Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-03-23
The Prudential Committe is

teachers. Inc IruuenVla1 OolulnlGIe Is
one upon whom this burden of securing
good teachers largely falls, and one who
Is mainly responsible. All the superin-
tendents in the whole world cannot pre-
vent having poor teachers in our schools,
if school committees neglect to do their
duty by not exercising their best judy
nent in hiring teachers For instance.
the teacher is hired before she is exam
ined the school small aud the scholars
backward when examination day comes
around. the teacher is found qualified in
some respects. perhaps, to teach the
school, but in others she is sadly def
cient. She is accompanied by the COM
mittee who pleads her case by saying
The district think she is qualified to
teach, our school is small and We can
hire her cheap. What is the superin-
tendent to do-refuse her certificate
and have the committee 60 away calling
him an upstart, and the teacher fearful
ly leaves the room and the words come
family back to you, 1.-The brute - or
grant her a certificate. aud when you 90
to visit the school, find the school room
perfect bedlam or to find it closed.
and you learn that the teacher was tax
en- suddenly sick, somehow, and had to
90 home when the school was. perhaps,
half out or more, leaving your school in
the worst possible state, and the money
paid the teacher worse than thrown away.
This subject of securing good teachers,
| earnestly recommend to the school
committees for deliberate consideration.
I'd. When we have good teachers, a
punctual and regular attendance of the
pupils is necessary to a good school
having your scholars at school every day
that they may learn every lesson. If a
pupil is absent from recitation, either
the whole class must be kept back or the
one absent must lose the principles bro
out in that lesson. Perhaps your son or
daughter at examination, is called upon
to explain a principle or to solve prob
lem which may be the very one that was
learned by the class the day you had
kept your child out to help about the
haying or to pick berries and it is too
often the case under circumstances such
as these, that the teacher is censured for
the lack of interest felt by your scholars
Sd. The schools ought to be visited
more frequently by parents and commit
tees. Such visits stimulate both teach
er and pupil In this way you show to
your children that you feel an interest
in their progress. The registers in many
districts, show that the committee has
not been to the school during the year :;
and in some instances, not one of the
parents have been in during the term.
[ appeal to you, gentlemen, as close,
calculating business men, as men who
carefully watch over all your other in
terests, whether you are not culpably
negligent in regard to our common
schools.
One word in regard to the exchange
of books. | have advised the introduc-
ton of the new books authorized by the
Board of Education, so far as new books
were required when thought they were
superior. | have not been in favor of an
entire change. In my opinion some of
the books which have been in use fol
the past five years are better adapted to
the use Of the common schools of ouI
State, than those authorized by the
Board of Education all of which is re-
spectfully submitted
T. ". BALDWIN, SUpT.
Barton, March Sd, 1874.