Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-03-16


much has been done at haphazard in max
ing the selections. The best man in the
district should be placed at the head of |
school affairs. or in other words, should be |
prudential committee, and kept in Office
as long as he manages the affairs of the
district well and faithfully, and when he |
does not, he ceases to be the best man, and |
should be put out No man acting in the |
capacity of manager should set up his will
against the known and expressed will of |
the district or community for which he
acts, and such things should not be toler
ated longer than necessary. 1t is an easier
method to talk over matters and things be-
fore there is any difficulty than afterwards,
and school districts are so liable to get to
quarrelling that such things should be at
tended to with the greatest diligence
People that are in Office are apt to act too
much upon their own dignity and forget
that they are the servants OF those that
have condscended to place them in office,
IISttdtt Ot IOGUS anu lllelobNIS' VIC l1uSb
all work together and faithfully, in order
to accomplish the desired end District
clerks should be very particularin making
out their returns to town clerks, 50 that
the superintendent will be enabled to make
accurate answers to the questions pro-
pounded by the Board of Education, and
IN. +ln Of, rn;ra1
the support Of schools, &c, during the year,
give the whole amount instead of the rate
per cent For who would know by the
rate per cent. whether it was 800 or $500
raised not knowing the grand list. A lit
tie torethOught on the part OF district
clerks i'll making replies to inquiries in
school register would save great amount
OF trouble besides some false calculations
for calculations have to be made where the
answers are not to the point, unless the SUI
perintendent takes the pains to 90 to each
clerk and get them rectifed, which would
not be a paying job, neither is it required
Of him. There is one other thing which |
would like to call the attention Of district
clerks to, and that is in relation to teach
ers returning the school register 1t is the
teachers duty to return the register to the
clerk as soon as the school is through, and
/ it l. the duty Of the clerk to examine the
register and lift is properly filled out to
| give the teacher certificate to that effect
and committees have no right to pay teach
ers until they have thus returned the reg
lister and got a certificate that it is correct
No teacher has any right to carry any
other register in school for the purpose OF
using IL in keeping a record Of the school
than the one furnished by the district
The law makes it the duty of district
clerks 70 make list OF heads OF tamilie,
that have children between the ages of !
and - together with list of such chill
dren is are in the district on the first day
OF January Of each year, and return tn,
same to the town clerks office in the
month OF January, The law ought to b,
such that school registers should be re
turned to the superintendent i'll the las
week in February, instead OF to the tow
clerk the 20th of March. BY so doing
superintendent would be enabledto max
a full statement Of the condition of eacl
school, of their aggregate and average at
tendance. These are things that should b.
made known at the annual town meeting
but as general thing are never known out
side Of few individuals. Reports of an.
kind should contain full statistical inform
alton of the subject upon which they treat
in order to MAKE them Of any great valu
or importance. But my report to-day doe
not contain such information. for the reas
on that the registers are yet in the hand
OF teachers or district clerks In CLOSING
this report let me urge upon all presen
= the necessity of paving greater attention t
2 school matters than has yet been paid b.
the inhabitants Of this town; it is some
= thing that should interest Us deeply. W
have but very few men in town capable O
doing town business correctly, and on
great reason is, q want of common sch0o
d education. But let us not have it said ;
of our children. For we have the mean
in our hands To prevent it, and let US EN-
: ploy those means to the best advantage
2 Let me say to committees be sure and en-
= gage good and competent teachers let tn
T. price be what it will More money
thrown away upon poor schools than wOuI
2 be on good ones if an eXorbitant price wa
p exacted. If you hire help upon your farm
3 you get the best there is, and then some
/ times complain because it is not BETTER
t Too many persons are employed in GU
= common schools that had better attende
school a few years longer before they un
/ dertake to teach. For it is a hard matte
! for one person to impart to another VIVA
he does not know. Scholars are above
= to say their lessons in too careless a man
4 ner, and in great many instances sa
a them by simply repeating them owe
t after the teacher. This is wrong. Pupil
e should be required to recite each lesso
: correctly, without the aid of the teache
e only as it is required in the explanation
| some point that is dark to the mind of tn
n learner; and here is fault common wit
l teachers: a lack of the power to explain
and sometimes | am led to think that it
r owing in some degree to the mind of tn
y teacher being a little doubtful in relatio
5 to principles that should be thoroughlye 2
5 planned. As regards the small district
j Nos. and 3, would say as 1 have a
r ready said OF No. f. that four month
|, school with teacher you would have t
e pay $3.50 per week, is worth more tina
e six months school with a teacher for 5
t per week, and costs less money taking ev
e erything into consideration.
My plan for months school is this LIE
the school commence the first of Nav an
continue two months, then have vacatio
L of two months during the hot weather c
: July and August, and then begin agai
: the first of September and have two month
more. A greater average attendance woul
; be thus obtained than would be by havin
V the school continued through the hot wealth
er in July and August; besides giving tn
/ larger boys chance to assist their parent
: dnrinr h avinp without staVinp ont ofsoboc