The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-14
Annnai Repors OF shs School 0 Ss11

..re.m flows. Tie buildings used, the teach |
ave- empIoyed, the books studied, the system
adopted, the results counted, III ON beginning
to end, the responsibility for all cause and all
consequents rests first and mostly upon this
Committee. aud is very great responsibility.
The material and pecuniary prosperity of the
city. present and future, is secured or lost in
the chambers of the Aldermen and Counci-
men; and yet there are interests of far great
or momen determined in the School Commit
tee loom. Not tue streets aud public build
ings, Lot the docks aud marginal ways, make
tue city prosper Gus, but the virtue aud iuiell-
geuce of its citiZeus; aud there are most lntl-
mate rclat ons between intelligence aud vir-
tue. AS to the strict moral training OF our
future men and women this indeed is lett un-
der our system to the restraints and Influences
of the family and the church; but no one de-
MES that all such Influences are distinctly
| modified and all such restraints strengthened
| or weakened by the kind and degree OF public
| education.
AL this, however, is sufficiently well under
stood. IL is granted, surely, that the grave re-
| sponsibiltes inseparabe from the proper SUI
| pervisoo Of our schools should be entrusted
| TO only the best men, e. mea of unimpeacha-
| bic moral character (this OF course) and OF
| just judg ment, to men CT education and Gull
| ture and, SO far as possible, OF some experience
| in the work 10 be superlntended. Neither po-
| litical PAL tisanshlp nor pronounced piety need
| dIsqualify one Tor a connection with this cOm-
mttlee, but politics and ''sectics" Should
| have hit of Influence upon within it;
| no rings" should IItersect apywhere, within
| its circle of intent and piishmcnt; there
should be no place made or held in it Tor one
who could for moment weigh the welfare of
| The youLgesg child by the value which dollar
might have in his pocket In short, if any.
| where in our city gnvetnment we ought to
| have both ability and purity we should have
| then in the Sch0ol COMMITTEE.
During the past year the affairs of our schools
hav- Deen managed by the Communities with
| cordial unanimty, with scarcely any minori-
| ties, and b-y0nd susp,cion-lt may safely he
| sa d of having suffered from unworthy influ-
erces Our schools have prospereG; they are
| in better condit on than they were year ago;
and although they are not by any means all
| that We wish, too Commit e. pre- umes to as
| sure the pubic, whom it represenisoiLd serves,
| that The years wo has be-n well done.
i. The time will come, however, when the con-
| cluslou Will have been reached that the super
vision of our CITY schools eau be more thorough
| ~ aud wisely attended 10 by one man than by
| tweniy-one. All but three OF the cities OF New
| England are employing SuOeiiutendents Of
| Schools, paying valuable men liberal salaries
tor giving their whole time to the work -
| Unanimous aud harmonious as a large commit
| tee III y be and free as it may be from suspl-
| clon of impuiity its members cannot give as
| much OF eilhtr thought OF time to the schools
| as is really needed. Our Board is COMPOSED
| BANKERS, wno can Fl I'd Iime for evening meat
Jugs once month or oftener, at which to de-
term'ne upon the principles Of aeeneral su
| perry sion; they can take ume-an bOuc or so
| occasionally for visiting and examining the
| schools; but they actually cannot give that
| close oversight and direction TO toe work done
| which The b-st interes IS OF the schools demand.
| Few OF the C,5mmI tee Can he expected to have
| such acquaintance with the details OF school
| teaching, such experience in the newest and
| best methods ought to be had for the best
results and as might be procured.
A plan has been suggested which will be
| proposed to the new Board for simplifying
| their organization. At present each mem
| Der of the Committee has supervisory charge
| OF The schools within all be grades. The
writer, for example is responsible in part Tor
| one OF the primary schools, for three of the
| roomS-one primary" and two 'gramn ar
in the North School. aud for his share OF the
snpervsion of The High School. Too great
Udriety OF c uty is thus required, and some of
| the duty is almost necessarily lett uudone. 1t
| is proposed to divide the COMMITTEES INFO
three sub-com miteeS, and to give to one the
care of the High SchoO'; TO The second the
| charge of the Grammar Shoots, and to tho third
oversight of he Primaries. The interests of
all the schools are considered by the whole
| Board; all doors are open 10 every mrmDer for
| his visitation; while by the plan named, espec-
| ial attet ton is concrp trated upon each OF the
three grades of the schools. If this plan is
| adopted-as is likely-it is believed that the
WUiA VI SUPERVISION VIII D6 mOTe thoroughly
| and effectively accomplished than it can be uD-
| der the present mil acement 1t is belr we'd
| that IN this way may he secured q more Sys-
tematc direction of the general course of
study. The SCHOOLS should be Considered as
| one and so far as possible the same system
and order with the same degree of progress
| should be had in all tie schools together, as is
seen for example in the North School. Ia the
| opiuIon OF many who give thought to the well
| fare of our schools, including, perhaps a ma
1DrItV of COmmitfea ho cifv aap
| not really afford to save the salary of cOmpe-
tent Superintendent. Until, no viewer, wise
economy shall teach us to save BY wisely spend
ing, t must be the intent of the Conn ittee so
to sgstematise its work as to give it all the one
| ness and directness possible.
TUE TEACHERS.
About hundred teachers are employed by
the Board; majority of these graduates OF
our own schools, though not few have come
| to US with valuable experience trOu abroad.
| We have reason to be we'll satisfied with our
| teachers, As whole; few of W HON we cuId af-
| ford 10 lose and OF many of them we are proud.
There art some, doubtless who are inspired by
| no higher motives than the gaining of their
| salaries; but most or them give evidence that
they appre ciate The honorableuess of their call
ling, aud The responsibilities of their POSITION
| Every teacher now IN our employ has passed
he examination required by law. For several
| years the law bad been practically disregarded;
r. TIE close OF the school year last July more
| IMAM three-iOurths of our teachers held no GER
tncatesoi exaniuatiOn and had no legal claim
| upon The Treasurer for their salaries. 1t is
uos aet IN "a necessary to gather and present
she r , Wich Induced the Commit ee last
shi..II ~ 70 os' fyne hat tue aH of the State
nnoa oe eoeyeo ,aone will deny that the law
Is ennrtly reasonaofS aud just. Ia ths, as in
| oCuer p!o'essionS exahipalops do not always
| determine merit or demefI: and If is admsrSJ
that no salts factory list car Ne made outside sf
he school room Of the pe coliar quAliIies which
/ charaeter'zA the true teacher; yet .xamina-
| tons are necessary, as even The teachers tbem-
selves are ready to affirm.
Inc examination last year gave the Commit
tee great deal of labor At the two appoint.
ed sessions aud at several suppleme utary meet
lnas coneioerao.s ov"r hundred Candidates
w-re examiued in reading, speIl.ae, writing
Eoglsh grammar, geography, history and ari,h
metIC; candidates for positions in the High
Schools passing an additional exam uation III
the studies pursued there. These examipa-
tioDs were "wrilten,' and the sub Committee
had the task of fooKing over and passing inde-
ment upon nearly or quite a thousand pa
pers." Although so much was T. CURED of us.
The duty was done patiently, faithfully, impair
TALLY. Que hundred and wepiy one scertlfi.
cares have been issued. The supply OF accep-
tabs teachers has been greater than our de.
mand.
1t s,ery desirable that our teachers be en-.
couraged 10 lake pride and interest in their
work. Institutes" and teachers meetings
SHOULD ne held for them and they should have
convenient access to suitable library and
reading room. The city authorities shoula
provide aud furnish room tor them. and If
the small appropriation OF 500 were made for
the purchase of the most desirable books. the
teachers would themselves no doubt, very
gadlv maintain and increase a teachers. libra
ry. The COMMITTEE presumes to urqe these
suggestions upon the attention of the city au-
thort,es.
THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Two of our school buildings are satisfactory
specimen, of school aichitecture,-tbe Hob
School and the North Schuol-of the rest
while we are not quite ashamed of them. we
cannot we'll b. proud. When Portland shall
have recovered from her great disas ter and can
afford to spend money more freely again no
doubt she will build some new school-bonses.
at present she must make the bsst OF what she |
mas. L 'eie are sumo improvements which must |
Dc made: not the comfort ionIy but the health |
OF our children, lmperaively require them |
1t Is Shame and a crime to compel our teach |
els and their scholars to endure and suffar |
from the odors arising from oadIy-arrapeed |
privles. One # our schOol-houses last summer |
might well have been indicted as a public pu- |
since: our executive committee has done all |
that possibly could be done to remedy these
evils; and at no snail Cost of lime aud trouble
have effected notable improve ments, esoecalIv
at the Ca,co street ar Chestnut strsel schnols
as also in the High School building; but most
OF the Cases III which trouble has been exoeri-
enced present radical difficulties of cousirnc
ton aud the amouDt OF mOney Appropriated
Tor general expenditures has been too small to |
alow OF such reconsti uctlOu and thorough re. |
pair as IS positively demanded: We cannot a. |
ford to build Dew houses; granted; neither can |
we afford to risk the health, even the lives nf |
our teachers and children.