The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-03-23
REPORT
or tho Prcs't Of tho Board of School
Commissioners for Baltimore Co.
M 1T. T1H DoFIdIfN,
Sdis SsPeviafsndtHf.

1
AZ one OF tue requirements Of the new schoo
law made u incumbent upon the School Commis
sioncrs 10 select from among those holding cettH
Gates suitable teachers for the school In thei,
charge, ihe first duty Of the authorized examine,
was ~ hold public examinations. For various
reasons these were deferred ill the las, OF Janua.
~. Ia the meantime permits were granted 10
all teachers holding certificates which had been
Issued by the old School Board, but all others
making application were orally examined, and
such as were orally examined and such ~ wer,
considered qualified received permits which con
tnuc'! ia force uuti the time appointed fos hold.
ing the regular examination. BEFORE any eerlih
caics were Issued. each school was visited for ih,
pgrp0sc oi acquiring knowledge OF the teachers
practical qualifications, undeF the belief that ia,
sitt, " not the letter, o. the law required ability
TO teach wei Is proficiency ~ the braneht.
enumerated IN the certificates. Eight public ex-
amiuniiunr were held tune fof each Commission
- district, ~ which one hundred and twenty.
ivu applicants Presented themselves lfiy-uinu
!aiirs and IAiN-fN gentlemen one hundred and
one .iiisic and tWtHiv.iuLf married, ole OF the
iii'r' 'nly Twcniy-onc ;c,ciytj certificates
o. ili' tfsi t.,a' .yei ., -Juc certificates Of the
So oui grade. ,Ld t.., gty-ninc Received permits
!.u. 49, i'j,ei-l. Ofihe applicants, eighteen
hi uc''' nu.sEt previous 20 the introduction OF
the lf'tfnl school sysiem twcnty-f0nr had heen
engaged IN ''ncliins from one ~ three wears -
t"rniy-Hsc. ifui.l 'ht'v 10 sX eighteen. nom
siA TO ,.E iise. from ten 10 di'tcu six. from
fifteen to twenty iuui from iwruiv TO twenty
FIVE and one ;hirty.hvrycnt.
SiNty-siX q ihr applicant. A'tv tern ~ Bai.i-
more County gighi,'u 10 lni'inim. ,iiy four
10 carroll one ia Heat unr ~ o'ncn Aune's
one 10 Dorchester one 10 Montgomery two IN
Hartford on, ~ Charl,. making ninety-dve
in Maryland unr 10 ur!eNafe three in vsr.
gnia sx',vn ia i'cnnsy !vania. one in Massachu-
ia 4
Scoilah! and un" H. C4,- Colony
Punishment tpts six gsc the q thirty
alternate bciwe-'i 'ir''iiion and the rod iveniy-
hye adopt detention righ; give cAtra lessens
ionF employ @O.dine "Ge dcr5ivcs 0f dinner i,
1tc iuakt, "a. - ruincu.-ni and ten deprive OF
i'ay
Eight ol 10, ;,.ric,. al, ~ .'A,ing for other
e. '''ssiuus
Tic .inl..'..... 'nn.,. ,umpare very favorahly
",n. 'h", 81 -. Tauic y shows total aver
agr u 'niance u pupils OF 1907, which is saa
80 s. 90. - hat % the previous year while the
''.'... -uilncc NJ tifsTer; pupils IL sG3O nr
i...' IA excess Of the attendance ~ % Tho sur
i'us Of average scholars oycr the total nurhcr Of
different pupils when compared witt ;h. feIor;
.; 'G5 indicates cofnmcu3ahe ,hgggi very
moderate Improvement ia the roninGance os
children Al srhoOl duiing several terms
lsy comparison Ui ii,c ;Oia. a;i-nfEnrc during
the year ~i,h III" rcrsus Of children between the
ages OF siN and nineteen. about ite.seyenths Of
the number aaihoTzed by law 10 attend school
were ig,scni, ~ Ntoui one-cighih more than at
tended any previous yeaG from the first establish
fncnt Of the Public School sysicm in the county
This favorable change may have heen effected by
the wise provision IN the law which furnishes an
assistant teacher ." every school numbering sixty
i4ii's. u had increased the teaching corps 10
if' -"gr'y twenty pct cent, and thereby afforded
ni''i'rrn' 'aci!iii"s for Improvement 20 the schol
i'i.'ing o., ar ino.c than three ihuusaiA
;i'.r. w"rc ifHyc'ir'i in making thee hundred
t.s ;"euiy-scs"i, i,. uar school "i,''s With
e." -Nr' iiiai- -",h subs lrent Y!.i' 'ugnd the
s.!n"Is % Wutt 't;irg ..,''iiiru materially
.'vl 'rlly atd ;!vsni., il!aa wheu !Tsi visited -
The ',., hcss a.Inu-: universally appreciate the
p.cseni school s! siein. aLG p, eommcndAhls
4ca. ~ THEN arauons lsbus- has, tcen general,
-no,.ssiu Ia winning ;or . , iayuiahlc reception
~ 'hc hatis 81 tho IuhliC
]; has h'.E 'vpud ihai Nn,srvrr '.ie school
sisi'o. has actively c0-o;esa;ea with sac irncher
and 'Om'ulssun"f the scholars have made pro-
gf"ss. lar 10 aHvNGcv oi IA; made hy Others
Uht!c ihis .a,itd co-oicistur ia waiting Il Is
TO he regretted that there We; school districts
~ the count! where .; has been impossible 10 in
iuce gentleman 70 act rs visitors
Wiihou; discussing 'he comparative merits OF
ladies and gentleman as teachers, ! have found
the schools iaugh, 10y ladies ss erlcieniy man
aged and governed as those taught by gentlemen.
The prejudice existing against the empioymen; Of
the former Is rapidly disappearing and the asscr-
'iou tiay hc vcn;uF,d iha, they will in Q few
years he soueh for in preference 10 gentlemen.
There ate two prominent evil in connection
with the practical operations OF the sChool,
which urgently :all for medal, mcasuis, viz.
irregular attendance and iardiness !; is true.
the bylaws impose checks 10 prevent their oc-
curfratC bat glance al ans school register will
show that these checks fail 10 accomplish the de-
sired result J; is generally the case that the
most numerous complaints against teachers and
schools proceed from parents whose children at
tend oaly fifteen or iweniy days each school term.
They cSPcc, ffiy-fve iays school work 10 be
effected In fifteen or twenty and blame the teach
cf fof negligence when the fault rests with them
seivei. When the expenditure employed In keep
ing the schools in operation. the embarfassmenis
70 success thrown Ia the teacher path, the daily
interruptions 10 the regular duties oi the school,
and the injurious effect upon the scholar himself,
which is caused By irregular attendance and tar
diness, are daily considered |, cannot but awaken
deep Gn sieiy for remedy. IN my opinion a
circular On this subject from the State Superin-
dent, put into the hands Of the teachers for gen.
cral distributions. would accomplish much to-
wards correcting these serious evils.
In the estimated value of school property TIA
bic u lonly that. the title TO which is vesied in
the eai.Te scnool property of the county would
exceed sixty thousand dollars.
There are eight new sch Ool houses required 10
meet the wants Of a growing population in the
first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth
Commissioner districts. In addition 10 this table
& shows eighteen houses In ordinary and twenty
seven ia bad condition 10 furnish iheae school
districts with properly constructed HOUSES, hav-
aug the necessary school furniture, would involve
an outlay Of forty thousand dollars. AZ the re-
ccipts aud disbursements Of school monies rccciv-
ell under the present law, leave but a very small
balance 10 the credit OF the board, u is evident
tina, even n continuance Of the same would REQ.
der additional legislation necessary To meet the
pressing wants which are most scnsibly felt in
thosc districts
Sanguinc hopcs arr entertained that the Legis-
laturc will make ample provisions fot the com.
Portable accommodation Of the children OF every
school district In the county, and have no fears
Of their full realization The public school has
become necessity and ihose who promise 10
provide literally for i,s wants are becoming the
mot popular OF our public men.
The first year Of the State school sysicm has
been success In our county. Erroneous impres-
sions made upon the public mind before the CON-
menccment Of actual operations, rapidly vanish.
ed as the working cf the system steadily progress
ed II has broader field for lie action q stron-
ser influence In lie favor, and more earnest ad.
vocaies and supporters 81 the present time, than
when the school law was first submitted 10 the
public eye. The consciousness of these facts In
fuses fresh energy aud real for a renewal Of our
labcrs, and We have entered with q warmer en-.
thusasm upon the duties OF the second year.-
Prom our brother Commissioners, whose experi.
enee under the old Board made them specially
adapted 10 discharge the duties Of the new, we
have received nnfom kindness and courtesy, and
nom the public in out regular vistiiions a gen.
elous hospitality, which we gratefully acknowl-
edge both personally and as an evidence Of the
favor which the system, Of which We are the
humble representative, has been received.
Respectfully submitted,
n q NcCINH pres,dsaf