St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-07
OFFICIAL.
Proceedings Board of Education.
Published in the St Paul Daily Globe May
7th, 1891.

Regular Meeting.
ST. PAUL, Mimi. May 4, 1891.
President Haas in the chair.
Present-Inspectors Croonquist, Fo-
ley, Giesen. Keogh, Kuhles. Merrill.
Nettleton. Rodger, Schefer, Wright and
Mr.. r.President-11.
On motion, the minutes of the last
meeting were approved as published.
and the rea ing of the same dispensed
with.
COMMUNICATIONS.
From the City Comptroller
Returning a bill previously allowed by
the Board 10 the Committee on Re-
trenchment'' and requesting an item.
lied statement for the amount of same.
Referred to the Committee on FL
nance.
FROM George DoX-
rendering his resignation as janitor
of Lincoln school, stating reasons, and
requesting an investigation of the
same.
Referred to Committee on Fuel and
Janitors.
From B. Converse, Chairman
Expressing the sentiments of COM
mittee of the q. A. r. posts of this city
regarding the observance of Memorial
day in the schools.
lSlCIlCQ W OOIiltulIGSS OCuOOlS,
with power to act.
From the Superintendent of Schools
ST. PAUL. Minn., May 4, 1891.
To the President and Members of the
Board of Education.
GENTLEMEN: | herewith present my
report for the schOol month of April,
1891:
The total number of pupils admitted
to all the schools during the school year
to date is 17,793, an increase over last
month Of 79S and over April of last year
of 1880.
In accordance with the rules of the
board meeting of all the teachers of
the city was held in the assembly hall
OF the high school on the morning of
Saturday, April IS, at which time gen.
eral business was transacted and an adj
dress delivered by the Superintendent.
AS this is the last report that | shall
have the honor of making to the present
Board of Education, desire to very
briefly review the progress of the pub
lie schools during my incumbency as
Superintendent OF Schools under this
Board.
In April, 1889, after the death of my
late lamented predecessor, Mr.. S. S.
Taylor, you did me the honor of elect
ing me Superintendent of Schools of
the City of st. Paul. l entered upon my
duties little realizing the magnitude of
the work before me. The total number
of pupils enrolled in all the schools at
that time was 1l,7O5; for the present
year up to date v have enrolled 1873.
The number of teachers then in the en-
plOy of the board was 34S; the number
employed at the present time is 449.
There were then thirty-SiX school build
lngS belonging to the Board, since
which time the following named build
ingS have been erected and occupied:
Hawthorne, Harrison, Fisher Ames, S.
S. Taylor, 'Tilden, Sheridan, Ericsson
and Maxfield. besides the w. L. Sher-
man school, which was dwelling house
bought by the Board of Education and
fitted up for school purposes, and some
rented rooms at the corner of Edmund
and Victoria streets. now used as pub
lie school.
This is brief survey of the work of
your honorable body for two years.
Certain important changes have been
made in the internal workings of the
schools. Five branch high schools were
established, two Of which have since been
discontinued. Manual training has
been given home and placed upon a
substantial basis. Sewing has been in
treduced and continued until recently,
to the great benefit of many. The
course of study of the schools has been
largely remodeled, to adapt it more
| nearly to modern ideas of public educa-
tion. The results of these changes can
not be fully seen until the publication
OF the Manual at the close Of the present
school year.
The most pleasing change has been in
the teaching corps itself. Political in
t1uence in the matter of appointment has
been reduced to minimum, and the Drn-
cipleS of civil service reform, being pro-
motion upon examination and success
full experience, have been introduced
INTO the management of the schools.
The result has been the development of
a spirit of study. desire for culture
and an esprit de corps such as is rarely
found among bodies of teachers in this
country.
When to these shall have been added
the effect of the new law making appoint
mentS permanent, and thus removing
the distressing element of uncertainty
which is always so prominent in the
teaching profession, the external condi-
tions of the st. Paul teachers will be
most favorable to good work. | believe
that we have now corps Of teachers
equal to that in any city of the United
States, and that this is improving and
Will continue to improve,
l will not burden you with a longer
report, but l deem it but fair to say that
this Board has generally supported the
administration of its schools and fos-
tered what was good, and that
their present efficiency and pro-
gressiveness is largely due to the Board
of Education. Personally, also, | desire
to thank the Board, both as individuals
and as body, for their friendly interest
and personal support during my encum-
bency.. In your retirement feel that 1
am losing personal friends. and in the
retirement of the Board as such feel
that l am losing body of men with
whom work has been pleasure and
who have had close to their hearts the
interests of the public schools. l trust
that after the dissolution of this body
the friendly relations with you as men
and members of the community will
continue.
Appended is table of statistics.
RpSnQetfI1IIu cr1hmitfad