The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25


inspection and report by the City Superin-
tendent of Schools. Nine of the thirty
teachers belong to the city corps, receiving
only $120 per annum each from the Nor
NAL School funds, the major part of their
salary being paid from the school funds OF
the city district. At Chico they have
introduced the experiment Of training
classes, organized upon the plan OF
typical country school.
The San Francisco Normal School is
maintained by the municipality. Its ca
pacity is limited to eighty, and it trains
for service in the City schools.
The course at the State Normal schools
has been extended to four years. Connec-
ton is made with the elementary schools
by admitting pupils who present diplomas
of graduation from the highest grammar
grade of any county.
The high schools by furnishing academic
instruction locally are enabling students to
abridge this four years course to three,
possibly two The growth of these high
| schools throughout the State since 1891
has been phenomenal. III that year the
union district and county high-school bills
were passed by the Legislature. The two
| universities were ready, the time seemed
| propitious; weak districts united, ambl-
! tious towns and counties were aroused,
| and at the close of 1894 there were eighty
| three high schools in operation. The Leg
| islature of 1895 strengthened the acts, and
confidence and new impulse have come
and the outlook is most gratifying. The
| increase in the number and efficiency OF
these schools is already having its influence
upon the general teaching body as well as
the general public.
| At this date the counties territorial!y
| best covered by high schools are Alameda,
! Solano, Los Angeles. Sonoma, riverside,
San Diego, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo,
| Kings, Fresno, Del Norte. Nevada, Santa
Cruz, Santa Barbara and Orange. Nor is
any enumeration of the agencies that
mold ana equip the California teacher
complete without mention, first, of the
annual County Teachers Institute, pro-
vided by law. 1t furnishes a common
ground upon which teachers with pro-
| fessonal training meet those fashioned IN
| the school of experience. Each learns OF
| the other; eccentricities are sofUened or
eliminated and the general level OF Ell
ficiencv is raised. Second-The State AS
| ISOLATION, professional organization,
which meets annually and in larger way
performs functions somewhat similar to
those of the local bodies.
Working in connection with the associa-
ton is the educational council, composed
! of fifteen members, three of whom are
named at each annual meeting by the ex-
ecutive committee to serve for five years.
| The special business of the council is to
discuss questions of administration and
legislation and present to the general body
carefully considered plans for improve
ment. The large mem bership, long terms
and gradual change of the personnel OF
the council promise good results.
The association holds its next session in
Oakland January to 4, inclusive, and a
large attendance is expected.
The third source Of supply, immigration,
is no longer strong factor, except as
some able teacher or superintendent called
to prominent place in the State makes
his influence felt. Yet, granting that the
doctrine of strict exclusion is neither
sound nor wise as enforced against other
localities of our common country, 1t is
largely true that California is to-day pre-
|
Having thus briefly sketched the field of
| opportunity and indicated the avenues of
| preparation it may not be amiss to ask the
question how the teacher feels when the
| holiday season comes? When the heart is
! auickeped and the responsive hand opens
| in the gracious act of giving, can he
afford to give as prompted, or does his
poverty seem to grow with each recurring
| Christmastide?
This opens train of practical questions,
of which this article will admit the consid-
Grafton of but few. The average school
term in the State is 7.95 months. This
| leaves from two to six months for eXpeE-
| sive vacation or temporary change of re-
| munerative labor. There is no twelve
months employment, except in some of
| the northern counties, where the climatol-
ogy admits of six months summer term
| in the mountains and six months win
| ter term in the valleys. Indeed, some
thrifty teachers have in this way taught
thirteen months in year, and they loaned
their savings years ago at one and even
| two per cent a month and grew well-to-do.
| Others, caught in the whirl of the common
mania, bought lots and farms and houses.
| Many attempted the costly experiment
of planting and cultivating an orchard or
vineyard by proxy. In the City they
bought lots; in the valleys, ranches and
fruit farms, usually upon a falling market,
because their preoccupation precluded
! quick movement. In the mountains they
located placer and quartz claims. what
are you all doing with your mining
claims?' was asked of party of lady
| teachers at a social gathering during a
| mountain institute. waiting for an
Englishman," was the grim reply. 1t may
be safely said that there are few teachers
| employed in the State during the past ten
years who have not invested in real estate.
| Special colonization and cooperative
schemes were got up for their benefit.
All are the wiser for the experience.
Some are sadder. Few express any doubt
but that success would have come could
they but have given the investment per-
sonal attention. Such is the average teach
er's confidence and optimism! Not few
in the cities and in the hot and treeless
valleys turn with hopeful longing to the
snow line of the Sierras on whose middle
slopes lies the quarter section of sugar pine
/