Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-30
Parents Relations to Schools. No. IS.

Every teacher should be allowed to man.
age his own school. II not competent to do
so, he should not have been employed. fla
mistake has been made, and an incompetent
teacher employed, the difficulty will not be
removed by the interference of parents.
Teachers often seek advice and may profit
by it; but any effort on the part of parents
to dictate and control in the matter Of school
management is not only unwise, but %ruinous.
The teacher too often finds among his patrons
those who presume to give gratuitous informa-
ton and counsel. Mrs. A., in a very friendly
spirit, informs him that her neighbor has
some very bad boys who always make trouble
in school, and warns him TO be on his guard.
Mrs. G. thinks it important that he should
know how sensitive the parents in that district
are on the subject of corporal punishment, and
advises him to govern mainly by moral sua-
sion. She assures him, if he will do 50, he
will be popular and successful.
Mrs. L., an old school teacher, has in her
own estimation, some excellent ideas upon
different methods of instruction, and she is
very anxious that the MASTER should adopt
them in that school. So tho meddlesome,
misunderstanding goes on, until the young
teacher is distracted and perplexed beyond
measure as he cannot, if he would, listen to
the suggestions nor follow the advice of all,
he is sure to become the subject of tea.party
gossip, and Of village criticism and abuse,
such as will greatly interfere with his useful.
ness, if it does not prevent his success in that
district.
Wise teachers pay no attention to such
unwarranable interference aud wise parents
allow and encourage the teacher to manage
his own school in his own way.
And parents should always sustain the
teacher in maintaining his authority in The
school. That authority is supreme and may
never be triied with by the pupils. I'm.
conditional obedience in the school, as vel
as in the family, is the rule and the teacher
has the right to expect the cordial support
Of all his patrons 10 enforcing that rule.
The best good of the child, as well as the
success Of the school, depends upon this CO.
operation.
Parents are too often ready to listen tC
the complaints of their children, aud to sym.
pathize with them in rebellion against the
authority of the school. 1t would be bet
ter never to allow such fault finding nevel
to critic, but always to sustain the teacher
in the presence Of children. If they car
have the encouragement Of parents in theil
recklessness at school, they will become bold
and defiant and will paralyze, if they d.
not destroy, the influence and efforts even o
the best teachers.
But grant that the teacher is in fault
that he is really inefficient and the schoo
comparatively worthless it is better 10 sus
tain ever a poor teacher for months than TO
allow the pupils to have any agency il
breaking up the school.
II an incompetent teacher is to be dismiss
ed, it should be done by the independen
action of the district, and not at the sugges
tion or by the aid of pupils in rebellion
Let them be kept in subsection by whatever
means necessary, without regard to tn,
efficiency or ineficiency of the governing
power. PARRNs.