Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-07-21
School Report.
To the Boayd of Directors

To the Board Of Directors
Of the Distries City Of Davenport. Iosss
GkSTLEHEH -
10 accordanes With the rules and regulations
Of your body. subnit TO you the annual re
port Of the city Common Schools for the schoo
year Of 1859 and 60. l shall pursue . eours.
some hat different from the plan ususlIy aicp
ted in reports Of this nature. Subjects which
are Of particular importance to the Board
necessary 10 carry into practical operation theil
system. are more usually discussed but. q
You have informed me that the wsnt Of pecu
mary means will no. justify the publication oi
this report in pamphlet form. vii, leave some
matters 10 b di.cussed. - heretofore, At the
a"s when their adoption becomes necessary,
and only give certain facts pertaining to the
sehoos, which, though familiar to yourselves
have never been presented to the public
The graded system of schools has now been
thoroughly tested and approved Of by many
foreign cities and countriea By most of the
different cities and Statss Of the earlier settled
portion OF our own country. it has been proven
and given satisfaction even 10 the most incred.
ulou' One Of the most important instrument
alities in this work. is the systematic arrange.
ment Of its entire machinery and educational
facilitiea No work calculated to benefit
Thousands can be efficient unle.s there is rigid
system. How admirably this syste 10 has &C.
eomplished the desired end. nsed only to re.
ter you to the valuable school reports Of those
localities where 1t has been fully and satsfac-
torily tried And how il has been partially
applied to the schools under your immediate
control. l will endeavor to show in this brief
report:
1n the beginning of the sch ool.y > ear of 1853
and SO, oil the schools of the city we're irst
graded. The only school previously classified
upon this p!sn was the school on the corner of
and Warren streets. It vas then thought
by the Board and friends Of the schools gensr-
ally. that the city could support . system OF
schools which would give Grammsr Depart
ment to each of the six different schools Of the
city. Fefore the close Of the school. y ear, how.
ever, it was discovered that the number of pu.
pills of the highest classes in ell the schools,
was very small for the fret two and last two
months Of the year. it was also observed by the
experience of the frat year. that the number oi
pupils constituting this highest class in every
school. was not more than could be bepefi.
cislly taught by four instead of seven teach.
ers, as the plan then in operation required
Tnu', both on account Of economy and greater
efficiency in classification, the folio wing system
was adopted st the opening Of the schools In
1859 The City District was divided into
District Schools, Grammar Schools and Iuter.
mediate School. The u,me Of the latter was
preferred to High school. until higher course o
studies than usually adopted in similar schools
Of the same age would be established by vou,
body. to purposely avoid the weakness o
calling it By . name which it does not merit
The District Sehools were supported In each
former Sub-District. All pupils with suitabl.
maturity of mind, and Who had completed tn.
course Of studies in the District School, we're
il living Eaas of Harrison street, required to
attend Grammar School No. l, and II West o.
Harrison street Grammar School No. g. Th1
former school VAS taught in School House
South-East corner Of Seventh and Perry streets
and the latter in School House South Ess
corner Of Sixth and Warren streets.
For want of . more central building, thu
intermediate School vas established for 1885,
in the School House corner Of Sixth and War
rem and 10 ls59-6O on the South.East corner
of Seventh and Perry streets.
The intermediate and Grammar SCHOOL,
we're each arranged into four classes Th,
District Schools were composed Of ~ usny
classes - the number Of pupils demanded, no
teacher having less than four classes. and th ss<
occupying one room.
QUALIFICATION o. rEAcHKRs, ETC.
BY far the most important element in tn,
system, in fact the corner stone Of the educa
tional fabric, 10 the intellectual, moral and re
ligious character Of the teacher. Every un
qualified teacher 10 . decsying prop ~ tb.
very 70 undasion of the ediiice, threatening
the whole structure with ruio. In the employ
msnt Of teachers the greatest precsution hal
been observed to accept only the services o
those peculiarly fitted for their office. W,
have thus secured teachers Of high order ol
mental culture, combined with happy faculty
Of presenting truth in its most attractive forms
and it is to their superior qualities that much
Of the progress Of the last year is due. Toe
much praise cannot be awarded to the teache err
in the higher departments for the zeal ani
ability with which they supplied that uni
vsrsai vant-practical teaching and praetisa
knowledge. foreign alike to schools and tex
books. Great - has been the success Of th,
Grammar and higher glasses Of the Distric
Schools. the primary clsssss have been non,
the less 20. These have been Of especial inter
sst and care. The most strenuous efforts hav,
been made to improve them. At the opening
Of the schools Of 1862 the "Word Method
reading was introduced. lie great sdvantag,
over the old method Of learning to read ha
secured it, adoption, with slieht modifi
cations 10 oil our primary classse.-
These tsaehers have also been very suceeafu
in cultivsting spirit Of inquiry and observe
ton In their pupils By means Of object lessoss
During the latter part Of the year, an sztr,
session Of some one primary school vas hslt
on Saturday uorsisg. which. for the time, VA
intended ~ model school, open alike 10 eug
Reetions and eriticisma Bv thia method M
only greater interest has been enlisted bu,
the younger tsaehsrs have had the benefit o
othArse axneriAnAA Az fha onanian ~ IL,