The Portland daily press., 1889-03-04
PoRTLAND's SCHOOLS.
what Superintendent fash SAYS Of
mem ard Their Work.

Aho ioiiowlng Is an abstract from the re-
port OF Mr. Thomas fash, Superintendent of
the public schools. The statistics cannot be
made up until the end of the fiscal wear
March 80:
since completion of theCarrol street school
mousse three additional have been fitted
up ior use-one in the Smaller school house,
one IN the Chestnut street house, and the
tnird In the West school house. The new
room In the West school house has been OBJ
tanned by the division of a large room in
the second story. The rooms in the other
TWO buildings had not before been fur
nished. These three rooms have all been
occupied the present term. and they fur
nisned needed relief to other rooms In these
buildings.
There is now no pressing need of future
school accommodations at the eastern and
western extremities of the city, except
possibly at the West school, The middle
portion, including the Cumberland Street
Grammar School district, the same cover
ing the Chestnut street and part of the
North Primary districts, is still lacking In
primary and in suitable Grammar School
rooms ,4asas
The Cumberland street grammar school
imperatlvely demands at least two rooms
more; 1t also needs better location for all
its rooms. Should some disaster overtake
this school. owing to its perilous location,
those who have neglected warning and in
their, oficial capacity have unreasonably
failed to make proper provision for the
school, will be the first TO ask, .s.Why had not
this been attended to?": 1t isthe only school
In the city where, so far as safety is con-
cerned; one cannot feel his children are
A primary building is now needed near the
the junction of Fore and Franklin streets to
accommodate children going to the Chestnut
street ana North school houses, where there
are not sufficient rooms for them. These Two
houses, containing in all twenty-eight pri-
mary rooms are crowded with pupils and
early provision for further increase needs to
be made
If Aladdin like there were placed in sin
gle night grammar school building of at
least the size Of the Smaller school house
near Cumberland and Casco streets; if the
interior of the high school house were remod-
eled to adapt it suitably to the uses of that
rooms were built near Franklin and Fore
streets and finally, ii the Park street school
mouse In an improved form was transferred
70 lot near the corner Sherman and Melen
streets, citizens would find their children
much better supplied with school accommo-
datlons. These are real and pressing de-
mands, and they become more pressing with
every years delay.
Before the opening of the schools in Sep
TENDER important changes will be made In
\
class: l. The period of service In this class
is to be two years instead of one. 2. Twelve
instead OF nine, candidates for teachers po-
sltions are to be assigned to the school, six
70 De admitted each year, and six, who have
finished two years. course, are to graduates
.. The salary for the first year la the train
ing class Is to be 500 per year as heretofore.
and for the second year $3.50. The adyan-
tages q this new plan are supposed to be
training, for the Young candidates for teach
ers' positions I'd. The Securing of of better better
instruction for the Spring street school
Whlch Is under the charge of the Practice
Oiass. IL VIII take time to prove the value
Oh thls plan: In theory it seems desirable
except that it will increase the cost of in
struction in the school. The school, howey-
or, still costs the city less than other schools
OF ire size, besides training these young
women for school work free of expense to
the city.
SCHOOL WORK AND PROMOTIONS.
1t is not the amount of school work done
SO much as the worry incident to doing lit
that fatigues. The most nervous children
are most susceptible to worry over competi- |
ton tests, and such are especially exposed |
to this feeling In large classes in graded |
SCHOOLS. IL Is question that has been more |
IMAM once considered in this Board whether |
the bestowment of medals in the High |
ochool Is 5udicious. This, and promotion by |
rank tests, again desire to bring to your /
consideration. 1t was remarked in our last |
years report that: 1T is the. opinion of |
many educators, and in this we fully concur,
tnat promotions in system Of schools may |
safely be made without any ranked tests /
whatever. We believe we may safely risk /
promotions In our own schools, If allowed to /
DO SO by the Board, upon the fitness of pu-
pills as determined by the Judgment Of the |
superintendent and committee"
we believe that experience will justify in |
going even a step further, and in asserting |
That 1t should not be the presumption that |
pupllSl0f the same class are to be carried |
through the successive grades together, and |
that there is no more reason for their being |
between June and September than |
between May and June, or October and No |
vember. A pupil may at any time be re- |
moved from bis class to the class above, or |
the one below, when his good is to be pro- |
NOTED by the change, and better classified |
rion secured. Many considerations are to be |
pupil from one class to another, such as
health, loss of time, habits of study, natural |
- pacity, age, attachments, etc.
4 he ordinary daily recitation is an ever re- |
,urrh. g oral test of the progress of pupils |
written tests may show with greater preci- |
ion theh standing as individuals and as |
ID sees ono bring to light the excelences |
md de3cienri. sof school work. These tests |
viii show the te. cher what the good of iiidi- |
,iduals and of the {. ass requires.
MANIrAT n tAINING.
While considering seho.. studies l wisl, |
gain to bring to your attentiol ana the at /
ention of the City Council the des 'rableness
# connecting manual instruction VIII our
chools. Is viii be remembered that tw.
number of citizens representing
large per cent of the property of the city,
United 10 a petition to the City Council to |
make moderate appropriation to estab-
ish such instruction in the first classes in
,ur grammar schools. These petitioners are
representative in character, and if APP
preached hundreds of others would unite In |
he same request. The city has an excellent
building which could be fitted up for the pur
bose, and the expense for year would not
% great This subject is now so generally
discussed in the magazines and newspapers
If the country that most are familiar with |
he arguments for the introduction of manu-
Il instruction in the public schools.
cIvIcs. ~
We have in ''Nordhoff's Politics for Young
Americans in the High School, systemat-
C study of our political system, and in the
list classes Of the grammar schools the study
If the Constitutions of our Nation and State |
s taken up as required by State law. When
,ver our course of study rs revised, it Is rec
)mmended that the claims Of civic instYuc- |
ion for further place IN cur schools be |
carefully considered.
SCHOOL WORK.
The work of the schools this year has pro-
PRESSED favorably in all directions. This
progress has been aided by the cooperation
If parents in securing prompt and constant
good discipline and diligeps
tudy.
The discipline in the schools improves
rom year to year. Corporal punishment
s gradually diminishing. In several OF our
arge schools it is now either not at all or
'ery rarely used. By comparing statistics
n this and earlier years, this change will be
pparent. As schools further improve, it
will soon be safe to dispense with this mode |
# punishment altogether.
There has been, during the past ten years.
marked gain in the schools in several re- |
poets.
TEACHERS
There have been this year 100 regular |
eachers in the employ Of the school board,
With an average attendance of 81 pupils to a
eacher, including all the schools. Ten years
nce there were 122 teachers in the schools
With an average attendance Of 81 pupils to
eacher.
Fewer changes among the teachers have
aiken place than usual. About II of the for |
ner teachers have closed their work, and
nearly double that number, including an en-
arged practice class, have entered ON the |
work. 1t is not to be affirmed that all our |