Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-13
Board of Education.

Present-All the Comm lOners and the
Superintendent
President Baum in the chair.
Minutes of last meeting read and ap-
| proved.
The following accounts were presented
and allowed, and the clerk directed to issue
orders therefor
Chas. Schmidt & Co. for carpenter work,
| 50; Pritzlaff l. Co. for sundries. ST; 7. j.
Schroeder, for sundries, 81.
On motion, the chair appointed CONS.
| Voss, Weber and Specht standing Com
mittee on Finances to whom the accounts
Of D. Blumenfeld and Ames Brothers were
referred.
Com. Voss, of the committee on Buildings,
| reported on the Improvements ordered oy
| the Board on Union Schools No. and 8.
On motion ofCom. Weber the committee
on Buildings were ordered to have the floor
of Union School No. l repaired, and to enter
upon contrac ct for Eastwood flooring to be
laid on a new floor in said school, as early
next year as possible.
The following report of the Committee on
Teachers examination was read and adopted
10 the Hon. Board of Education of the City
| Of Watertown
| GENTLEMEN Your Committee on Exam
nation of Teachers, beg leave to report:
From the detailed report OF the Superin-
tendent on the teachers examination July
Gath last, we CLEAN the following facts tor
your information
The following teachers holding first grade
certificates from last year, we exempt from
examination this year: Miss H. Moule, Miss
III. Corbett, Miss E. Kelley, Miss Th. Cor
hett and Mr.. John Flavin.
| Furthermore the Superintendent has is
sued first grade certificate to Mr.. Oh. Win
man in consideration OF the standing reach
| ed BY him at the State Teachers Examina-
ton in Sparta, July I'd 1878.
The result of the examination of July Gath
is as follows, to wit:
First Grade Certificates were issued to
John Whyte and W. D. Parker.
Secon Grade Certificates to Misses Luella
Green and NJ. E. Mallarney.
Third Grade Certificates TO Misses Luana
Bates, Lizzie Mallanney, P. Voss, E. Cohoe,
Mr.. Aug. Ninman, Z. DIPPED and Miss A.
Norris
Of new applicants having had none but
occasional experience in teaching, the fol-
lowing received third grade certificates:
Misses Rosa Bernhard, E. Griffith, Minna
Voss, E. Charboneau, A. Ross, !. Wilder
and A. Shillcox.
The names in the preceding table being
arranged IN the order of their respective
standings,
From the Superintendent report you will
see that some of the teachers have pretty
low standing, while others have altogether
failed. This is, indeed, partly owing to the
fact that the last examination was somewhat
more difficult than those of the two or three
last ye ars but to some extent it is owing al.
so to the circumstance that young teachers
are apt to forget the knowledge gained in
school, and that even old teachers are apt to
neglect the continuance Of those studies,
which ought to be to them like the daily
bread Of life, and without which they cannot
maintain the progressive character without
which even good teacher soon becomes
inadequate. The Superintendent is well
aware that learning alone does not consti-
tute the efficient teacher; that some have
a natural ability which makes them reach,
without much knowledge, results highly
credi,able; but still, lacking a certain
amount of knowledge, no teacher can be
| successful and may be compared to an emp
ty vessel-however elegant its form, fine its
polish, costly its material. you cannot pour
any thing out of it,
Further, the Superintendent saw fit to
make this examination more difficult than
preceding ones, in consideration of the pro-
gressive character of school matters in the
State, to which our schools must respond
| if they shall not become stationary.
| That this so far has not been the case, is
proved by the fact that Of the pupils of the
| Normal School lately rewarded by diplomas,
| not less than seven have been able to get
| teachers certificate, some reaching a very
| high standing.
| 1t might therefore occur at the end, if the
matter was not looked TO, that we have pu-
pills in our schools knowing more than some
of onr teachers.
For all these reasons we approve Of the
| Superintendent action. But still we do
not, nor does the Superintendent, urge the
discharge of any of last years teachers,
not even of those who partially failed.
The report of the Superintendent with
regard to their skill in teaching, is almost
| without exception favorable one; but
still those teachers whose standing is lower
than it ought to be- should be held to give
from time to time. as be may require, proof
to the Superintendent that they are making
up deficiencies.
| Before closing our report, permit US to
remind you of a few principles whose sound
ness is beyond controversy:
Show no favor in your appointments !;
prefer, unhesitatingly, those applicants who
| possess both thorough knowledge and skill
in teaching, and appoint male teachers only
| in those grades where the age of the male
pupils makes thei r appointment very desira-
bic, remem boring that it is no good policy to
| unnecessarily to increase our expenses
All OF which is respectfully submitted.
CHA5. F. VOSS,
II. WILDER,
FRED. SPECHT,
Committee on Teachers Examination.
The following report of the Select Com
mittee on Teachers Salaries, was read and
on motion approved, Com, Baum alone vot-
| ing in.the negative