Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-03
Vermont Teachers Association.

December 28, in the vestry of Trinity church in
this village. There was goodly number OF peo-
Pile present when President Leavenworth called
the meeting to order Prayer was offered by
Rev. d. T. Miller OF Montpelier Rev. ii Y. Hill,
superintendent OF schools In the town OF Mont
peler, made an address OF welcome, to which the
president OF the association made fitting re-
Spouse.
The subject assigned for the evenings discus
sion was: 1.-THE town OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES he
can and cannot do" The state superintendent
OF education was present but failed to take the
part Indicated on the programme. This action,
or rather inaction, produced a marked depression
upon the spirits OF the audience but the feelings
OF detection were soon dispelled by the earnest
ness of the speakers who followed. Rev l. p
Booth superintendent OF Mortified schools de-
plored the lack Of independence that supern-
tendents show in granting certificates to incom-
petents for fear OF offending committeeman
Schools improve rs the mental equipment OF the
teacher improves The superintendent first
duty is to license only competent teachers. lie
should then give the teacher his hearty support,
advise the inexperienced and be prepared to
answer the questions of the progressive. He
should consult with Committeeman; urge patrons
TO visit the schools and appoint meetings at which
the educational interests of the town and district
are discussed.
Principal W. H. Sanderson, superintendent in
Woodstock, read an article showing that the
superintendent is hindered by the low estimate
the public puts upon the value OF his work.
When the governor of a state goes out of his way
to cry down the study Of Shakespeare and other
English classics in the schools, what educational
abOminaton may not those in humber circum-
stances be guilty OFF The people do not relish
interference with their schools, and the law OF
the state seems TO hint that the LEES visiting the
superintendent does the better. Though hindered
by popular prejudice and cramped by legal enact
ments, the town superintendent can do much by
refusing to license the unqualified, by making
visits to improve the schools rather than to make
up a report, and by holding teachers meetings.
Rev. Foster Henry, superintendent in Caven-
dish, said the educational darkness in Vermont
reminds him of the condition of the heather
world in the time Of Judson-not absolutely be
yond conversion but 1t took six years to make
single convert. 1t will take longer to establish
the best educational system and methods in YER
mont After trial OF many years Massachu-
sets has abolished the district system. Its day
has gone by. The town superintendent should
be the best man in town; he should be kept in
office so that he may be further qualified by ex-
perience; he should inform himself thoroughly
In regard to the state of education throughout
New England He should suggest improvements
in school legislation and visit faithfully, even
though the law gives him no pay and public sent-
ment has not planted hitching post within a
mile of the school house.
Superintendent J. d. Emerson Of Jericho
quoted GOethe's saying, that " Three things gov
ern the world: love, wisdom and appearance
Love is correct sentiment wisdom Is correct in
sight, appearance is the seeming of being and,
whether false or true, seeming will furnish the
foundation for practical action Every superin-
tendent should have a philosophy. Out of II
nobody nothing comes. The superintendent
should be an inspirer of cheerfulness and good
manners; he should emphasize the culture OF
memory and the development of reverence. He
should recommend regard for the differing tenn.
peraments Of individual scholars. The school
ma'am already knows how to secure the atten-
ton of one young man; he should teach her how
to secure the attention of twenty. The superin-
tendents are to blame for the unqualified teach
hn f..nN IN hon "a
boss or privates to fight without captain, then
can we expect good results in the schools without
supervision
il. o. Wheeler, the gentemanly and efficient
superintendent of the Burlington schools, read a
paper that met with hearty welcome. A good
superintendent is a necessity With the right
kind of supervision there are better teachers, a
larger attendance and better system. System
is az necessary in the public schools as i'll a man
ufacturng establishment
Superintendent Randall of Rutland impressed
upon the superintendent the necessity of larger
attendance. lie thinks that at least ninety per
cent of the children between five and twenty
years OF age should be regularly in the public
schools. Not more than half that number do at
tend People hide their children or pretend they
| are sick The superintendent can do little except
| to create public opinion in favor OF compu'
| sorry education. The meeting was well attended
and il superintendent keep their good resolu.
| tons in mind during the coming year we shall
| see better teaching in our schools.
FRIDAY MORNING.
The exercises of the day were opened with the
| reading of Scriptures and prayer The subject
| for discussion was The present system and fu.
| ture prospects of the common schools" Henry
Priest principal of Goddard Seminary, Barre
| led off with some remarks upon The present
| system" The district system, he said had moi
always existed in Vermont 1t was adopted hall
| a century ago because it was thought to be bet
ter adapted to the then existing state of things.
I,,L 20 In
| of to-day, The state needs good educational ia
cilites to place it on level with other states
These little independent demOoraces, as the dis.
tricts had been called, are check upon improve.
ment in popular education, and as long as the
district system is maintained there cannot be
more interest in the common schools. The slight
interest is shown in the small attendance at school
meetings That the interest is as small as can be
appears by the lack of visitors to the school room
The names of a few boys and girls visiting theii
| mates appear upon the register. The name oil
the superintendent is recorded at long intervals
| but the parents do not visit the schools. There
is no danger of making any change that can les
| sen their interest More interest is shown il
| their flocks and herds than in the education Of
| their children. There can hardly be system In
which the interest would not be improved. Per
| manency in management IL essential to success
| but under the present system the office Of pru
| dental committee Is handed about the district
| held year by one individual and then passed IL
rotation to another. Each district has six OF
more Omcers, so tnat eaCn town VIII nave IrOu
| sixty 10 seventy-five school officials with from
| twelve to forty prudential committees. 1t woulC
| be as reasonable to have for the management o
town affairs forty selectmen or forty overseers o
| the poor. Lessen the number of these officials
| concentrate the management and there will bt
| an increase in efficiency. Under the present sys
| TEN there is practically no official responsibility
The essential point is to hire teacher as cheaply
| as possible The committee does well If thu
| school tax is very low. II complaint is made o
Il inptfipipnpv the ri pf the teacher the
| mittee shirks the responsibility upon the super
| intendent for giving that teacher a license. |
the superintendent is taken to task he throws thu
responsibility back upon the district whicl
| wanted a cheap teacher. Responsibility rests no
| where and the general result il poor schools
| Work done in the schools Is affected by the pres
| ent system of management. In spite of the sys
| TEN there are some good Schools In consequence
| OF it there are many poor ones. With new
| teacher term after term, even good teacher cal
do very little good work. Half the time and ex
pense is wasted by changes. The effect is ba,
| even when good teachers are hired, and iniinitel
| worse when the teachers are not properly quail
fed. In word, the present system is no
| adapted to the demands of the times, there il IL
| pernanency of officers or teachers under it, n
| efficiency, no responsibility which can be main
| tanned from term to term, lack of interest al
round Things cannot be made worse than the
| are under the present system; they can be mad
| immeasurably better under a change OF system.
Professor Dole OF Lewis College advocated tn
| Town system rs tne DeSt remedy Tor the evils de
| picted by Mr.. Priest. Public sentiment, from
| misconceptiou of what the town system il, h
believed was strongly against that system and h
| urged the importance of efforts to enlighten tn
| public and create q sentiment in its favor
| lively debate on the general question followed, i
| which Revs j. D. Emerson Of Jericho and A. 1
| Barber advocated the district system. Princpa
c. c. Cove did not put his trust in any system
| lie thought the present condition of the school
was largely attributable to the fact that the char
| acter Of those who patronize the district school
| has changed during the last half a century. Rev
l. p Booth of Mortified thought the root OF tn
matter would be reached by placing a highe
ideal before the teachers and by working up t
that ideal. He believed in the efficacy OF liv
and competent teachers. Rev J A. Pierce be
lieyed in good system, and thought II the char
acter OF those who patTonized the district school
had deteriorated that there was all the more rea
son for placing them under town management
MI Priest replied TO some misstatements whic
had been made respecting the operation of tn
town system in this state and urged the villag
lyceums all over the state to take up this discus
sion and thus bring the matter of school reforI
home to the communities themselves.
| President j. d. Beeman of the Vermont Con
ference Seminary made brief but pointed &C
dress upon the importance of thoroughness in IL
struction. He illustrated by examples draw
from his experience as a teacher the differenC
between doing things right and well and meehan
cal methods Of instruction, methods which in
part smattering only of knowledge He cal
toned teachers against helping scholars out b
the manner OF asking questions Never help
child recte lesson. He believed in topics
recitation, in child recting all that was en-
braced under given topic without any help II
insisted upon good teachers for the schools an
believed the teachers should stand between ii
best good of their schools and the whims an
preiudces Of the public.
President Buckham Of the University of We