Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-24
THE SCHOOL MEETING.
EVERYBODY EXPECTED SOME FUN
BUT 1T DIDN'T MATER1ALIzE.


for New Canal street school House.
In spite of all anticipation which had
been raised to the contrary, the annual
school meeting of district No. on Tues
day evening passed off in the most orderly
and commonplace manner possible. For
several days the air had been filed with all
sorts of rumors as to what was to happen.
The school committee were to be censured,
some other person was to be elected i'm Mr..
StOddard's place, vote was to be passed
instructing the committee to reGngage Mr..
McLachlin, there was to be general over
hauling Of the management of the schools,
and so on. But none of these things hap
pened. Aside from remarks made by
Commander A. ID. Brown criticising GER
tain acts of the committee, the proceedings
were of the most ordinary kind, the routine
business was transacted, and everybody
went home at peace with himself and all
mankind. The general expectation that
there would be lively developments called
out an attendance which filled the High
school room to overlooking, and there were
good many ladies present. When one
remembers former school meetings, how
ever, when, under some special excitement
the town hall was packed, it cannot be said
that this meeting was an especially large
one. In point of fact it was the opinion of
many people before the meeting assembled
that it would be necessary to adjourn to
the town hall, and some voters remained
at the hall expecting this to happen.
The meeting was called to order prompt
ly at s o'clock by Hon. b. d. Harris, the
moderator. 5. W. Kimball, the clerk, read
the warrant, and then under article Mr..
Harris was unanimously reelected moder-
ator. Under article DIR. Holton, chair
man of the school board. presented the
annual report of the prudential committee
and treasurer in the form in which it had
been prepared and circulated in print.
commander Brown then took the floor and
asked if discussion of the report was in
order. On being answered afiirmatively he
said that in what he had to say he wished
to divest himself of all personal feeling, as
he entertained the highest regard for the
members of the committee personally, but
felt that in their official action as a COM
mittee they We're open to criticism For
his text he took this extract from the re-
port of Miss Wood, supervisor of the lower
grades:
suffer a word ucon tn subj ct Of di .cip'iae.
II the parents knew how much assistance they
could afford by coming directly to the teachers for
information. instead of taking part against them
ON the complaints II the children. they would Ger
tainly hold their opinions in reserve Very few
children. even with the best Of Intentions report
an occurrence accurately for they do not give the
whole connection, aud any event presented incnm-
pletely is always a Is.ryrrsion Of the truth Much
time and annoyance would thus h. saved the com.
mittee as matters could be settled amicably with.
out their Intervention"
This the speaker construed as plea on
Miss Woods part for support from the
parents which the committee do not give
He had understood that pupils and parents
were allowed to go to the committee with
complaints against teachers. which the
teachers were given no chance to explain
or defend themselves against. In other
words the schools have suffered from ''tOo
much committee At this point Col.
Haskins rose to a point of order, saying
he understood that there was no mo-
ton before the house for discussion. He
therefore moved the adoption of the COM
mittee and treasurer's report. and that it
be placed on file with the officers OF the
district.
Commander Brown then went on to say
that it was well understood that trouble
exists in the High school, and that il is due
to interference by the committee in the
management of the school. The commit
tee were not elected to attend to the execu-
tive duties of the school. but to have
general oversight. The trouble with the
school has been the interference OF the
committee with the duties of the principal.
1t is well understood that strained rela-
tons have existed between the committee
and the principal and the speaker had
been told that the pupils took advantage of
this fact TO ''work" the committee If
things continue to go on in this way the
condition of the school will grow worse
rather than better. Whoever is now elected
to be principal of the High school should
be given untrammeed charge of the school
as long as he remains there, and should be
alone responsible for its order and disci-
pline.
Commander Brown also thought the
committee open to criticism for the state
ment which they printed in the village pa
pers in regard to the Boston Herald letter.
In thus throwing a bombshell into the
community they committed a grave error
in judgment. If that publication had been
withheld the discussion and criticism which
were thus aroused would have been avoided.
The statement of the committee that "any
illusions to the principal of the school were
from statements of his put the principal
in a pillory and left him there for a week.
Justice to him required that he should
have been given a chance to refute the
charges and be confronted with his ac-
cuSeTs.
The trouble with the schools, the speaker
said in conclusion, is that We have had too
much committee and too little teachers, and
a change was demanded or affairs would 90
from bad to worse. At the conclusion of
his remarks the motion of Col. Haskins
for the adoption of the report was put to
vote and unanimously carried, no answer
of any kind being made to Commander
Brown and no other person taking any
part in the discussion.
On proceeding with the election of of
tcers under article 3, 5. W. Kimball was
reelected clerk, L. w. Stoddard, whose
term as a member of the school board had
expired was reelected for three years by
a strong affirmative vote, few persons
only voting no. r. +. Gordon was re-
elected collector at the same salary as last
year, $500. G.. s. DOwley was reelected
treasurer, and A. c. Davenport auditor.
Under article 1, with regard to the num-
Der of schools for the coming year, and
their length, a motion was made to leave
this to the discretion of the committee.
Mr.. Kirwan, however, insisted on a pro
vision that the number of weeks of school
ing should not be greater than heretofore,
and the motion was adopted with this
amendment.
The reception of tuition scholars was left
to the discretion of the committee.
Article q, to see if the district will in
II