Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-09-06
For the CivHian q Telegraph.
Schools.

Mr. Editor:-No doubt you hay, heard of
Somerset county. We are your neig bors,
aud rs SUCH it is natural, we should feel all
interest in your doings in the department Of
education. You have need of better schools
| as we'll as ourselves, and the fact that you
have procured the enactment Of school bill
shows that you realize the need. Your law
is very different from ours, but it is net like
| ~ that you will want our advice about that.
We had twenty years tinkering with ours be-
fore we could make it fit, and you are certain
~ entitled to the same privilege. But you
have some things about yours that are good,
and in our opinion, their benefits will soon
be manifest One Of these u.s. county in
stcad of a district assessment, which will great
ly relieve the poorer districts, and, If minor
stalls are properly arranged, will remove
the temptation for the employment of cheap
incompetent Teachers. Another is, a county
| board of examiners. An able committee,
| hose social position affords tho best guaran-
! ty for their fidelity, will soon adopt some plan
| to get rid of the worst of the present stock Of
| Teachers, and encourage the youth of your
coluty to prepare themselves for an employ
| ment that is now like to become both honor
| able and profitable. Let the certificates be
dived into three classes, as proposed, leject
| ing all who are unable to give correct inBtruc-
ton in the rudiments; then let employer dis
| criminate in the wages, so rs to make at Toast
| twenty-five per cent difference between each
higher and the next lower grade, and you
| will find competent Teachers not so difficult
to procure as may be supposed. We have
many Teachers who have been attending our
| schools until they think themselves too good
| for the pay they are getting, and who will
| be glad to cross the line, if they can DO bot
| ter. But it will never do for any commune
| ty to depend on getting its Teachers from A.
| broad. There are everywhere many young
people that ought 10 go to school aud will
learn to do so, if they can get business Cd
ucation near home, and at reasonable cx-
pense. The Public Schools will afford them
the means, if they will do, as many of oui
youth are doing-go to school part Of each
summer and teach during the winter; and as
| We are little Older in this business than you
we shall lie glad to assist in doing for youl
county what we have been trying to do fnl
our own. For six years past we have beer
engaged in the manufacture of Teachers from
the raw material; and although we labor un,
der great disadvantages from the low wages
and short terms of teaching, so as to be OBJ
liged to employ new Teachers every year fo
about one-third Of the schools, our stock il
constantly improving. You have more mol
ey than we, aud will soon the necessity o
establishing county Normal School of go,
own. But things must have time to grow
and we must ever be contentcd to wait f.
them. We have two Normal Schools thi
fall, with upwards fifty pupils in each, anc
AZ two thirds OF our Teachers tnoar two hun
bred in ally attend them every year, we shaI
have many more. The rates of board ran &c
from 81 so to S1,75 in private families will
abundant accommodations, and good enough
for the best. Meyers Mills is but eight mile
from the State line. and Berlin nine miles fur
Ter, ON the plank road. Both are in the hear
of beautiful region, ard the schools are il
excellent order. We invite friends Of educa
ton to lend us their influence by rccommcn
ding pupils to these schools, and, in return
shall endeavor to accommodate them witt
Teachers in the fall, if they will send lis cop
les of advertisements. The schools will b,
kept up till the end Of October. The tuitio
will be fifty cents per week. Thorough in
fstruction will be given in all the common
school branches, with special reference t
preparation for the business of teaching. Fo
further particulars We would call attento
to our advertisement in another column.
JOSEPH j. STUTZMAN.
County Superintendent of Somerset &c
Somerset, Aug. %, 1860.