Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-23
Employment Of Teachers.
SYNOPSIS ORA PAPER READ BEFORE THE
MArxK STATE PEDAGOGICAL SocIETr BIZ
Hox W. ]. CoRTHELL OF GoRBAN NOR
NAL SCHOOL.

NAME STATE PEDAGOGICAL SOCIETY BIZ
Hox W. j. CoRrHELL OF GoRBAx NOR
NAL SCHOOL.
Some of the weaknesses of our school
system cannot be cured. They are in the
of population; the lack of employment in
the rural towns. Other weaknesses are in
trenched in the prejudices of the people and
can only be cured by the influence Of time
and generations of agitation. Some defects
may be cured at once Among these is the
present system Of employing teachers. The
present system is faulty in two respects
First, it is not business like, and second, it
contrary, results often, in putting poor teach
ers into the schools when better teachers
could be had for the same cost
II is not business. like; because it does not
vest the power to employ the workers in the
persons who are held responsible for the sue
cess Of the enterprise. The committee are
held by law, and by the public sentiment Of
the town, responsible for the success Of the
schools. The district agents hire the teach
ers. This separation of power aud respon-
sibility has been found fatal in every bust
ness affair where it has been attempted. 1t
works as fatally in schools.
The present system lacks business COM
| mon sense in that it does not vest the porer
to employ those who are to do the work in
the one who knows most of the work. The
committees are generally the men, best
skilled in school work in the town, who can
be got 10 take the place. The committee
usually know the schools: the peculiar
wants Of each; the nature of the work to be
done; the methods to be employed in the
work, and the fitness or unfitness of the per-
sons offering TO do the work. The agents as
rule do not know these things. They are
frequently good business men, but as a rule
they know little of schools.
| Again. il is not business like that one per-
| son should hire the worker, and another per-
son be the judge Of his qualifications. Yet
the present system does that in hiring teach
ers. The agent hires. The committee de-
eide as to the qualifications. The result is
rivalry between the two parties, quarrels in
the district, the ruin of the schools and waste
of the school money, or the yielding of the
committee and incompetent teachers and so
wasted money.
| Secondly, the present system does not Sc
| cure tnt Uest ttdcHtTs ~ Uc Hdu IL IdlIs W
do this because the agents do not know the
best teachers. They have no means of know
ing. Their business has not brought them to
such acquaintance. They do not know what
constitutes n really good school, either as to
appliances, methods or principles. This is
no disparagement of the agents. They lay
no claim to such special knowledge as would
qualify themto select the best teachers
| Hence they must very often mistake when
they are really DESTROYS to secure the best
teachers.
But the circumstances of their election
prove that they are very often moved by per-
| sonal motives. Mr.. A. by agreement is to be
agent this year Miss A. is to teach and board
at home; the school money goes to the A.
family this year. Next year the b. family
are the recipients then the c. family and so
round. In all this there is not the least ref
erence to the good of the school. In one
large district the question of agent turned on
the question which of two rival stores should
furnish school supplies. The schools mean
while were a farce. In another, the man
elected agent had promised the schools before
his election, to certain teachers, incompetent
in every respect, in order to secure the votes
of the friends of such teachers for himself.
One agent put in an incompetent teacher be-
cause he attends the agents church. Another
rejects qualified and experienced teachers be-
cause their father has voted on the wrong
side, and puts into the schools unqualified
ones because their fathers voted as the agent
did.
These are examples of the way in which
the teachers are selected. Any one CONVEX
SAINT with schools will multiply them indefin-
itely, from his own knowledge
The remedy Let the law be changed, vest
ing the power to hire teachers and fix their
pay in the committee. Let the agents remain
to care for the school property and the financ-
es of the district. Will not the committee
act from personal motives? Not to so great
a degree. They are responsible directly for
the success of the school. They are body
Of three or more, and the teachers should in
all cases be chosen by the committee by
unanimous vote.
Experience proves the vast advantage of
this method, as in all the towns in the State
making the greatest advance in schools. the
employment of teachers is now vested in the
committee.
Again: few years sine the law was
changed giving the power to the committees.
Every one conversant with the schools. de-
clares that on the whole better teachers were
employed and better schools had that year
than ever before.
There was some friction as there always
will he at first in any new method. but the
result that year showed that it is safe to saw
that after the plan should become settled, and
working tremendously as it would in a few
years, the efficiency Of the schools with the
same expenditure of money, would be in
creased twenty-five per cent.