The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-02-02
Report or the Public Schools OF
81. AlbanS,

schools in ST. Adams as far us they G
came under my observation and luris- {
diction during the summer of 1860. I
On the resignation Of the Office of ,
upcrintondcnt OF Schools by Rev. (
Charles Fay, d. d., May 3 1860, | i
was appointed by the Board of Select I
men TO fill out his unexpired term. l .
accepted the appointment fully expect
ing to be able Co discharge the duties
thereof for the remainder OF the school
year, but was compelled by my re-
moYal from town to resign my post III
the month OF October last Holding
the Office less than SIX months, saw
the public schools in operation only
during tho summer term, and have
not had any opportunity to consult the
school registers, and, therefore, can
not give the full statistics even for the
summer, which work must necessarily /
devolye upon my successor IN office.
/ can however report what fell un- /
der my eyes in examining teachers
and visiting schools during the SUM
mer. and will submit my notes and OBJ
sewations on tho condition and work
ing of the schools Of the town during
my connection witA-ts,en.
There were maintained during the
4, summer, Gin II distucts) 20 schools
according to law, besides n school I'M
= der an unqualified and unlicensed
/ teacher in District No 6, or the jew
a ell district, so called. To these
: schools made in ali, 30 visits Nine
c certificates to teach, seventeen of
b which were granted and two rejected.
e 1t would be more amusing and amaz-
;, ing than profitable to note the igno-
u rance of the elements OF common
y English education exhibited by some
q of those who were applicants for teach
u ers certificates
y These would be-teachers cannot tell
e which way the St Lawrence river
IS runs, nor where it empties, nor de
% scribe the character nor define the
L use Of the parenthesis or diaeresis,
nor correctly give the number or
names Of the zones, but talk about one
is torrid one frigid, one temperate, and
sc one Incorporate 2one--and this is a
w specimen Of q large number OF similar
II answers to very simple and easy ques-
&c tons, put to applicants for teachers
certificates; the conclusion IS that
le' there is great deal Of superficial
80 teaching in all our public schools
PES PES District No. l. Taught by Miss
'll5 Laura Campbell and Miss F.. NJ. Foss
s62 At my first visit. May %, | found %
ioo scholars registered and II present
87s School backward and disordorly The
N school house is without an entry
ar wood-house or onthouse; the desk,
are all but two without shelves; the {
great windows of 20 panes each, having
he an eastern, southern and western expo
sas sure, arc without blinds or curtains
mt the only door opens to The street, il
IN badly split ana battered and is with
(of outmny lattl.Aor other fastning ex
lis cept paddock and the floor, between
Us, the desks, is, in places, entirely gone
| found here boys, Of one family, S,
nearly destitute of books that Their
an were only two, Of any description
Nv among them all. OF course tn
os- temptation to play, to disturb the res
ito of the school and to annoy the teache
ov- was too strong to be easily overcome
ri and the school was disorderly and un
sed satisfactory, and mainly by reason {
5ev the fault of the parents and of the dis
trict. AT my second visit Sept 26tl
found u scholars registered and ?
present. Small as the school was,
had an extraordinary diversity of tex
MO books no less than 5 spoilers, VII
Wcbster's, Worcosters, Saunders
Towns, and the Vt Speller, and wv
al kinds of Biographies OF the sam
'''i grade, Olney's, and Cornelrs. At ii
second visit however, there was ey
the dence of considerable improvement
red learning and in discipline
IRA District No. 2. Taught by Miss
'on- A. Smith. Visited june 9th; found 4
''"- scholars registered and 20 presen
The school was backward, with grei
ave and troublesome diversity of scho
ing books, which rendered the prop
classification of the school impossibl
/, in The teacher was laborious, conscie
G.. tious and faithful, and apparently
'oc ing all that could reasonably be e
} il pected of her with the materials al
facilities at her command.
airy District No 3. Taught by Miss J
to A. Whittemore. Visited June II
rs scholars registered and 3S preser
will a tolerably good school, with no PROF
lfter inent defects except the common o
of deficient drilling in the elemen
,vor such as punctuation, spelling, readir
tho &c The school house is a miseral
,cnt poor one, but is, ! understand, to
oe rebuilt next year
iced District No. 4. Village distri
lred Here are 8 schools or what is equiv
lent to 8 schools, under as ma
g in teachers; Mr.. j. S. ID. Taylor bel
1 in principal of the High School Zig
,ned of these schools are III the Hi
ttlo- School building, viz: the High SchC
con in two divisions, the Grammar schC
' in in two divisions, leach school with
imperfect organization OF classes a
classification of studies, 2 interme
ltted ate schools, (under very accomplish
on teachers, and Primary schools;
CIT L ool ON, Eln, 90, 90