USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee from its first settlement to the year 1895 > Part 32
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were anthorized to employ a suitable teacher for the proposed manual training school to be located in the high school building. At the meeting of the board in April, the High School Committee were authorized to appoint the manual training teacher. They carefully investigated the work in manual training in other cities and decided to make a start in the attic of the high school building.
Mr. H. M. Woodward was the first director of manual training in the high school, his appoint- ment dating from August 22, 1891. The work commenced with a class of thirty-eight students in two divisions, working one hour and a half each. The department was provided with benches, lathes, a band saw and power from an Otto gas engine. During the winter of 1893, the seventh and eighth grades of the First district school, were given instruction in the manual training depart- ment of the high school, on alternate days of the week. There were more girls than boys, and they entered upon the work with as much zeal as the boys, and with nearly the same success. Their work was entirely at the bench, and included the use of simple tools in wood. That the public is interested in the extension of manual traming is illustrated in a communication to Superintendent Peckham, April 14, 1893, from the Builders' and Traders' Exchange. They recommended strongly the establishing of manual training schools in the public school system and in the state normal schools. Mr. Woodward resigned at the close of the school year 1893, as director of manual train- ing, and Mr. Mortimer M. Shepherd was appointed his successor, and began service September fol- lowing. Mr. Shepherd still continues in that position. On recommendation of the High School Committee March 4, 1894, the board adopted the resolution to request the Common Council to pur- chase not more than twenty-five feet additional frontage on the north of the East-side high school site, and erect thereon a two-story building
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HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
for the purpose of giving additional facilities to and extending the work in the manual training department. In view of the financial depression, however, and the needs of the West-side high school, action upon the recommendation has not, to this writing, been taken. A proposition is now before the board to form a standing committee on manual training. This committee will doubtless consider the propriety of extending manual train- ing to the lower grades. During the year 1893 improved facilities were given for vise and other work in iron, and in the spring of 1894 three lathes for iron and a shaper were added.
The graduating class of 1894 included five from the manual training course ; the first man- ual training graduates in Milwaukee. There are now sixty pupils in this course in the high school, and although their work, including shop work and drawing, is more than in the other courses, they average about the same in their studies as the other pupils of the school. The advocates of manual training very well understand that to make it a success they must show that the boy or girl is not only developed morally and intellectually, but that it has a practical application to his life-work. The difference between the trade school and the man- ual training school is only known to those who have given some little attention to the subject. 'The man of affairs and the practical man, look upon a manual training school as an institution where the pupil learns to acquire facility with tools and to learn some mechanical trade. The educator on the other hand regards manual training as one of the means of individual development-morally, mentally, physically. Hence in the early attempts to introduce this branch of education into the schools, much confusion was likely to arise. All can generally agree that common knowledge, that which is of general applicability and useful- ness should be taught in the common schools. Manual training must satisfy those demands be- fore it can be generally adopted in the schools.
It was early recognized by the School Board that professional instruction in the art of teach- ing was one of the needs in the equipment of teachers for their work. We find that as early as May, 1858, Mr. Silas Chapman introduced a reso- lution in the board providing that the Examining Committee inquire into the expediency of attach- ing a normal school department to the high schools. In accordance with a similar resolution
adopted the following year, a normal class was organized in the Second-ward high school, of which E. P. Larkin was then principal. When the high schools were abolished as public schools, the normal department was continued for a short time in connection with the Second-ward high school. It was not until ten years later that any definite steps were taken to re-establish a normal class, though the lack of professional training of teachers was seriously felt, and its reinstatement was strongly urged by those knowing best the needs of the schools. In the last part of the sixties the first normal schools of the state were established, and there was a general awakening of the people to the importance of giving our com- mon schools well trained and professionally trained teachers. By act of the legislature, ap- proved March 10, 1870, the Board of School Commissioners of the city of Milwaukee were authorized to establish and maintain a normal de- partment in the high schools of the city. No per- son could receive a certificate of graduation from the normal department who had not been a mem- ber of that department for at least one year, and who was not at least eighteen years of age. Cer- tificates of graduation entitled the holder to teach in the public schools of the city. In 1871 the normal department of the high school was organ- ized, with a course of study extending over a period of three years. Miss Sarah L. Denton was appointed head of the department, with Miss Sarah A. Stewart, assistant. In July, 1873, the first class graduated from the normal department, and con- sisted of Josie M.Clark, Annie M. Smith, Laura H. Brown, Ella F. Clark and John A. Diedrickson. No pupil could enter the normal department who was not at least fifteen years of age, nor receive a diploma of graduation until eighteen years of age. For the year 1873-74 the normal depart- ment was changed in its relations to the high school by making its academic work an integral part of the high school work. The principal of the high school was charged with the supervision and held responsible for the normal department, while the teacher in that department had charge of the professional work under the high school principal. For the year ending 1875, Miss Sarah Stewart was placed in charge of the department and was given an assistant in January, 1876. A model school was opened in connection with the department for the first time in April of 1875.
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MANUAL TRAINING, NORMAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL STUDIES.
By the end of the school year, 1875, the rapid growth of this department had introduced diffi- culties into its administration in connection with the high school, which rendered a change in its relations to the high school necessary. Superin- tendent MacAlister recommended separating it entirely from the high school and making it a purely professional school ; putting it in some ward school which would serve as a school of practice and observation for the normal students. This plan was adopted, and in 1876 it was removed to the Twelfth district, the only place where vacant rooms could be found at that time.
The course of study in the normal included mental and moral science in their relations to edu- cation, history of education, school management, organization and administration, principles of ob- ject teaching and the art of teaching. Practice and observation with criticism was required a part of each term. The kindergarten system formed a part of the course of instruction, and in 1879 the normal department was moved to the Sec- ond district school. Here more room was pos- sible than in the Twelfth, and three assistants were given Miss Stewart as class teachers. By permission of the board, February 3, 1880, Miss Stewart went to St. Louis for a week to exam- ine the kindergarten as a feature of the com- mon school system of that city. She reported that these schools had been very successful in that city and that they were under the direction of skilled teachers, trained for special work. Miss Stewart recommended that the ideas, methods and philosphy of this system be at once introduced into the lower grades as far as possible, and that a professional kindergartner be employed to instruct the classes in the normal school and to have charge of a kindergarten, which should be formed in con- nection with the normal school. On the 8th of April following, the appointment of Miss Nellie Fisher, an experienced kindergartner of St. Louis, was ratified by the board. Those who were famil- iar with the qualifications of teachers, before and after the high school and normal department began to furnish teachers for the system, remark that the improvement in the quality of the teach- ing force was very great. In the annual report of the High School Committee May 7, 1878, it is recognized that the normal department is a very efficient agent in raising the standard of the quali- fications for teachers in the district schools. Of
sixty normal graduates of the first five years of its work, fifty-five were employed during the year and were among the best and most successful teachers in the service of the board. Again, in 1879, the High School Committee report that the normal department is a good investment for the city. That its graduates who have had the three years' training in the high school are "in most cases better fitted for the work we require them to do than most of the graduates of the state normal schools." Although the normal school was practi- cally separated from the high school, and its work was purely professional, it still remained in charge of the High School Committee, and its diplomas were countersigned by the principal of the high school so long as it remained a part of the city school system.
It early became evident that while Milwaukee was contributing her quota to the support of the normal schools of the state, she was getting but little return since the great bulk of her teachers were trained in the city normal school. It was urged by many that the city normal school should be turned over to the state, still retaining its loca- tion in the city. By an act of the legislature in 1880, the city was given an opportunity to secure the location of the school within its limits, upon condition that it pay fifty thousand dollars for a site, and building. Accordingly the proposition was adopted by the Common Council and fifty thousand dollars appropriated as required. On the 15th of July, 1881, the Board of Normal Regents formally determined upon Milwaukee as a location for the fifth state normal school, and accepted the site offered by the city, upon which the present building now stands on Wells street in the Fourth ward.
For the school year ending 1881, Miss Lemira W. Hughes was made principal of the normal school, and Miss Nancy Wolverton, the director of the training class. They remained two years when they sent in their resignations to the board, which were accepted August 7, 1883, and Miss Sarah Stewart was made principal of the normal school. In the spring of 1884 the number of nor- mal graduates in the employ of the board was one hundred and fifteen. This number had ma- terially raised the quality of the teaching force ; and as well-qualified teachers increased, the re- quirements were also raised. At first, pupils who had completed two years in the high school could
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HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
enter the normal department. This was raised to three years and again later to four, when they re- ceived one year of purely professional work in their normal course. In 1885, by act of the legis- lature, graduates of the city normal school who had taught successfully for five years were granted unlimited state certificates; and they received from the School Board what were known as " Full A Certificates."
In the fall of 1885, the state normal school building was ready for occupancy and the city normal school was discontinued. Mr. J. J. Mapel who had been for five years principal of the high school was made the first president of the normal.
By an act of the legislature, 1885 (chapter 364), an annual appropriation of ten thousand dollars was allowed the Milwaukee State Normal School. " Such amount is to be raised by general state tax till the annual income of the normal school fund reaches the sum of one hundred thousand dollars over and above the amount appropriated by this act."
The school opened in September, 1885, with the following corps of teachers: J. J. Mapel, president and teacher of psychology and peda- gogy; Alexander Beran, teacher of mathematics and natural science; S. Helen Romaine, teacher of English language and literature; Eleanor Wor- thington, teacher of geography and history; Mary S. Cate, teacher of methods and supervisor of practice teaching; Emily W. Strong, critic teacher in the third and fourth grades; Dora Hilliard, critic teacher in fifth and sixth grades; Mary Campbell, critic teacher in primary grades. The school had an enrollment the first year of forty- six pupils in the normal department and one hundred and twelve in the model school.
In June, 1886, the first class numbering fifteen were graduated. These were also graduates of the Milwaukee high school. The elementary course was omitted from the Milwaukee normal and only the advanced course of two years was adopted by the regents.
The educational advantages of Milwaukee prob- ably influenced the normal regents in omitting the "elementary course," which is preparatory, while the "advanced course" is largely profes- sional.
The requirements for admission to the Milwau- kee normal, established by the regents in 1885, were as follows :
1. Certificate of having completed one of the three years' courses in the Milwaukee high schools.
2. By elementary certificate from any nor- mal school in the state.
3. By diploma from such free high schools in Wisconsin as have adopted the four years' English and scientific courses of study prescribed by the state superintendent for such schools.
4. By examination in the branches of the above four years' courses except that English his- tory be substituted for theory and art of teaching. This includes arithmetic, geography (political and physical), reading, English grammar and composi- tion, United States history, algebra, geometry, physiology, physics, English or general history, English literature and civil government.
In 1886 Mr. S. Y. Gillan was added to the fac- ulty as institute conductor. In January, 1892, President Mapel resigned and Mr. S. Y. Gillan was relieved from his position by the Board of Regents. These changes resulted from some unpleasantness that occurred between the faculty and students. In the spring of 1892, Mr. L. D. Harvey was made president. Mr. Harvey had been connected with the Oshkosh normal school for six years as institute conductor and teacher of civics and economics, and had been a teacher in the state since 1866.
When Mr. Harvey came to the presidency many changes took place in the faculty and some changes in the course of study. The present faculty consists of L. D. Harvey, president and teacher of psychology and pedagogy; W. H. Cheever, institute conductor and teacher of civics and economics; Miss E. Schreiber, teacher of Eng- lish language and literature and of vocal music; Charles P. Sinnot, teacher of natural science; I. N. Mitchell, teacher of Latin and mathematics; C. P. Cary, methods, and supervisor of practice teaching; Miriam S. Faddis, physical training and drawing; Harriet Twitchell, director of kinder- garten training department, and Jennie Ericson, teacher of Sloyd. In the model school, Miss Elizabeth Allen is teacher and critic in seventh and eighth grades and Alice E. Sanborn in the fifth and sixth grades, Emily W. Strong in the third and fourth and Winnifred E. Jones in the primary department. The courses of study include the English course, Latin or German course and the kindergarten training course. The Latin or Ger-
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MANUAL TRAINING, NORMAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL STUDIEN.
man course includes less of science and history than the English course, and two years' prepara- tion is required in Latin or German for admission to the course.
Laboratories for instruction in the experimental sciences are provided and work in drawing and some work in manual training is given. Sloyd work is given in the third and fourth grades of the model school. The model school contains all the grades of the city district schools and each grade is in charge of an experienced teacher.
During certain periods of the day the normal students observe and teach in the model school un- der the direction of the critic teacher. A diploma of graduation is granted at any time that a pupil has finished the course and demonstrated to the faculty his fitness to teach. The diploma quali- fies the holder to teach in any public school in the state for one year. It may then be countersigned by the state superintendent and becomes an un- limited state certificate.
The Milwaukee normal school has constantly grown in favor with the city school system and it now has a larger number of pupils than ever before.
The following table gives the number of gradu- ates of the Milwaukee normal school and its suc- cessor, the state normal school :
1873
5
1884
23
1874
7
1885
21
1875
15
1886
15
1876
13
1887
17
1877
20
1888
21
1878
11
1889
19
1879
13
1890
22
1880
20
1891
25
1881
11
1892
31
1882
14
1893
35
1883
23
1894
55
In his report for 1891 Superintendent Anderson of the city schools says, if the supply of teachers from the normal schools were three-fold, they would all be welcome. The board had made the diploma of the full course equivalent to a year's experience, and rated the salary accordingly, showing that the normal graduate is at a premium. The board urged the introduction of kindergarten training for teachers in the normal school in 1890-91.
In 1857 the first action was taken toward the study of German in the public schools. Previous to that time, however, German and other foreign
languages had been taught where there was a demand for them, and the teacher was willing and qualified to instruct in them. In April of this year Mr. Ferdinand Kuehn, then a commis- sioner from the Sixth ward, introduced a resolu- tion in the board which provided for a teacher of German in that ward. This resolution was modified by the committee to whom it was re- ferred, and to the effect that the "Executive Com- mittee was authorized and instructed to appoint a teacher whose duty it shall be to instruct in the German language in the Sixth-ward school, and such other schools as may be directed." The Sixth was the only ward that gave German instruction under this resolution, and it was discontinued there in 1861. In the German speaking wards the language was taught incidentally, but not by a regular teacher appointed by the board until several years after. Among thie twenty-two prizes offered by Alexander Mitchell in 1867, there were three in German, which were competed for December 9, 1867, by sixty-eight pupils from the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh wards. These prizes were fifteen dollars, ten dollars and five dollars for translation of English into German. The successful contestants were F. C. Westfahl, Bertha Bogusławskey and Bertha Abraham, respectively. Again, on June 25, 1869, another competitive examination for the Mitchell prizes was held, at which there were thirty-six contestants, the successful ones being August Schattenberg, Herman Weeks and Albert Schloemilch.
After considerable discussion by the board, they became convinced that in view of the fact that German is desirable in any complete education, that a majority of the inhabitants of Milwau- kee were German, and that their interest in the schools would be increased by the introduction of their language, it was desirable to offer to all chil- dren in the schools above the lowest grade a full course of instruction in this department.
In 1869 German was incorporated in the public school system with a special teacher of German in each full-graded school in the city, and a course of study complete and definite with uniform text- books. By act of the board, November 1, 1870, it was required (1) that all applicants for German positions should be examined by the Examining Committee, and in addition to the usual require- ments must be certified that "he can correctly
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HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
speak, write and teach in both English and Ger- man;" (2) that monthly reports be transmitted to the superintendent regarding the number, per- centage and grade of pupils studying German; (3) whenever pupils are presented to the superintend- ent for promotion, those taking German must also be examined and a record kept of such examina- tion ; (4) all pupils were supposed to study Ger- man unless formal notice was given to the contrary by the parent or guardian ; (5) pupils studying German were classified in the grade of the German course corresponding to the English grade to which they belonged, and were not permitted to enter a grade in the German course for which they were not qualified, except conditionally and with the consent of the German teacher. By the same act the course of study was revised and made uniform in the Juneau (First ward), Jackson (Third ward), Plankinton (Fourth ward), Mitchell (Fifth ward), Hadley (Seventh ward) and Douglas (Eighth ward) schools.
On July 30, 1872, the board changed the rule with reference to the requirements for examina- tion of teachers of German. They were no longer required to pass an examination in the studies re- quired for a B-2 certificate. They were now required to pass a rigid examination in English and German only. In the year ending 1872 Ger- man was put under the direction of a standing committee, of which Commissioner G. C. Trumpf was chairman, and from that time on a steady improvement in the study is perceptible. For the year ending 1871, out of a total enrollment of seven thousand six hundred and thirty-two pupils, three thousand five hundred and forty-three were studying German, of whom two thousand five hundred and ninety-six were of German parentage. For the year ending 1872 there were three thou- sand nine hundred and six studying German and for the year 1873 there were four thousand two hundred and fourteen. The German Committee for this year recommend making the study of German compulsory. They also recommended that pupils entering the German classes shall not be promoted, unless their progress in German qualifies them for a higher grade. Soon after German had become established in all the schools, with a special teacher on the subject, in each full grade school regular monthly and semi-monthly meetings were held by the teachers, and practical questions thoroughly discussed. The recommenda-
tions of this association of teachers of German were carefully considered and sought after by the superintendent and German Committee, and the changes which were made from time to time in the method and course of study, were brought about largely through their influence and effort.
Commencing with the year 1874, a course of study in German mapped out by the German Teachers' Association and adopted by the board, went into operation. This included two schemes : one for pupils of German parentage, and included reading, writing, translation and grammar, and was based mainly on Rüffett's series of books "für Schule und Haus." The second scheme was for pupils having no previous knowledge of the lan- guage. Comfort's primer, or "A Beginning in German," was used in the primary grades, first book in German in the intermediate grades and first reader in the higher grades. In 1877, the German Committee recommended that the series of text-books under preparation by the German Teachers' Association be adopted when completed. The advantages of this series were the decreased cost, the use of one set of text-books for all pupils, the elimination of theoretical grammar and the re- duction of the number of reading books to three All teachers of German in the early part of the seventies will remember Henry H. Oldenhage, teacher of German in the Fourth ward, who died December 20, 1877. He was not only an efficient and conscientious teacher, but was well known to the writer and many others in Milwaukee as a man of remarkable integrity of character and of superior intellect.
At a special meeting of the board, July 11, 1877, the rule was adopted that thereafter a permanent certificate be granted to all teachers of German after two years of satisfactory service. The salary for the first two years was eight hundred dollars and nine hundred dollars, respectively, and one thousand dollars thereafter when the perma- nent certificate was conferred, which could not be revoked except for incompetency or immoral conduct. The first teachers of German receiving the permanent certificate were Peter M. Bach, P. Tiefenthaler, Henry H. Oldenhage, Emma Kuep- per, Paul Binner, D. C. Luening, Frederick Hirsch, J. Baldauf, Robert C. Bardenwerper, Bernard Abrams, Chas. F. Groebel and Theodore Ulbricht.
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