tendency is to modernize and American- ize the kindergarten, bringing it into closer touch with the work of the primary school. The Akron kindergartens have been consider- ably modified since they were first made a
part of the city school system; and the ten- dency is in the direction of still further modi- fication, to bring them more completely into harmony with the school system of which they are a part.
THL NORMAL SCHOOL.
The course of study and training extends through two years. "In the first year the students study educational psychology with special reference to the science and art of teaching; the general principles, laws and methods of teaching, or those principles, laws and methods which govern all teaching pro- cesses; special methods of teaching all the several common English branchies; the his- tory of education. During the second year of the course the student teachers continue their study of methods and principles of teaching and apply them in actual teaching. Four schools of four different grades are taught by the student teachers, under the constant direction, aid and criticism of two expert teachers known as critic teachers. By this arrangement of the normal course, one year is given to the theory of teaching and one year to the practice of that theory in actual teaching under expert direction and criticism. The results of the training given young women in the normal school have been satisfactory in a high degree. Young women, after completing the course in the normal school, know not only what it is to teach school, but how to teach school. In short, most of them are good teachers.
"The normal school is a blessing to those young women of the city who wish to be- come teachers; for by it any graduate of the high school, without expense. is enabled to get as good professional training as is given in the first class normal schools of the country."
The normal school is maintained and op- erated without additional expense to the city. It is true that two critic teachers are em- ployed at a higher salary than that paid to the regular teachers in the grades, but with
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these two critic teachers and the student teachers in training, the city is able to care for four schools, for which it would be nec- essary to employ four teachers at the salaries provided for by the schedule of salaries.
The superintendent maintains that there is no course of study of two years' duration that any young woman who has graduated from the high school could take that would do her more good as a means of broad culture than the normal school course, even though she were never to teach a day after graduation from the normal school.
HIGH SCHOOL READJUSTMENT.
The High School, some time since, out- grew its building. In 1906, the Board pro- vided for the erection of an annex. This annex is expected to afford additional room for the accommodation of the increased at- tendance in the high school, as well as facili- ties for physical training in the gymnasium ; manual training for the boys; domestic science and art for the girls, and shorthand and typewriting for those pupils taking the commercial course.
The courses of study in the high school were changed in April, 1907, to conform to the provisions in the new annex. The new courses are four-the Latin, the German, the commercial and the manual training. Ac- cording to the revised courses, all boys, as a part of their first year's work, will take car- pentry three double periods per week, and drawing two double periods per week; all girls will take cooking and sewing three dou- ble periods per week, and drawing two double periods per week. At the end of the first year, all boys in the courses offering the Ger- man language, will have an opportunity to decide whether they will take the manual training course, or one of the other two courses.
The manual training course is planned to give the boys who take it a thorough high school education in the German language and literature. natural sciences, mathematics and
history, and, in addition, to give them the elements of all of a half-dozen different trades. It is believed that at the completion of the manual training course, boys will have sufficient skill to secure credit for from two to three years upon an apprenticeship in any one of a half-dozen trades.
NEW BUILDINGS.
Since 1900, new schoolhouses have been completed as follows: The Perkins normal school building, in 1901; the Miller school, in 1901; the Lane school, in 1903; the Fraunfelter school, in January, 1905; the Samuel Findley school, in 1906; the high school annex, in 1907.
Present Status (1907).
Board of Education consists of seven mem- bers.
Number of school buildings 17
Total enrollment of pupils. . 9425
Number of teachers employed 235
High school enrollment 961
Teachers in high school 25
Total number of high school graduates
(including class of June, 1907) . . 1790
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.
ZION'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN.
Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church, sit- uated on South High Street, has maintained its own parish school almost from its organi- zation. When the congregation was small, the pastor was also the parish teacher. At the present time, there is an enrollment of 200 pupils in three departments, taught by three male teachers, whose salaries range from $500 to $600. The expense is borne by the parish. A small tuition fee is charged, the amount thus raised being supplemented by subscriptions as for other parish expenses. The branches taught are: Religion (cate- chism and Bible lessons in German) ; Read- ing (German and English) ; Vocal Music; Grammar (German and English) ; Arithme-
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tic (mostly in English) ; Composition (Ger- man and English) ; Penmanship; Geography and U. S. History (in English). The chil- dren of the congregation attend the parish school from their sixth or seventh year until the age of fourteen, when they are given a certificate of scholarship, and may then enter the public schools for a higher education. In their fourteenth year, they are confirmed and become full members of the church.
German Lutherans believe in an education for their children that will train not only the mind, but the heart and conscience as well. The public school deals with the minds of the children, inculcates patriotism, and prepares for American citizenship, and, for these ends, may be sufficient; but it is outside the sphere of the State to inculcate the teach- ings of scripture pertaining to the soul's sal- vation. It is not the function of the public school to teach the Christian creed, the ten commandments, the rites of baptism and the Lord's supper. To do these things is the sacred duty of Christian parents and the Christian church. And German Lutherans believe these obligations are best fulfilled by the parochial school, and they are ready to make any sacrifice to maintain it. They ask and expect no aid from the public school fund. It is not the duty of the State to sup- port parochial schools. That sacred obliga- tion devolves upon Christian parents and the Christian church.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.
The parish school of St. Vincent De Paul's Catholic Church was established in 1853, in a small frame building on Green Street. It was removed to the fine two-story brick building on Maple Street in 1893. This building con- tains seven school rooms, in which are en- rolled about 300 pupils. Besides religious in- struction in all the grades, the course of study includes the branches usually taught in the public schools, the course for the highest grade including the usual high school branches, such as algebra, geometry. Latin, rhetoric, etc.
St. Mary's branch of this church erected 70 buildings on South Main Street and organized parish schools in 1887. There are now about 300 pupils in attendance, and a corps of six teachers. The course of study is identical with that pursued at St. Vincent's school.
St. Bernard's Parochial School, situated on the corner of Broadway and Center Streets, was built in 1887. Prior to this period school was taught for some years in a small house adjoining the old St. Bernard's Church, and later four large rooms in the basement of said church were used for school purposes.
The present building is a brick structure and contains eight large classrooms and a spacious auditorium. The cost of building, equipments, etc., is estimated at $50,000. Un- til 1893, St. Bernard's School was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Since then the school is in charge of the Sisters of St. Domi- nic. There are 475 pupils in attendance, ranging in age from 6 to 15 years. The school is divided into primary and grammar departments and a senior grade. The branches taught are: Reading, arithmetic, orthography, penmanship, composition, lan- guage, English grammar, geography, United States history, Bible and church history, physiology, algebra, civil government, ele- ments of geometry, elementary bookkeeping. business correspondence.
German reading and writing is taught in all the grades. All pupils are required to study the Catechism of Christian doctrine, though they are at liberty to choose to take this branch in either language.
No tuition is required from pupils belong- ing to the parish ; but parents are expected to furnish the books.
All pupils who have completed the Senior grade are awarded a diploma of graduation. This school aims at the Christian training of youth, not only offering them every opportu- nity for obtaining a good and solid educa- tion in all the common English branches, but endeavoring mainly to develop those noble traits of Christian manhood and womanhood
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which constitute the high distinction of the honored Catholic citizen.
The Sacred Heart Academy, on South Broadway, conducted by the Sisters of St. Dominie, was began in 1904. The Academy has four departments : Primary, Grammar, Commercial and Academic. These depart- inents embrace all the branches of a thorough practical education. The commercial course, covering two years, includes reading and spelling, commercial arithmetie, commercial law, penmanship, business correspondence, bookkeeping, stenography, typewriting and English grammar.
Tuition includes Latin. German, needle work and embroidery. The Academy affords ample facilities to students who desire to de- vote particular attention to the study of mu- sie, drawing and painting. Special attention is given to drawing, crayon and pastel, oil painting, china decoration, and tapestry painting.
Difference in creed or religious belief is no bar to the admission of any pupil who is will- ing to conform to the rules of the institution.
WESTERN RESERVE COLLEGE.
At the time of the adoption of the "Articles of Confederation," when the States ceded their lands northwest of the Ohio River to the gen- eral government, Connectieut reserved that portion of her territory lying next west of Pennsylvania, forty leagues in length. This traet has since been known as the Conneetient Western Reserve. On this tract, Western Re- serve College was established by its carly set- tlers for the promotion of sound learning and religion in their midst, and to extend their good influences over the new country to the south and west.
The first movement toward the founding of a college on the Western Reserve was made in 1801, when a petition for a charter was sent to the territorial legislature. numerously signed by the settlers and by many of the landowners residing in Connectient. The prayer of the petitioners was not granted at
that time. In 1803, after the admission of Ohio into the Union as a State, the petition was renewed and a charter was granted to the "Erie Literary Society" with full college powers. Under this charter, an academy was opened at Burton in 1806, with the expecta- tion that it should be expanded into a college as fast as circumstances would warrant.
In 1822, the Grand River and Portage presbyteries undertook to raise a fund to aid young men in preparing for the Christian ministry, and placed this fund in the hands of a board of managers. These managers, under direction of their presbyteries, entered into a compact with the trustees of the Erie Literary Society, whereby a theological de- partment was to be added to the academy at Burton. This arrangement, after trial, prov- ing unsatisfactory, the connection was dis- solved in 1824, and the managers at once began efforts to establish a college elsewhere. The academy at Burton continued under its charter until 1834, when it ceased to exist as a chartered school. Eleven hundred and thirty acres of land donated to the Literary Society by William Law, of Connecticut, in 1806, on condition that the college be estab- lished and continue at Burton, reverted to his heirs in 1841.
The presbyteries, reinforced by the addition of the new presbytery of Huron, appointed four commissioners each, to locate the new eollege, directing them to "take into view all circumstances of situation, moral character, facility of communication, donations, health, ete." The town of Hudson was selected as combining the greatest advantages, the peo- ple of the town subscribing $7,150 to seeure the location, besides the donation by Mr. David Hudson of 160 aeres of land for a eampus.
The date borne by the eharter is February 7, 1826. The eorporators were George Swift and Zalmon Fiteh, of Trumbull County ; Caleb Pitkin, Elizur Wright, John Seward, jr., Benjamin Fenn. Joshua B. Sherwood and David Hudson, of Portage County: Stephen T. Bradstreet and Simeon Woodruff, of Cuya-
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hoga County; Henry Brown and Harmon Kingsbury, of Lorain County-all ministers own members of the Presbyterian or the Con- gregational Church. These twelve men con- stituted the Board of Trustees, a close cor- poration with full power.
The objects proposed by the founders were "to educate pious young men as pastors for our destitute churches," "to preserve the pres- ent literary and religious character of the State and redeem it from future decline," "to prepare competent men to fill the cabinet, the bench, the bar, and the pulpit."
The clergymen among the founders were, most of them, graduates of Yale College, the others, of Williams and Dartmouth; the lay- men were from Connecticut, reared under the shadow of Yale. It thus came about that these famous colleges were the models upon which Western Reserve College was con- structed.
The trustees held their first meeting in the township of Hudson, on the first Wednesday of March, 1826, as provided in the charter, took immediate steps for the erection of a college building, and before the close of the year, organized a freshman class.
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