Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-31
To School Directors.


and abilities Of those they employ to take
charge O.! their respective schools; for
those teachers are lot only required TO
teach the branches which are designated
on their certificates, but we have many
ScLol.rs that must look TO the teacher fol
aproPer example in moral principles. The
teacher should, therefore, be MAN or
woMAH-in theory aud practice, mirror
fJr their pupils.
Where teachers have been found faith
ful and efficient they should be retained,
regardless Of the fcx dollars more they
may demani fyr !Aci. labor, than unexpe-
rieCced ones.
Changes are not always improvements,
as some suppose. Where, by mistake,
Incompetent OF careless teachers are eul-
p!oyod, they should at opce be required to
give way to better ones Directors should
not consider ii 'ioo late 10 remedy the
evil until next winter" but should act a>
soou as .Ley have sufficient cause 10 10 70.
Ia comparing notes Of the different
schools, | .ud tba; the greatest improve
mcut has been made IN those wherein the
same f-itb.ul teachers have been consin-
uel from year 10 year; though uniJgtu-
uatcl} | mud that cut of the seveuty-twO
schools III this county, only three have
been taught five successive years By tie
same teacher; four, four years SIX, three
yeas and oUly twenty-five were taught
two successive years by the same teachers.
The remainder Of them, tlirty-fJur, chang
u teachers every winter. Every friend
Q! education, who has noticed this, has a.
50 observed the difference in those schools.
Now in yie8 OF these facts, shall we be
surprised that some Of our schools have
been improving 80 much, from year to
year, while others have improved - little:
Should we no, rather be surprised" tha;
they made any improvement at al, under
rhese constant changes, particularly in
those sections where the majority Of pa
trous are opposed to those measures that
are designed to remedy this evil, viz:
"Ieaaiels' A.>tda'e,, mutual cooperation
with the teachers" a.. To illustrate this
point, let ne introduce some Of those tea
chers as evidence. enter MIR. As
school, AID take notes, TO see ho'c, if il
any way, may assist him. lie says,
"Nr Il you must no; expect much from
my school as yet, f1r found Ii in very
bad condition. Don't know wba. Mr Il.
/ taught them last winter, for the scholars
90 not appear to know Gayttmg; but by
the time you call again, | hope it will be
in better condition for it will require
some time to become acquainted with the
character, disposition and abilities Of the
different scL1llrs, whi.h you know is very
necessary to a teachers success, not only
il teaching bu, also iu governing" !
call again, and linl ali the improvement |
could cxpcc. TO fld, considering the
strange scholars, short school term, aud
perhaps uueucouragcd scholars at home.
Another year has passed. l am again il
the same school. Mr.. c. says, Il hope,
Mr.. H., y,u will make due allowance for
MY school, fJr have not yet been able to
class it to my satisfaction. | find a great
wan; Of proper uniformity Of books; be-
sides, NT. A gave very little attention TO
proper habits Of study ; some Of those
that are trying to read, ought to be in the
spelling book, while others that are read
ing in Por;er's Rhetorical Reader, should
have No l or Reader. Mental Ari.h-
metic las either been badly taught or not
taught at all | must undo much
that my predecessor did amiss." Time
will not permit me TO present tue success
siye teacher for four or FIVE years. Suf-
fee that each one did the best he could,
conscious that be was right aud his prede-
cess0r wrong in many respects. But by
not meet aud mutually discuss those de-
fecis and arrive at general understand
ing. so that Mr.. A. could commence bis
work where Mr.. B left OF There would
then be no necessity Of one "md,hy
what the other did amiss Because some
Of our teachers have thought i; would not
'poy,' and mauy Of our citizens thought
it "los time" Thus, | have noticed a
few Of the general defects in the successful
working Of our school system. But how
are they TO be remedied? l have already
said, don't change teachers il you have
good ones. Pay them as much as they
arc offered in other counties or you will
t1se them after you have given them
suficicn; amount o: experience to enable
them 10 teach successfully, FOX it is as nat
ural Tor them to 90 where their labor is
most literally rewarded as it is for farm
ers to take their produce to the highest
market.
Don't employ any who know too much TO
learn any more themselves or that are too
selfish to give other teachers the benefit Of