The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-08-16

increased, a graded school was estab.
lished at Saltwater, and last year ar
rangements were made for the ad-
vanced school at Jamestown.
During the year every school in the
county was visited once, about eighty
twice, and number three times. 1t
was necessary to go third time about
fifteen miles in order to visit one
school. At the two previous attempts
to visit the school it was closed by
the teacher In every district 1t was
noticed that something had been done
by the boards of directors to advance
the schools and make them more
efficient. In one hundred and fifty
two of the two hundred and thirty.
seven school rooms in the county
there is slate surface, number Of
other rooms have excellent black
board surface globes are found in
seventy school rooms libraries, or
the beginning of library, in sixty.
nine rooms; unabridged dictionaries
in one hundred and fourteen rooms /;
charts in one hundred and eighty six
rooms maps in two hundred and
seven, including those rooms having
good maps on charts. There should
be more dictionaries and more
libraries.
There were ninety-eight men and
one hundred and forty,one women
teaching in the county last year, and
as we get it there were ten thousand
and thirty two pupils enrolled in the
schools. In FIVE districts the average
salary of male and lady teachers was
more than it was the previous year,
in eight districts the average salary of
both was less, and in fifteen districts
it was the same as the previous year.
In one district the average salary paid
the lady teachers was larger than the
average salary paid the men. The
average daily attendance of pupils in
eighteen districts was larger than that
of the previous year; in nine districts
it was less, and in one district it was
the same, The cost of schooling each
pupil per month in twelve districts
was greater than it was the previous
year in fourteen districts it was less
and in two districts it was the same
J Two hundred and thirty-two of the
twb hundred and thirty-nine teachers
report that they take educational
journals and read regularly books or
professional subjects. This is a grea
improvement over few years ago
and it shows in the work. Ou
| teachers as a rule, are faithful, con
scientious, and capable, and give evi
, dence of trying each year to be bette
prepared and to do better work, bu
, the fact that school sends out pupil
a large majority of whom fail to come
, up to very reasonable standard is
= the best evidence of the continued
: utter incompetency of some teachers
| 1t is to be regretted that in severa
districts directors decreased the sala
e ries of teachers.
. A poor teacher is dear at any price
but good one is rarely, if ever, full,
renumerated for his work, and shoult
be retained even at an increase o
f salary. During the past two years
because of an increase in the length
Y of the term in some district, and
. slight increase in salary in these, ant
Y others, we have been able to hav'
E better teachers, and to keep our goo(
I; ones in the county.
E AS the salaries are being lowered
/ and the term shortened these bes
teachers are again leaving the count
= to secure positions in districts wher
e the term is long and the salary good
e This is very unfortunate. If W
y would have good schools we mus
: employ good teachers, and sue
] teachers can be secured and retaine,
# only by the continued assurance O
d being paid reasonably good wages.
k 1t is not urged that directors shoul
4 pay large, or increased salaries t
teachers Who, year after year, do n
i better work, but it is a fact that
d fair salary must be paid to secure an
S return a working, studious, progresslv
o teacher.
It l was unnecessarily interfered wit
i and delayed in my visitations to tn
n schools this year to go to Bloomsbur
n to show the minority county cor
Il missioner and county auditor that tn
n receipts deposited by me with tn
s authorities when the $500 allowed by
r law was secured for the county institut
e were proper and sufficient vouchers t
e them, and conclusive evidence thu
d the money had been properly received
o and had been expended in accordanc
D. with the provisions Of the law.
i Our account was found to be CO
rect, and it was audited without OF
re giving any other receipts or vouche
a than those given when the none
a. was received; in October but sine
s, this matter has been brought up,
at NAV be of interest to the people