Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-01-24

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cessity and utility of Normal Schools ;
but the teachers, il seems, did not re.
spond TO the call, although there were
some live and progressive ones, while
others seemed to study how much
money they could get for the least
amount OF knowledge given to the pu.
pills. Mr.. Stills salary was 5000 Mr.
Broomal's, about 5000.
In many places the teachers all re-
ceived the same salary, without regard
to qualifications but that time has
gone by, and at the present time they
are paid according to the grade of ccrtif-
cate and ability to teach and govern,
without regard TO sex, which is all
right. Those called second-class teach
ers few years ago could not obtain a
school now without keeping pace with
the progressive teachers. The pupils
Of to-day, who arc II and IA years of
age, have as much or more book .knowl-
edge, than many OF tho teachers had
ten years ago. In my first visits
through the county, not over ten pupils
had gone through any Arithmetic. In
1857, the increased number who had
gone through Roses, Davies, or Green.
leafs Arithmetic was eighty, and the
increased number in Grammar and
Geography over one hundred-many
Of them very good. Mental Arithme.
tic was not introduced as n textbook
Tor several years after
Mr.. Sandford was the fourth County
Superintendent salary $500, after.
wards increased to 81 ,000 He held no
Normal School, and LETT without making
q report for his last year Mr.. George
W. Snyder was the fifth County Su-
perintendent His salary for the first
term was $1,000, and second term
81 200 per annum, which is an evidence
that his services were appreciated, and
the laborer worthy OF his hire He
held five Institutes under the law and
one previous, and nineteen months OF
Normal School. The average attend
ance Of actual teachers was fily.six,
exclusive of other pupils, which would
make an average Of about ninety pu-
pills. The present incumbent, J. A.
Gregory, has been untiring and jealous
in the cause of education, and has done
much to elevate the standard of teach.
ers, and under the supervision of
the Superintendent all our schools have
been progressive, upward and onward.
At the present time, ! think, the
Leonard Graded School, will super
sede the necessity OF Academies and
Colleges Tor the wealthy part of our
citizens. ourpublic schools are Cheap
enough for the poorest and good enough
for the richest, being free and open 10
all. Those persons who had no chil.
drcn to send TO school and opposed the
school system, must have come TO the
conclusion that it is better to pay
small school-tax than a heavy jail-tax
TO support criminals that it is better
TO encourage education, morality, and
the growing genius of Young America,
than to retrograde to primitive ignor-
anee. Ignorance tends to slavery and
degradation. Educate the masses, and
the people will be free.
In 1856, thcre were 5s6,-i3 schools
and 1897 teachers in Pennsylvania.
Two thousand of those were reported
unqualified to teach, and were en-
ployed for want of better. Cleartield
county at that time was supplied with
about onc.third of its teachers from
other counties. have visited several
graded schools in Michigan and Iowa,
where they had fine buildings and
room to accommodated from six TO eight
hundred pupils have been present
at public examinations, and think
the teachers and schools OF Cleariield
county will compare well with any of
them. A teacher from this county
Miss NJ, c, teaching in the
Newton High School, Of Jasper county,
Iowa, where there were six hundred
pupils and eleven teachers, was com
pllmcnted as being one of the best
scholars and teachers of the institu-
tion and / sec no reason why our
schools should not be supplied with
iifst.cass teachers, educated at home.
Mr.. Gregorys salary for the first
term was LOO a year; for the second
term, on account Of the money panic,
il was, like many others, reduced to
$1,000. He has held Normal School