The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-24
EMPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS.
Synopsis of Paper Read Before the
Maine State Pedagogical Society by
Hon. j. w. Corthell of Gorham Normal
School,

Some of the weaknesses of our school sys-
tenn cannot be cured. They are in the social
condition of the State; the sparseness of popu-
lation, the lack of employment in the rural
towns. Other weaknesses are entrenched in
the prejudices of the people and can only be
be cured by the influence of time and genera
tons of agitation. Some defects may be cured
at once. Among these is the present system
of nploying teachers The present system is
faulty in two respects: First, it is not business
like and second it does not secure the best
teachers, but on the contrary results often in
putting poor teachers Unto the schools when
better teachers could be had for the same cost
1t 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 agent hires teachers.
This separation OF power and responsibility has
been found fatal in every business affair where
it has been attempted. 1t works as fatally in
schools.
The present system lacks business common
seLse in that it does not vest the power to en-
ploy those who are to do the work, in the one
who knows most of the work. The committee
are generally the men, best skilled in the
town, who can be got to take the place. The
committee usually know the schools; the pc
culiar wants of each: the nature OF the work
to be done; the methods to be employed in the
work, and the fitness or untitness OF the persons
offering to do the work. The agents, as a
rule, do not know these things. They are fire.
quently good business men, but as rule they
know little of schools.
Again, it is not busness-like that one per-
son should hire the worker, and another per-
son be the Judge of his qualifications. Yet the
mr. ont al n
The agent hires. The committee decides as
to the qualifications. The result is rivalry
between the two parties, quarrels in the dis
trict, the ruin of the schools and waste OF the
school money, or the yielding of the commit
tee and incompetent teachers, and so wasted
m ney.
SECONDLY, the present system does not secure
the best teachers to be had. 1t fails to do this
because the agents do not know the best teach
ers. They have no means of knowing Their
business has not brought them to such &C
quaintance. They do not know what consti-
tutes really good school, either as to appli-
ances, methods or principles. This is no dis
paragement of the agents. They lay no claim
to such special knowledge as would qualify
them to 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 selection
prove that they are very often moved by per-
sonal motives. Mr.. A. by agreement is to be
at home; the school money goes to the A. fam
lily this year. Next year the b. family are
the recipients; then the q. family, and so
round In all this there is not the least refer
ence to the good of the school. In one large
district the question Of school agent turned on
which of the two rival stores should furnish
school supplies. The schools meanwhile were
a farce. In another the man elected agent
had to promise the schools before his election
to certain teachers. incompetent In every re-
49, la nf -,
teachers for himself. One agent puts in an
incompetent teacher because he attends the
agents church. Another rejects qualified and
experienced teachers because their father
has voted on the wrong side. and
puts into the school unqualified ones because
their fathers voted as the agent did. These
are exap Oles of the way in which the teachers
are seected. Any one conversant with schools
will multiply then. indefinitely from his own
knowledge.
The remedy; Let the law be changeSs, ,.est-
ing the power to hire teachers and fix their
pay in the committee. Let the agent remain
to care for the school property and the finances
in the district. Will not the committee act
from personal motives? Not to so great de-
gree They are responsible directly for the
success of the school. They are body of
three or more, and the the teachers should in
all cases be chosen by the committee by
unanimous vote Experience proves the ad-
vantage of this method, as in all the towns in
the State making the greatest advance in
schools, the employment of the teacher is now
vested in the committee. Again. few years
since the law was changed giving this power
to the committee. Every one coaversant with
the schools, declares that better teachers were
employed and better schools had that year
than ever before. There was some friction, as
there always will be at first in any method but
the result that year showed that it is safe to
say that al er the plan should become settled,
and working tremendously as it would in
few years the efficiency of the schools with the
same expediture of money, would be increased
twenty-five, per cent