The Portland daily press., 1892-03-11
PORTLAND SCHOOLS.
Annual Reports Of the Committee
Yesterday.
SUPERINTENDENT LORD RECON-
MENDS CERTAIN CHANGES.

DR.. John T. Thompson in the Report for
the Committee Also Makes Important
Recommendations-W is Done for
the CITY School Children.
The final meeting of the School COM
mittee for the year was held yesterday.
There were present the Mayor and
Messrs. Bradley, Webb, MCGOWAN, Nc
Donald, Baker, Thompson and Superin-
tendent Lord.
The business of the meeting was the
hearing and accepting of the annual re-
ports; that for the committee submitted
by DR.. Thompson, and Superintendent
Lords.
At the conclusion of the business,
upon motion of Mr.. MCGOWAN, a vote of
thanks was passed Mayor True for his
able and impartial performance of his
duties as presiding officer.
Superintendent Lord in his report said
that since the publication of the last
report fifteen of our best and most ex-
perienced teachers have permanently left
our schools. Of these fifteen six have gone
| to teach in places where they can obtain
higher salaries. In addition there have
been others who have been out of school
on a more or less extended leave of
absence. We have had twenty-four
vacancies to fill during the year. These
vacancies have been filled by election of
graduates of the Practice School, by taking
| teachers of experience in other places,
| H. e 1o,xr
had little or no experience in teaching.
Gan idea has attained in the past"
says Superintendent Lord, land I am
| sorry to say still retains a strong hold
upon some minds, that anyone who has a
high school education is capable of
teaching the lower grades of the primary
school, providing she can maintain a
certain amount of discipline; that here
is the place to put young, unframed and
| inexperienced teachers to get their
training and experience at the expense of
the mental development of the pupils.
l am certainly not alone in believing
that the first years Of school life
should be under the guidance of the
ablest and most skillful teachers"
Superintendent Lord dwells forcibly
upon this point, declaring that the sala-
ries should be high enough in the lower
SIduSS 10 llluuCe ,ullo
Best Talent to Stay There.
AS to the source from which the need
ed supply of teachers is to be drawn, the
superintendent says that under the pres
ent regulations it can be depended upon
for only five teachers each year, not
enough to supply the demand. 1t is
probably good idea to introduce some
teachers from other cities; but there is a
general feeling in the city that home tai
emit should be preferred. The question
then is, how % train this home talent.
This problem may be solved in two
ways. ~ By remodelling the practice
school in accordance with a suggestion
made by Miss Taylor, the principal,
whereby 10 instead of shall be gradual
ed yearly. ~ By raising the salaries, so
that good teachers will have some in
ducement to remain in our schools, and
if we have occasion to go to other cities
for teachers, we can get the best talent.
AS to salaries, the superintendent says
that our grammar school teachers re-
ceiYe 1925 and $3.50 year, and our pri
mary school teachers $500 year. For
these meagre salaries we expect to OBJ
tain the services of educated and skill
full teachers. We complain if our
schools are not up to the standard OF
those where the salaries are firm 5000 to
$1,000 year, forgetting that our schools
are annually drained Of their best teach
ers because we do not pay them enough.
to keep them here. In view of these
facts. I earnestly recommend that the
salaries of all those teachers who are
now receiving less than 5000 be raised
$50 each.
The plan for increasing the efficiency
of the
Practice School
is to let it have five of the best teachers
to be had, one for each class, with Miss
Taylor as principal. Admit to the school
ten pupil teachers who are to serve one
year without pay, or with pay only when
they act as substitutes in other schools.
This would give about ten new teachers
year, probably enough.
In regard to
School Houses,
the superintendent notices in relation to
primary schools the fact that, beginning