St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-02-26

and of thorough supervision. on the
part of school officers, the aggregate in
results is IN advance of reasonable ex-
pectation.
In the supervision of the schools it
has been my aim not merely to inquire
into the condition and management,
but to see that the schools were prop
erly organized; suggest such changes
as seemed advisable; offer criticism
where required. and SEQ that the sew
erai schools were making progress in
their work. Some advancement has
been made in the attempt to bring the
courses of study in the ungraded
schools into more definite and practi-
cal form, but much in this direction
remains to be done in the future.
One great embarrassment encounter
ed by superintendent, is the custom
of changing teachers nearly every term,
as practiced by many of our school dis
tricts. Ten schools have changed
teachers during the year; four of the
ten have had a new teacher for each
of the several terms of their school.
School officers pronounce, and justly,
this practice pernicious and democrat
izing, relieving teachers of that sense
Of responsibility in their work that a
longer term of service would naturally
impose. This custom allows the last
teacher employed to put the scholars
back in their studies on the plea of lack
of thOrOughness on the part of former
teachers and thus many schools are
found going over the same work term
after term.
Some changes in schools have been
made during the year, district No, %
having put in fourth room much to
the profit of the school. In the union
district two schools are merged in one ;
as these were of the same grade the
change was not Objectionable. There
is pressing need of two schools in No.
10, and efficiency of work cannot be
also lack of enterprise manifest in
several districts in the shortness of the
terms of school. No district can afford
less than 30 weeks of school. Statis-
tics will be given at the close of the
school year embracing matters of in
terest to the town.
In closing this report | would say
that the years experience among the
schools of the town has served more
than ever to discern the defects of our
wasteful, inefficient and inequitable
district system of school management,
when brought into comparison and con
trast with the town grade system in
successful operation in the union dis
trict of our village. 1t would not he "a
weighty task to show that far too large
portion of the sum raised and eX
pended i'll support of our district
schools is barren of anything like ade-
quate results; that school officers, pow
erless under the law to assume or reg
any appreciable extent, and hence ir-
responsible, simply allow the schools
to "run"-tlIeir duties ut an end when
they have engaged Il young and mex
perienced girl to keep" instead of
teach the school. But the evils grew
ing out of the present system of school
/, IN a
taken up and discussed in report of
this kind. | will simply add that some
of these evils must be speedily abated
or not few of our schools will become
worthless if not extinct, and in the
near future; and many who are serl
ously weighing this matter are turning
in hopeful expectation of good things
TO come from the adoption of the town
system of management. We could
hope that it would compel
effective school supervision, and lead
to a more economical and profitable
use of school money; that it would
lead to the employment of better teach
ers that it would give better school
houses and better school appliances in
rnral districts; that it would give the
schools in rural districts the benefit of
the grade system and hence give bet
ter schools in place of many that are
small and uneHterprising that it,
would serve to equalize the privileges
among the children of the town, doing
away with the injustice arising from
the unnquai length of terms in the sew
araI districts that it would equalize
taxation. Let It's have and apply it.
f. w. CULVER, Supt.