Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-02
REPORT or SUPERINTENDENT
or SCHOOLS.

Teachers certificates have been granted
during the past year to forty -four applicants.
OF this number of certificates thirty six
have been used in this town. Two teachers
hold diplomas from normal schools and one
has county certificate, making the whole
number of teachers employed during the
year thirty-nine. As it requires only twenty
eight to fully equip our schools, it will be
seen that numerous changes have occurred.
Some Of these have been rendered necessary
by sickness and designations but more by
failure of committees TO realize that the best
work can be accomplished for the schools
only by employing those who are competent
and willing to hold the position with some
degree of permanence.
In the matter of school accommodations.
the completion of a new house in district No
. enables all the teachers in the different dis
tricts to report school buildings in good con.
dlton. The building of the new house for
the graded school in No. 3 with the opening
season, will give ample provision for the in
creasng demands upon the upper depart.
ments. The enlargement of the Intermedi.
ate department the past year and the strait.
ness of the temporary quarters used have
made the work of the teachers there excep-
tlonally dithcu 1t is to their credit that
they have accomplished so much under cir
cumstances so discouraging. The primary
schools have found relief through this en-
largement, and are now of a size easily man.
ageable. The introduction Of kindergarten
material into these schools, and the demand
for more oral work, has been followed by the
best of results. For the higher departments
the Grammar and the High schools.-it ia
sufficient to say that they are in the hands of
those who have shown themselves fully com.
petent for their work. In certain special
features these schools are certainly second to
none in the state.
Good work has also been done in districts
outside of No. 2, especially in those where
the teachers have had long experience in
the same school, as in No and in No. G. II
Is very evident that the text books now in use
In this town are fitted to produce the best re-.
suits In the hands only of the best teachers
Committees will fnd it more than ever
waste of money to employ the inexperienced
and expect them to use the books nov rs.
CURED. Attention is called to the law enact.
ed by the last legislature, extending the time
Tor the use OF these books another five years.
some districts have but imperfectly com
Piled with the old law, and as a CONSEQUENCE
the classlhcatlon in such schools has been of
the worst. Where one teacher has thirty
hye Rotations to hear in six hours. and an.
other reduces the number of classes only nv
purchasing books for the scholars with his
own funds, 1t cannot be expected that the
school will be held up as a model.
The arrangement Of terms in some of the
districts Is not such as to secure the best re-
suits in the matter Of instruction. A term of
ei3ht weeks will scarcely afford time in which
either teachers or pupils can do Justice TO
themselves. The few weeks at the end of a
dull 81.
most fruitful Better two terms of twelve
weeks, or even eleven each, than three terms
of eight
Inc article in the town warrant for the rs.
iiet OF district No. in consequence of the
loss OF Its school register, suggests a warn.
ing TO clerks and reminder to taxpayers. II
clerks would consider their register note of
hand for the amount of their public school
money, and if taEpay ers would consider that
all the district Offices require responsible men
Tor their incumbents, no district would need
10 appeal to the town for its rightful share of
the public money.
II 10 becoming serious problem what
snail be done with some of the smaller dis.
trlcts. Doubtless the adoption of the town
system OF schools would be benefit for ali
outside OF the villages. 1t would result in a
oetler grade of teachers employed; it would
give more permanenoe to the office il wonld
remove occasion for those local district fends
so injurious to the community and so great
an obstacle in the way of the teacher II
would keep school affairs from depenerafing
into farce or scandal. 1t would not nee.
essarlly lessen our number of districts but il
would secure better work in districts where
there was school. On the other hand a
town system which did not except No. from
It's provisions, would work uniustly to ali |
mat pert OF the town which could not or |
w not DC benefited by the higher grade |
Of instruction given there. As the town 10
situated the territory which is tributary To
The High school must be limited, and the d.
nand that any one shall pay for higher
grade OF instruction than is available for
llm is manifestly unjust. If exception could
~ 3;, inaue IN TINS respect movement in the
direction of the town system would donbtIass
Do one step taken toward the solution of ths
problem before us. O. H MFpp1J, 'uo
West Brattleboro, Feb. 27, 1888.