The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-02-23
THE SCHOOLS.
School Expenditures and Special Teach.
ers.

To the Editor of the Press:
The public schools of Portland are sustain
ed by an annual ordinary appropriation O.
about $4,000. The special appropriations made
from time to time and its interest of the mon
ey invested in permanent fixtures will carry
the total annual expense to sum exceeding
| 100000.
Many people who will willingly pay theil
proportion of any expenditure however great
which is essential to the highest practical eff
cheney of the schools object to an expense
which does not seem 10 be followed by com
mensurate results
Their objections are divided into two classes
first, those relating to the course of study and
second, those relating to the administration o.
school affairs. The first is of the greatest i'm
portance. for course of study which permits
the graduation from the High school of pupils
who can not compute simple interest and o.
classes not one member of which can translate
into English single page of Latin outside Of
the regular course without the help of a die
Iionary must be radically wrong, and at some
future time may offer some considerations
upon it, but at present conine myself to the
| second.
1t has been urged that three thousand dol
lars might be saved every year, and the super
vision OF the schools made more faithful by
the abolition of the offices of superintendent
and agent and return to the old committee Of
| twenty-one.
The baEe of small committees ia usually the
domination of clique led by one active and
able man. In large committee this DONNA
ton is more difficult and ordinarily is impossi
! BILE. In small committee it often happens
that the best members owing to press of pri-
vate business can give bnt little attention tc
their official duties, while in large commit
tee it will rarely happen, but that it will con-
tain many members possessing time and abili
| ty to attend to our educational affairs. 1t may
however well be questioned whether the reme-
dy for the present inefficient supervision lies
in dispensing altogether with the offices nam
ed, rather than change in their personnel.
| The offices ought to be consolidated and the
| salaries much reduced.
| 1t is also alleged that further saving of sew.
| eral thousand dollars might be effected without
in any appreciabe degree impairiDg the eff
cheney Of the schools Hby dispensing with the
them. The case of the teacher writing was
| taken up, apparently as an illustration and TO
| bring the discussion to point when It might
| be determined by an examination OF the facts.
| never saw Mr.. Shaylor, nor have l ever
| heard his same mentioned In conversation.
| wish to discuss in an entirely impersonal man
| ner the reasons given for and against his en-
| ployment by the city.
Ia the first place we must decide whether
plain writing or writing as taught in the pub
liz cabo &c hro IF adu an 1ior
that it cannot be understood and reasonably
well taught by the regular teachers.
| The importance of giving our children an
| opportunity of perfecting themselves in athe
| special department OF education to which in
| cliuation or necessity may lead them, cannot
| be over-estimated. The every day work of
| life as well as Ithe work of eminent scholars
ana scientists, is falling more and more into
| the hands of those who give their exclusive at
| tenton TO the particular branch upon which
much upon the advantages OF special training.
The pupil can obtain the special training to
the best advantage under a specialist in that
department.
submit, however, with all Difference to the
opinions of those who may not agree me, that
| apecial teachers are not necessary for those
| branches which may be reasonably well taught
by the ordinary teachers, at least to the extent
| to which they are carried IN the public schools
and that plain writing is, on this principle not
teacher. 1t is not an occult and abstruse sci
eDce which needs years of study for its mas
terry, but simple mechanical art in which any
one with natural aptitude may attain success
BY careful well directed practice. Nor is it at
all advantageous to the progress OF the pupil
that the practice be under the direction of a
| fine writer, but it is advantageous that it be
under that of teacher who possesses the faculty
of clearly pointing out to the children the
causes OF their failures, and who will faithful
In lorIr oY1tf hot "a in THAR
the rules in regard to position and the forma-
| ton of the letters. In our primary and gram
mar schools the best teachers of reading are not
the firest elocutionists nor are the best teach
ers of numbers the most learned mathema-
ticiaDs 1t one wishes to learn to draw birds
of mposs Bile shape or write the Lords prayer
with sundry adornments, great and small, the
services OF a special teacher may be necessary
but, with the copy books, the ordinary teacher
can SO master the subject as to teach writing as
successfully as geography.
Nor is this mere theory. 1t has been alleged
that in the Spring street primary schools writ
ing is taught in manner which can not be ex-
ceiled. / have myself often visited the school
and have witnessed the method OF instruction
pursued by Miss Taylor and am able TO say
from personal observation that this allegation
| is true Now l wish some one would, upon
this state of facts explain the necessity of the
presence of a special teacher of writing in this
| school, and If this is fairly representative
!
| In the second plat 9 it has been objected that
| if writing is SO intricate branch as to demand
the services of a special teacher it does not get
| them Mr.. Shaylor vehemently denies this
and states that he gives instruction to some of
| the classes in each primary and grammar
| school once in each week. with some excep-
tons. He also says that in the first classes the
| lessons in Ewriting have usually alternated
! with drawing. The reports indicate that this
alienation is now the rule.
IL, rfc tcaN
that there are six classes il the primary and
four in the grammar schools. The last report
| of the superintendent gives the number OF
| grammar schools as seven and of primary
schools as thirteen. This gives us in all one
| hundred and six classes. Now suppose Mr.
| Shaylor spends all the thirty hours which
make the school week in the services of the
| city in visiting these schools he Can give to
each class but little more than ten minutes OF
/ his time and when we consider that he is
| obliged to time his visits somewhat to accom-
modate other school exercises and thai he is
| also a teacher in the very large and prosperous
| business college of which an active
/ and influential member of the school commit
tee is principal, the time actually devoted te
| each class must be further reduced.
Divide this time between the writing anC
the drawing lesson and m Ike proper allow
| ance for the lower classes and the most fayora
BILE estimate will not give him more than ter
minutes once in two weeks to devote to each
CLASS 10f l6dCulug WIltluSs LUtu dSain u
the programme of school work and we fnd
that writing is given twenty minutes three
and four times week under the direction Of
the regular teacher. Who can hesitate mo
ment in saying that the Impression made up
on the children proceeds from the regular
teachers and that the actual and substantial
work of teaching writing is done by them an6
not by Mr.. Shaylor? They meet the childreI
every day and can frame their instruction &C
cording to the wants of each individual pupi
while he must be content TO take the class a
whole. To the children the coming OF thu
special teacher is merely an episode.
1t is urged again that Mr. Shaylor teache
the teachers. All l have TO say upon thi
DO MT is that he has been in the employ of the
city IL years and if he has not yet succeeded
in fully and completely teaching the teacher
he had better give up the job. As far as teach
ing the teachers in the practice school is con
cerned it is an admitted fact that the principa
OF that school is equally competent.
The general Supervision exercised by hin
over all the schools is made by Mr. Shaylo
the final and fundamental reason why hi
presence is indispensable TO keep the writin
up to its present standard
The principal reason givsn viz; change Q
= N