Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-12-01

shall be worth the priatngj unless this mode
of procedure be adopted.
The shabby reports complained of are not
confined to obscure rural districts, with dlrec-
tors of limited education, but some of the
most striking examples have come from the
hands of respectable lawyers and merchants,
whose business habits and skill in arithmetic,
as illustrated by their school reports, would
not command much higher figures than or 4,
if presented at teachers examination.
Directors should bear in mind that the dis
trict report cannot be made out until the
schools have closed for the year. The report
embraces the whole year. and not a part oft;
and as it is the official history of what the
schools have been and done, for that period,
the record cannot be truthfully made up, until
after the schools have finished their work
One district is not dependent upon another.
Therefore when any district has transmitted
its certificate and report. the County Super
| intendent will Immediately mail them to the
! Department, without waiting for other dis
! trcts the school term in some districts being
only four or FIVE months, while in Others it is
! eight or ten, and some directors are more
punctual than others.
The principal cause of the imperfect district
reports, is the carelessneSs of the Secretary in
keeping the minutes and accounts Of the
! Board There is no justification for this neg
lect, for the Secretary can be paid for his ser
! vices and if he is not, when he accepts the
Office. he accepts its whole duties absolutely
and without reserve, and should either perform
them or resign With this timely notice that
a bungling report will not procure the State
appropriation, it is hoped that the respective
Secretaries will take pains to keep their ac-
counts and records in an Ineligible and accur-
ate manner. SO that neither they nor their sue
cessors in Office will have any difficulty in
making out the annual report from the re-
corded and documentary evidence in possession
of the Board
Blank District Reports The blanks for the
four months certificates and district reports
for the current school year, are not printed
yet, but will be within short time,-as soon
as the statistical tables of the past year are
finished, and the detailed examination of the
last years reports has been completed, and it
has been ascertained what notifications Of the
FORM or additional instructions may be ne
cessary Superintendents will be duly notified
by mail.
Teachers SHEETS: The new style of blanks
for Teachers Monthly Reports, will be fur
nished to Teachers by the Secretary of the
Board If be have none, he will apply to the
County Superintendent, who is charged by law,
with the duty of supplying the School Boards
Of his county, &C S. L. & d., page 2l, No.
6l.)
Teachers Statistics: The Recapitulaton"
on the back of the Teachers Monthly Report,
is intended to secure greater accuracy in the
statistics of the schools TIE average daily
attendance of pupils" means the average mum
Der of scholars attending daily during the
month.
Teachers Wages Economy is always
commendable virtue in School Directors, pro
vided it be the genuine article, and not blind
parsimony. But the last place to cconomiZc
is in teachers wages, aud directors cannot
practice the virtue in this direction. without
losing vastly more than they hope to gain by
the operation Skillful and successful teachers
are entitled to full compensation aud can fair
! ly earn it and if it cannot be had they will
as matter of course 60 where they can get
| it, or quit the business while half price teach
ers are dear bargain although it only takes
half as much money to pay them. 10 ne sure,
! the district has paid out less cash, but what is
paid is lost, for the teacher could not earn it,
and the pupils have spent their time without
being benefited. and quite likely will after
wards have to uulearn what they did attempt
| to acquire A lOp priced teacher is not g checp
teacher, and it is great misfortune that this
| fact is not more generally understood Penn
zylvania loses large per centage OF her best
| teachers, because they are properly compensa-
! ted at home Some of the western counties
have been deprived, this fall, of many of their
| most worthy teachers, because Of the large re-
duction in the wages offered and wherever
this has been the case, the schools will 20
| backward more during the coming winter, than
| they could 90 forward in two winters iu the
hands of good teachers. Even " hard times"
and the frost" are no Justification for the
employment Of low priced, incompetent teach,
erS Teachers examinations can not build up
| the system, so loEg as those who merit aud re-
ceive first class certificates, are driven out Of
the schools by the inadequate compensation
offered
There is another CRYING evil, and it is this
! Paving fair wages to inferior teachers that
should not be paid to any but good teachers.
! The 1CGges should GttoayS be graduated TO The
qualifications of teachers. Pay a good teacher,
good wages and if you must put up with an
inferior teacher, cut down the wages, unit he
qualities himself, or better one can be bad,
and then raise the wages accordingly. But
don't cut the throat of the school system by
paying good wages to good and bad teachers
alike, indiscrlminately, for it is Only offering
a premium for incompetency. School Direc-
tors are the back bone OF the school system.
They have more power and responsibility
than all the other officers of the system put
together. And this is right but they can
only magnify their Office" and uphold the
system, by looking at their duty in its true
light, and then faithfully performing it, with
the same practical shrewdness and sound
L.