Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-02-09

which teachers do, and only such as We are
and have can VIC give to others. No country
has ever needed more and better men for her
service the needs Of the hour are great.
Among the qualifications needed were speci.
fed common sense, self control, and aptness
to teach. This last point was most carefully
wrought out and powerfully illustrated.
The next exercise of the afternoon was a
paper presented by Geo. A. Brown, Esq, of
Bellows Falls, upon "Some Common Matters
of School Law" This paper was kindly
placed in the hands of the secretary of the
meeting and from it the following abstract
has been taken. 1t is tho purpose of the pa
per to call attention in brief manner to some
common matters of school law, not for the
sake OF criticism, but to present points which
are liable, in one way or another, to arise in
the experience of any teacher or school Off
! Ger.
The laws Of a people are one Of the surest indica-
tions Of their character and condition. as effective law
is but the crysalzed result Of public opinion The
Puritan planted the public school, and raised intclli-
| gence and power. He built the rude schoolhouse Of
logs and to-day we see the elegant school edhce with
every convenience, with doors open to the humblest
well us the highest 1t was early the law IN New
England that "none Of the brethren shall suffer 50
much barbarsm in their families as not to teach their
children aud apprentices 50 much learning as may en-
able them perftctyto read the English tongue ITO
the end that learning may not be buried in the graves
Of our forefathcrst" in lGi7 1t ordered in all the
Puritan colonies that every township after the Lord
hath increased them to the number Of fifty house
holders shall appoint teach all children to read
aud wrte and where any town shall increase to the
number Of one hundred families, they shall set up
grammar school" The subject naturally divides it.
self into two parts-Q) Law pertaining TO school ON
GERS; t2) Law pertaining to teachers. The two OH
/ GERS with whom the teacher comes in contact are
! the prudential committee and town superintend-
] eut The committee, like other officers of the dis
trct, is chosen at the annual meeting Of the school
district and his term Of office continues until his sue
cess0r is chosen; 80, II for any the district
fails Of election Of prudential committee at the
annual meeting, that uthcer Of theprecedng year CON
nues to for another term The statutes Of this
state thus define the duties Of the prudential com
mittee ''The prudential committee shall keep each
schoolhouse in his district in good order and there
is schOolhuuse shall provide suitable place for
each school; shall see that fuel aud furniture and all
appendages and things necessary for the school, shall
be provided; shall appoint and agree with teacher
to instruct the school, and remove him when necessa
ry aud adopt requisite measures, not in conflict with
those Of the town superintendent for inspection ex
animation regulation and improvement Of the school,
The entire power Of securing and dschargug teachers
ln school districts IS vested by the law III the pruden
! tial committee, and the district has control over
the subject; 1t is therefore impossible for district
by its vote, to dismiss teacher. Although the stat
ute confers upon committee the power TO remove a
teacher that power is restricted far that 1t be
exercised only when necessary" contract to teach
school is like any other contract and the teacher be
dismissed without just and sufficient cause, be is en-
titled to receive damages therefor On the other haud
If the teacher violates the obligations imposed upon
him by the terms Of his contract by abandonment Of
the without reasonable and just cause, he can
/
the supreme court in this state that prudential com
mittee might lawfully exclude scholars from further
attendance for absence contrary to the rules OF the
school, though such absence by the commands Of
their Roman Catholic parents and by direction OF their
priest, to attend religious services. The school dis
trcts are bound by the contracts OF their committees
made in pursuance Of the ordinary affairs pertaining
to the duties Of that office. Thus If a school COM
mittee, without Just ard sufficient cause, should dis
miss teacher and that teacher although dismiss-
ed holds himself in readiness to perform his duties
| for each aud every day remaining Of the term for
fHh tl
engages and puts at work another teacher to complete
the term, the district would undoubtedly be under
the legal obligation Of paying both teachers. 1t is
important then, that these agents, through and by
whom the district acts, should be both competent and
reliable 1t is also worthy Of notice that dc dco
officer, though not strictly legally such, binds in
like manner, the district by his acts and contracts.
Town Experimentation statutes provide that
each town superintendent shall hold two public exam
nations Of teachers annually in the months OF April
| or May aud October or November. No examination
shall be held at any other time e1cept the accom-
mediation Of teachers prevented by sickness other
unavoidable circumstances from attending the regu-
| lar examination, and superintendents shall receive
hfty cents from each person applying for examina-
ton at any other time than at the regular public ex
animation Also the power to revoke certificate Is
thus conferred: "When, upon personal examination
o! schools, town superintendent becomes satsned
that teacher holding town certificate Is incompe-
tent to teach or govern his school, setting evil
| example before 1t, the superintendent may revoke
such certificate Any contract for teaching public
school, except that made by principal Of graded or
union school, is void unless the teacher obtains
tihcate before he opens his SCHOOL, and a committee
pays at his peril for services performed by teacher
| without such certificate But teacher may recover
for that portion Of the term during which he has had
his certificate, If it is obtained during his term Of
school. It has also been decided by courts that
teachers certificate made out and dated before the
commencement Of the school, but retained by the su-
perutendeut to be delivered when called for, and not
actually called for delivered until after the close Of
the school, takes effect from ITS date. SO eeruhcate
granted on examination after, but dated before the
beginning Of the school, is valid, provided there
seAsonable Application for examination aud the
teacher cunf0rmed TO the direction and convenience
Of tue superintendent as to the time Of the eXamina
tiOn and both acted IN good faith. Therefore teach
for his entire services u he has
thcate when the contract is made and upon the com
meucement Of school, although his certificate runs out
before the end Of his term. The town superinteud-
cut Is allowed 81 per dag for time necessarily spent
in the discharge Of his legal du,ies but the number
OF days spont IN visitation shall not exceed the mum
Der Of terms OF school taught in the town.
Te1chers-The teacher, as Blackstone says, is 'in
the place Of the parent Tue authorities all concede
the power OF the teacher under proper creumsances
to iuhict reasonable corporal punishment upon the
| pupil. The teacher must not, however, make such
powera prete1t Tor cruelty ana oppression. The ecause
must be sufficient, the instrument suitable: the man
ner aud extent Of the correction the part Of the per-
son to which 1t Is applied and the temper in which it
is iuhicted should accord with the Kindness prudence
aud propriety which becomes the station. To main.
proper and necessary discipline is the teachers
right and duty And to this end, when occasion
quires, he may expel a student; and should the pru
dental committee insist upon the return Of such pu
pill TO the detriment Of the teachers discipline the
teacher may quit the school, aud would be justified in
so doing. 1t has been decided that requirement by
district tlAt classes gram
mar spaI write compositions Is reasonable aud II the
scholar refuse to comply in the ebsence Of any re-
quest from his parents that he be excused he may for
this cause be expelled from school The teacher not
permitted TO punish the pupil for ordinary acts Of
msbehavior occurring after the dismissal Of school
and the pupils return home; yet he may, upon the
pupils return to school, punish him for any miscon
duct out Of school which has direct aud immediate
tendency to nure the school and bring the master
authority into contempt Any person over ten years
Of age, who annoys disturbs school by remaining
at or near il, or by mot departing upon the teachers
1tulf
Distribution of Public Moneys.-Sec. GG2. eli the
amount Of such moneys does not exceed $780, one
half thereof, and ii it exceeds $1,000, onehrd there
| Of shall be divided among the common-school dis
trcts in such town equally except otherwise pro-
yded in the Of districts only partially situated in
! the town. The remainder OF such moneys shall be
divided among the districts in the town, including
union districts in proportion to the aggregate attend
ance Of scholars between the ages Of ve aud twenty
years upon the schools of the district during the pre-
cedug school year, except otherwise provided in
the case of districts only partially situated in said
town. such aggregate attendance to be ascertained
from the records thereof kept in the registers of such
schools, by adding together the number Of days Of
actual attendance Of each scholar between the ages of
| hye and twenty years.
The public school system is thoroughly imbedded in
the affections Of the people, and the laws OF the state
and the land pertaining to the cause of popular edu-
cation If properly examined and arranged with care
and research, would be one Of the most favorable
commentaries upon our people aud their institutions
The audience next had the pleasure of list
ening to a song by Miss Hattie II. Goodridge
| of Westminster; after which came one of the
most valuable and interesting exercises of the
entire meeting,-some practical talks by
teachers upon different branches of school
work. These were presented by ladies teach
ing in the schools of Bratteboro. Miss
Helen j, Preston took up the subject, "Culti-
vation of the Perceptive Faculties, and gave
an admirable illustration from the study of
Botany showing how the child may be
taught to observe the simple facts about seeds,
their shape, contents, and the means proyid
ed for their distribution over the earth !;
leaves, with their varying shapes and struct
ures flowers, in the essential parts of stamens
and pistls; all these things training the
young mind to take in thoughts and impress
| sions
Miss Ella N. Palmer then spoke of Draw
ing, which is no longer a mere diversion, but
| is turned to practical account in the industrial
arts. She illustrated her own method in be-
ginning with instruction about straight lines,
then angles, geometrical figures, measure
ments, memory and rapidity in drawing /;
finally teaching the principles of design
which is most practical in the mechanical
arts.
Miss Franc E. Baldwin then gave some dio
rections upon the question which was evident
! ly matter of much thought to many present,
| "HoW Teach Children to read 2" She ad-