Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-03-15
Town System Of Schools.


give some I" facts in reference thereto Think
ing IL may not be out Of place briefly to review
his statements, and perhaps to bring out addl-
tiona facts, venture to make the attempt. It is
true this system was adopted by US some eleven |
years since by small majority and 1t Is equally |
true that II has steadily won Its way In the favor |
Of our people until the present time Referring |
to the equalization Of school property, the town |
did refuse to equalize, and why? Simply, be- |
cause the practical efficiency Of the system ~
relating to the working OF the schools would in no
no way be affected by equalization, and conse |
quently some OF its friends preferred TO let the
matter rest rather than stir up strife by enforcing
the act to equaze, which undoubtedly might |
have been done. ave have six school districts
and elected six directors, one from each district |
who runs everything rs he has a mind to-" Beg
ging Subscribers pardon, by the adoption of
the town system school districts in Waitsfeld
were abolished At the time Of It's adoption there
we're seven districts Two Of the schools have since
been consolidated, thus making six in numb Der
and furnishing a mere coincidence with the num-
Der Of directors. But this consolidation was
made with no reference whatever to the number
Of directors. For obvious reasons these officers
have usually, though not always been chosen
personal interest The annual meeting of this
board occurs soon after the annual town meeting
in March, and at this meeting of the board is dis
cussed the policy Of conducting the management Of
the schools for the coming year. the condition and
the necessities of each school being considered in
their proper order Avote is then taken author
izing each director to assume the management Of
the school In his immediate vicinity with the
understanding that the general course as indicated
by the board shall be pursued. And think in
no case has director been disposed to arrogate
TO himself authority properly belonging to the
board on the contrary there is disposition to
confer together, and especially with the chairman
even on matters Of detail, such as wages OF the
teachers, price Of wood, board, etc, and with
no director is this inclination more apparent
than with Subscriber himself, who IL and
| has been most jealous and efficient mem
Der Of the board fer years past. We Join
with your correspondent in his feeling of glad
ness at our reputation abroad in the matter OF
good schools. But while he says that it was
established before the advent Of the town system,
we insist and think 1t not difficult to show that
the results Of the system have added much to
this reputation. And while willing to admit the
truth Of his assertion that, the system has been
run in manner to do as little evil az possible"
we claim that this condition arises solely from
the fact that the aim has been to do as much
| good as possible, and attended with admirable
| success. The statement that the excellent teach
| ers who have gone from this town to Montpelier
were not educated under the town system should
be corrected, in part at least, and to those Just
as good that are left" where did they receive
their common school education pray, II not here
in waitsfeld under the town system2 Hiring
ones own relations and boarding at our house"
Evidently Subscriber has in mind the case Of
a director who, after repeated solicitations from
the patrons of the school and upon the earnest
advice of the other members OF the board,
with great reluctance consented to place one
Of his own daughters, an experienced teacher,
in the school and allowed her to board at
home and as the result proved, with most
excellent advantage to the school. Indeed, the
same teacher was retained for a full year after
his term of office expired, and then renqushed
only because inducements could not be Tered
equal to those of the graded school in the wealthy
town to which she was called And to such
| places as these, and for this reason, have others
of our best teachers been allowed to Goa result
for which the town system can in no way be re-
sponsible. At the same time it is evident that
rivalry exists among the directors, both to get
the best OF teachers and to keep the expense Of
the schools at as low a point as possible consist
emit with their efficiency. Comparisons of ex-
pense between the two systems in our case would
be somewhat difficult, owing to variations in the
grand list during term Of years and the fact
that the length Of the school year has been in
creased from time to time until now it is thirty
weeks instead of twenty-four, point hardly to
| be attained under the old system. But | think
| no evidence can be brought to show that the
| same amount and quality OF schools are more ex-
pensive under the present system. Your CORE
spondent has known a district to make up the
board OF a teacher by subscription because other
wise the directors refused to empty her." Why
| didn't this director " do as he had mind top
| He has "known bitter district quarrels," etc
Under the old system have known the school to
which he refers utterly ruined more than once by
district quarrels, and | have known a part of the
district to maintain school OF their own entirely
by subscription, board, wages and all. But all
this was long ago. Under the town system, since
it came to be in good working order friction Of
this kind has mainly disappeared, and results Of
this kind have entirely disappeared, The matter
of equalizing taxation is disposed of by assuming
as the basis Of taxation the new and rather novel
principle Of the productive capacity Of farm prop
erty in lieu of the very rational principle Of
cash valuation Of all property both real and per-
sonal. Comment upon this would seem unneces-
sary. at removes the education Of the children
from the hands Of the parents and places it in
the hands OF the town" And who are the town?
1t seems to have been left to "Subscriber - to
make the discovery that individuals composing
the town are different set of beings from those
of which the school districts are made up, but we
dismiss this together with his visions of monop-
oily as being likely to deceive no one. He has
"known the chairman OF the board to call a
meeting six times before obtaining quorum"
Inquiry Of the present chairman of the board,
in his eighth year OF SERVICE fails to substan-
tate this statement and reference to the records
Of the board, as kept by its clerk, shows nothing
upon which the statement can be based, but does
show that at no annual meeting has there failed
to be a quorum, and in only two instances were
there any absences whatever In conclusion, Mr.
Editor, the changes as rung by your correspond
ent in his article in question have very familiar
| sound During the early years Of the town sys-
| tenn with us, they were dinned in the ears of our
community with a persistence only equaled by
their absurdity And with what result? In 1871
we adopted the town system by bare majority
In 1881 we refused TO discard it and return the
district system by the somewhat emphatic vote OF
one hundred ten to forty-one And this may be
town system OF Waitsfield to-day. C. f. JONES.