The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-06-08

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Canton Union n
Genasmsn Of Me Board Of EdueahOn
The sohool-year ls7oE7l is drawing
rapidly to a close and itgives me pleasur
to report that, in all departments of on
Union School good progress has been made
Laboring as most Of our teachers have don
for years under the very great disadvantag
of Il-adopted and poorly ventilated school
rooms, and these througha greater portion
Of the year, crowded much beyond thei
capacity the faithfulness of the teacher
employed and placed by the Board in tn,
various departments Of the school, is de
serving ofan Communication n approval
Owing to the unusually large number 0
changes and transfers made among the
teachers at the beginning OF this schoo
year. there was, as might have been anc
was expected, a tendency in many Of the
schools to take advantage of the situation
and to promote general disorder. But the
teachers by timely and mild. though firm
and unyielding measures succeeded IN
! every case in establishing their authority
and long before the end ofthe first term
all signs of wide-spreading disorder had
vanished. In the lower grades of Primar-
les. crowded and even jamned together as
the children have been nearly all the year,
It could hardly be expected that the same
oegree of good order could be maintained
as in the higher grades and less crowded
schools but even in these, the order and
Improvement have been, all things con-
sidered, remarkably good. Though there
have been a few cases OF severe discipline,
the number is lees than in any previous
year since l have been connected with the
school and q very decided improvement
has been made in some of the schools over
the general Older Of the past two or three
years. 1t is also gratifying to me to be
able to report, that in every case, where
pupils have been returned to school after
the completion Of discipline, they have
shown marked improvement, which, of
course, is one Of the main designs ofall
discipline.
Besides successful management on the
part ofteachers, the additional oversight,
which released from all teaching duty IN
the High School, / have been able to give
all the schools during the past year, has
undoubtedly gone far and accomplished
much In the same direction. Consulting
my WI personal comfort, it would have
been much more agreeable to occupy my
old position in the schools, than to devote
my whole time to the laborious and varied
duties Of supervision which have devolved
upon me during the past year, and which
must ever devolve upon the faithful super
intendent in even smaller schools, with
better accommodations and other adyan-
tages than ours, The superintendent has
to do with teachers and scholars alike, and
his duties are oftentimes made unneceE
sariIy onerous and perplexing by the IN
wise c~ounsels and interferences of parents
and others in school matters, which they
do not understand or in which partiality
towards their children blinds their iudg-
ment TO what even their own good de-
mands. As a rule, parents in their fami-
lies, and IN cases precisely similar to those
Z OF constant occurrence in the schools, do
not-exercise, by far, the same amount of
discrimination and good Judgment in dis
cipline, which all successful teachers must
make it the study of their lives to under
stand and exercise in the management of
thelschool hence the unwise remarks and,
Bometimes, eounsels OF parents to children
concerning teachers; hence their inter-
ferences with good and wholesome dis
cipline hence their almost total lack Of
Interest in their children, as far as the
. schools are concerned; until they are
touched upon scme tender points.
One vesv 9reat sdvantaee to the schools
duriHg the past year, which deserves spe.
cIal mention, is in nthes time which has
been given me for examining, a number
oftimes, all the classes in each depart
ment ofthe school, whereby not only have
teachers and pupils been urged to the
greatest diligence, but through the tests
applied q better classification of pupils has |
also been secured, SO that in many in
stances where pupils to their own injury
and to the general disadvantage of the
class occupied a higher position than their
orh0IurohGn AanannAa6 fhaU Eurea 49,, -
into lower classes better adapted to them;
Others who had the ability, but had be-
come somewhat Indifferent, were encour-
aged and induced,to greater diligence |
and1aa. few whose industry and i'm
provement justified it have been pro-
NOTED at different times throughout
the year 10 higher positions. Anoth-
er year gives large promise of very much
better results in the same direction. A
wise, judicious and faithful supervision is
of the very greatest benefit to teachers
and pupils, aid without it the schools
must come far short of meeting the iust
demands and expectations of the people.
In this connection it may not be improp-
er to say that never before in the history
of the Canton Union School, if I am per-
ritted to form any judgment from the
very numerous expressions of good will,
approval, and encouragement, which have
been made to- me, within the past few
months, on the part of parents and 9th
ters interested in our school work, has
there been greater degree of favor
among our people towards the school and
its management, than there is at this time.
In making this statement, l am not OBJ
livious to the fact, that in my six years
connection with the schools I have made
some enemies; no man Of any decision of
character could have made fewer, and a
man without such decision should have No
place at all in the schools but it affords
me nothing but unmingled satisfaction to
know that in every instance, | ave had
not only the approval and sanction of this
Board, but also the cooperation and ap-
proval of the parents, without which my
1abors would have been much more ar
duous, and that in the great majority of
cases, where temporary hard feelings have
been entertained, they have soon given
way TO o better and more cordial under
standing, after time ind reflection have
enabled parents to perceive that aside
from mistakes to which all are liable, the
permanent good and ~weli-being of their
" children, as well as Of the schools,
have been kept clearly IN mind by the
teachers and myself in all cases Of man
S6S-ASAe oAN hAoSipAAAC 80 AACJ A0hO ais
en-. That there are a few u-mreasonsonable
peoplei in every community. who. do what
you may, are never satisfied is to be re-
GREETED but do you know of any such
case, gentlemen, in which the dissatisfied
ever do better or half as well by their
children as is done for themin the schools?
i am sure you do not. This much seems
due to myself from some things of which
have been cognizant for one or two years
bnt to which | AVE never before referred
in my report. My future connection with
the school. gentlemen, so far as I now
know rests entirely with yopj If my adj
ministration of affairs in the schools has
merlted and met your approval without
respect to other outside Considerations, 1
think I am entitled to a reelection at
syonr hands but if upon a fair e~onsidera-l
ton of claims you think that the good of
the schools would be promoted, without
corresponding or greater injuries in other
directions, as their prosperity and success