The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-09-20


the check VI the last months salary untl they
have approved his term report. (See chapter Al
section 6, School Laws of Texas, and you are To-
sructed not to approve the same until the register
containing the term report properly made out and
sworn to by the teacher and approved by the trus
tees has been returned 10 you. am preparing 8
circular to teachers, giving explicit instructions
othe" details of schoul management, and, il you
will furnish me as soon as convenient, with the
names and addresses of the teachers in your
county, will send the circular to each one of
OSCAR H. Co PER,
State supt Pub Instruction.
send also to the trustees of your county clruu.
lar No Il, which embOdies so much of the school
law as relates directly TO their duties. Yor are
respectfully asked to direct their atteati0n specially
TO sections ID and 81, AID the instructions gwen
under these sections, az they bear upon the
amounts promised in contracts with teachers.
Very respectfully, OSCAR d. COOPER,
State Supt. Pub. Instruction.
The sections and instructions alluded
to are as follows:
Thirteenth-All public schools in this
state shall be required to have taught in
them photography, reading in English,
penmanship, arithmetic, Euglish gram
mar, modern geography and com position,
and other branches as may be agreed on
by the trustees, or directed by the state
superin 'endent.
The subject taught in the school should
be considered in connection with the pos
sible length of the school term.
The constitution of the state intends
that every public school in the state shall
be kept open at least six months each
year. Trustees and county superintend-
ents should bear this provision in mind in
making contracts. If the fund appor-
TONED TO the school is small, it is an i'm
portant duty of trustees to aid in arous-
ing the spirit of self-helP in the COM
munity, so that good teacher may be
employed and retained at least six
months. School districts should levy
local taxes, and the necessity and economy
of this levy may be most effectively shown
the people by the trustees of the district.
If local taxes are not voted, it will be gen
orally advisable to limit the subjects re-
quired to be taught free in the school to
those prescribed by law, that is, reading,
writing, spelling, arithmetic, grammar,
geography and composition. If the
trustees should not prescribe any other
ubjects, reasonable fees may be fixed by
them for instruction in additional sub
jects, and the means obtained to run the
school for longer time. The primary
object of our school law is to give six
months schooling each year to children
between the ages of and 16 in spelling,
reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar,
geography and composition. Instruc'
ton in these subjects is the first object of
the public school system, for these sub
jects give the knowledge and training
x,hi oh aooantioI fn nnnH aiti1anahIn
Contracts with teachers for schools to
which forty or more children of scholastic
age belong, should if possible, stipulate
a school term of at least six months
If the fund apportioned to the school
will not enable the trustees to
employ for so long time the teacher
they wish to employ, they should either
procure local tax, or arrange to supple
ment the teachers salary by fees for in
struction in extra subjects and fees for
the tuition of pupils over and under the
scholastic age, or by subscriptions from
public spirited citizens. Schools which
are too small to pay teacher for six
months should, wherever it is practicable,
be consolidated with other schools. 1t is
better for children to go two or three
miles to a good school for six months
than to go one mile to poor school for
three months.
Neighborhood rivalries and sectarianism
must not be allowed to increase the num-
Der and lower the quality of the schools.
The welfare of tbs children should be
placed above all personal differences and
local jealousies.
81 Trustees in making contracts with teachers
shall determine the salary to be allowed or wages
to be paid upon the following rates of tuition: To
teachers holding q first clase certificate, not more
than $3.50: to those holding second cla' certif-
cate not more than 81; and to such as hold thi
class certificate, not more than per month per
capita shall be ALLOW ed for pupils within the scho
sstic age. And it shall not be lawful for trustees
or teachers to demand as conditoa OF abundance
into school the payment OF extra tuition OF pupile
of scholastic age: Provided, That in no event
ehsll teachers holding o fret class certincs te re
ceiye from the public free school fund more han
S75 per month, and those holding second Class
certificate more than $50 per month, and those
holding third class Ger lhcate more tDa $oo PEI
month
The salaries mentioned in sections &c
and 81 are the highest salaries which Can
be promised by trustees. 1t is not posi-
BILE for trustees in many communities to
pay the highest salary allowed by the law
aud continue the six months, as the con-
tuition intends. The slate school fund
should in no case be the sole dependence
for the tacher's salary. 1t should rather
be regarded as an important help to the
community or district, and additional
funds should be raised by local tax; or,
where that is not possible, as in commun'
ity counties, by private subscription
The tuition of "overs and under" II
prompt collection is enforced, will helI
materially in most communities. Trus
tees shold use all possible aids to secure 6
public school term of at least six Donths
Trustees should consider the grade o.
the school in fixing the teachers salary
Third grade schools schools in which
spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic
grammar, and geography only are to b
taught) should not pay more than $3'
per month; second grade schools (schoolI
in which composition and history arr
taught) may pay $50 per month, it tn
fund will allow; while schools of the firs
grade, in which algebra, geometry
physics and physiology are taught, ma!
pay as much as $75 per month.
INSTRUCTIONS.
First-The trustees have the right II
make contracts with one or more teacher
to teach the school or schools under thei
control. But they can not make binding
contract with any teacher who does no
hold valid certificate at the time whel
the contract is made. A contract between
the trustees and a teacher is not foil
| until hos raoo;uo1 o-.rouo