Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-03-11
mirably in her efforts to interest the


er was employed through the Who'll,
year. Miss Nelson was very consci
entious in her work and is deserving
of praise for the creditable manner il
which she conducted the school.
The school in the Heath district has
been considerably broken up during
the year On account of sickness ane
other causes, four teachers have beer
employed to teach the twenty si1
weeks of school = this fact in Itself
enough to make poor school. II
addition to this there has been q lack
of experience on the part of some OF
these teachers which has further tend
ed to lower the standard of the school
However, some good work has been
done and trust that the work Of the
coming year may be less interrupted.
AS a whole, the teachers of the town
have done faithful and conscientious
work. In some cases there may have
been a lack of experience and judg-
ment, but it was "of the head and not
the heart.'' I believe the teachers
are entitled to credit for the faithful
manner in which their part of the
school work has been performed.
In August last, I invited the teach
ers of the town to meet for the pur-
pose of forming a teachers associa-
ton. An organization was effected,
and meetings have been held once in
three weeks at Barton and Barton
Landing, alternately. At these meet
ings, papers have been presented re-
lating to the different phases of
school work, and difficult questions,
cry teacher, have been thoroughly
discussed. This Interchange of ideas
has aroused the teachers to do better
work and the truth of the adage, GIN
union there is strength" has been
plainly demonstrated.
One of the things which impressed
me most forcibly as entered upon my
work was the great difference between
the graded and the ungraded schools,
and the necessity of some system of
grading in the rural districts. This
fact was very plainly brought out in
the report of my predecessor, but
one must see for himself IN order to
fully realize it, AS a matter of ex-
pertinent, L introduced into the schools
of the rural districts a regular course
of study, consisting of ten years. work,
suiting it to the needs of the schools
SO far as I was able, and at the same
time asking the teachers to report
what success they had with it. The
replies convince me that some such
system is very feasible. By it the
teachers were able for the most part
to classify the smaller scholars. The
older scholars, having had only part
of the work of the earlier years of the
course, were not SO easily classified.
But if such a course were continued
for few years, the scholars of these
schools would gradually all come into
the classification. One of the obsta-
cles to such a system has been the
lack of suitable text books and sup
plies. The new text book law will be
of great advantage in this respect.
Another hindrance has been the
length of the school year-only TWEEN
ty- six weeks. The law now compels
us to have twenty eight, and I should
recommend that every district in
town have not less than thirty weeks
of school. The graded schools of the
town should have at least thirty three
weeks, and | believe that if the school
year were extended even longer than
that, we should see more and better
work done. The great majority of
our boys and girls will never have
the opportunity to pursue their stud
les beyond our graded schools, and if
we are to have public spirited citi-
zens, those who will have at heart the
best interests of the community, we
must make these schools as efficient
as possible.
There are several things which help
to make up a good school, but the
teacher is the most important factor.
We should demand the best teachers,
and the rural districts should have
just as good teachers as the villages.
Pay enough so that the teacher can
afford to thoroughly fit herself for
teaching, and then require good work.
A poor teacher is expensive, however
small may be her compensation. A
really good teacher is cheap at almost
any reasonable price. But do not
think that your responsibility ceases
when the teacher is hired. Visit the
school and see what she is doing.
wish I might impress upon every cit
izen the inheritance of this. 1t will