Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-17
RANDOLPH NORMAL SCHOOL.
Calling Attention to the Acknowledged
Merits of that WeII-KnOVvn institute


N"iiihS ATTENTION to the Acknowledged
Merits of that WelI-Knovvn institute
ton.
The Principle.
Does man 20 to a tanner to get his horse shod
or TO a milliner to get his boots mended or send
for aawyer because his children have the measles
Men must learn how before they shoe horses or
mend boots. prescribe for measey children
The teacher deals with the noblest product of this
world and has great power to improve or to in
! jure that product. Surely. one who is to train
children into men should have special prepare
! ton for ones business
The Result of Discussion.
The advocacy of this principle seriously began
in the United States in 1896 and it has continued
| to the present day. The first two public normal
schools in the country were established in iS}g
| In 1855 there were seven of them: in 1861. twenty
seven; i'm 1870. ffty-ive; in 1888. one hundred and
thiity-four The first permanent chair Of peda
gOgy in the United States was established in the
| University of Iowa in 1873. In 1889 Their, were
| eight such chairs; since that time an educational
/ department has been opened in Clark University
! "A like department has been provided in Harvard
/ University and in one of our Vermont colleges
seniors have this year taken elective course in
pedagogy Such is the result of fifty-fvp years of
discussion and experiment Does it not Justify
the claim that a special training for teachers is
] thought desirable:
In Vermont
normal schools began work under state supervis
! ion in 1857. There are three such schools which
/ together, for the two years ending June 3D. lSQO
| furnished nearly one-seventh of the common
school teachers of the state. In towns where nor
NAL graduates have been employed longest, and
| in the largest numbers they are most sought for
! The excellence of these schools has been widely
| recognized. The Farmers Advocate of June H.
said: No agency class Of institutions in the
state is doing as much to fit teachers for their
work as the normal schools" The journal of Ed
ucation of June p, speaking Of Vermont. said
THE normal schools have never proved a more
potent factor in toning up school work than here "
and this statement quoted with approval by
the Burlington Free Press Rev. l. p. Booth. D. D.,
examiner for Washington county says: " For
! fourteen years l have had opportunity to OBJ
| serve the character and note the results of
! the work of teachers from our normal schools
and that Of less than seventy-thrte OF
these not one absolutely failed, while most Of
| them eminenty successful on method. quail
! ity Of teaching and thoroughness Of work. Hence
! am for the normal schools They are doing a
noble and much-needed work. Superintendent
Palmer says: The day is passed when any one
can successfully assail the normal principle Our
own normal schools are doing good work"
The Randolph Normal School
has been in existence twenty-four and one half
years and has graduated from its first course $50
students, and from its second course les students
The standard of scholarship was high at the be-
ginning and has been raised from time to time
since. The most notable advance in requirements
for admission was made in 1885. One first result
to the school Of this advance the smaller num-
Der Of students, but the change has been approved
by the people, as the following statements show:
fba vpar fb.
attendance was 100 number of graduates IS; for
the year ending June 3d. 1891, the aggregate at
, tendance was 49, number of graduates 81. Our
requirement for admission may be seen in our cat
alogue. Briefly stated it is good common school
education. This is
Professional School.
One-fourth the time of the first course is given
to distinctively pedagogical studies and the re
mainder of the work is pervaded by the pedagog
zeal spirit. The graduates from the school retain
that spirit. Among them are found school super
intendents of every grade college professors,
principals of high schools and academies, and
teachers in all other grades of schools They
Stand the Test
of experience as applied to large numbers and to
long periods During the twelve years for which
the numbers have been reported, this school has
furnished more than flveeighths of the common
school teachers of Randolph OF this town County
Supervisor GOodhue, in his report for 1890 said:
Randolph evidently leads in the character and
efficiency of her schools"
Our Means for Instruction
are constantly increasing. Improvements in the
school building and additions to our library, to
our apparatus and to our teaching force will be
made for the next school year, Our instructors
for the coming year are:
Principal, Edward COnant
Assistants, Mary S. Putnam, Mary L. Gates,
Harriet NJ. Hutchinson, b. s.. Ethan A. Shaw, G. f.
Assistant Pupil, a. Gertrude Estabrook.
Lecturer ON Civil Government Hon. n l.. Boy
den.
Miss Hutchinson is graduate from this school
and from Mt. Holyoke college Mr.. Shaw is a
| graduate from this school and from Norwich Uni
versity Miss Estabrook was trained in Massa-
chusetts High school The other teachers named
need no Introduction TO the patrons of this school
The other teachers named need no introduction
to the patrons of this school
Expenses Moderate.
Tuition is Sl2 half year, and the school is EN-
titled to 81 free scholarships. Text books are fur
nished at 81 a half year. Board and rooms at low
rates The next term will begin Tuesday, August
Ia ft,.t h.aV