The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-23
Butte Department.
NOT FAVORABLY MET
An Order of the School Board That
Is Offensive to Teachers.
REDUCTION IN STANDING
First Grade Certificates VIII Pass
Now Under the Third Grade
Heading-Professo Kern's
Report Corrected.
REDUCTION IN STANDING

Report Corrected.
The board of school trustees at their
last meeting made an order that Is
not meeting with particular favor with
the teachers. Probably two-thirds Of
all the teachers held first grade certih-
Gates. obtained before the state super
intendent mapped. out a new plan of
examinations, and an arbitrary order
was made that such certificates should
pass only for third grade certificates.
After this general reduction in the
standing of the teachers the board
came along with another order made
at its last meeting that no teacher
holding a lower than second grade GER
tifcate would be employed next year
and written notices of this order have
been sent to every teacher.
The probable result will be that
score of the very best teachers in the
district will not teach next year be-
cause they have for years been in
structing in the lower grades where
the higher studies, in which they are
now required to take examinations,
were not taught and consequently the
overworked teachers became rusty"
in such studies and the new order COM
ing so suddenly they will not have
time to brush up" before the next
examination. Many teachers do not
hesitate to call the order an unjust and
unreasonable one, but the trustees
have a theory and results are not con-
sidered. Close on the order that teach
ers would be required to take examina-
tions, notices were received from a
number of Instructors" who are will
ing to help the teachers along at so
much per help Some Of these instruc-
tors, IL is claimed, are ready to give
instructions in studies they have never
studied and in which they themselves
could not pass an examination II their
lives depended on il. The questions
submitted at the examinations are pre-
pared by the state superintendent and
II has been charged by some that the
questions are gotten up for the APP
parent purpose Of sticking" the teach
er and not TO determine her knowledge
OF the studies in which she is exam
ined On the whole the teachers lot
does not seem to be a rosy one. The
Butte schools have been very fortu-
nate in competent teachers. but ii is
probable that many of them will be
looking for other employment after the
present term.
The following from ex-Superinten-
dent Hendricks is of interest, and ex-
plains itself:
II have been requested to correct
Superintendent Kerns report sub
mitted to the board of school trustees
at a recent meeting. In the report Mr..
Kern gives the following comparative
statement:
1S92-3-5O teachers employed. To-
tai enrolment. ........3,5U
1ssS-4-6S teachers employed. To-
tai enrollment....... ............S,516
1s94-5-s7 teachers employed. To-
tai enrollment........ ............3,665
1S95-6-92 teachers employed To-
tai enrolment, (siX months) $3.50. 3,749
THE above report is not correct. 1t
was not taken from the official reports.
The official reports on file in the coun-
ty superintendent Office are as fol-
lows:
1S92-3-70 teachers employed. To-
tai enrollment........ ........... .3'57
1s93-4-S3 teachers employed. To-
tai enrollment........ 3,7s1
1S94-5-S5 teachers employed. To-
tai enrolment. ............4 ,O23
Mr.. Kern reports an enrolment for
1866 (six months) of 3.749, with a
corps of 80 teachers. The enrolment
for the corresponding six months Of
last year, 1S94-5, was 3.765, with a
corps of 50 teachers. Notwithstanding
the rapid growth Of the city, there are
now not as many children i'm the public
schools as last year. Ii appears to me
that the teaching force has been in
creased far beyond the needs of the
district. The trustees ask for $4,000
TO maintain the schools, which is over
$4,000 in excess of actual expenses for
10 months school In fact the same
salaries can be paid and schools main
tanned for 10 months for SS5 900 with a
balance to the credit of the district.
Revolving door frauds. charity labor
Jobs and extravaganza in the purchase
OF unnecessary supplies all result from
a large treasury balance"
The annual election of trustees will
take place April 4, a week from next
Saturday. According to the present in
tentions of the board there will be but
one polling place to accommodate the
entire district which covers an area Of
probably four miles or more, taking in
South Butte, Walkerville. Meaderville,
Centerville and Butte. The polling
place will be at the High school build
ing. Section 1913 of the political code
provides for three polling places. 1t
reads as follows: I'm incorporated cit
les having a population OF four thou
sand or more, the trustees may eStab-
lish three polling places in the dis
trict."
That well known correspondent, "a
Subscriber" has a column contribu-
ton IN the last issue of the Basin Times
concerning the Butte schools and their
government. The following is a small
portion of the mildest part of the arti-
Gle:
Butte. Mont. March 10, 1896.
Editor Basin Times: Superintend-
ent Kern of the public schools of Bu,te
recently issued the following unique
circular letter. The city teachers are
now making psychological experiments.
gathering information and looking up
the family history OF the parents of the
children. 1t appears to Superintendent
Kern as one OF the most important
items of information to know the child
thoroughly and 10 know the child IL ia
necessary 10 know the parents. The
following Is Superintendent Kern's let
ter:
To Principals and Teachers: To