The Portland daily press., 1896-05-07
OUR SCHOOLS.
What Well Known Springfield Edu-
Gator Thinks of Them.

Mr.. Elias Brookings Visits the Butler,
Smaller and North SchooIs--He Expects
to Look Over the High School.
Mr.. Elias Bookings prominent edu-
Gator of Springfield, Mass, is passing a
few days in the city and has been visit
Ing several of our schools, notably TIE
Butler, Smaller and North schools. Mr.
Brookings is q graduate of the class of
~ OF Colby University, and after gradu-
alton was principal of Cherryfield
academy for two years. He then served
for year in the army as first lieutenant
OF the 31st Maine Volunteers. He was the
principal of the Hitchcock Free High
school at Brownfleld, Mass, from 1867 to
1869, and from 1869 has been principal of
the Centre street grammar school at
Springfield. 1t was largely through Mr..
Bookings advice that Springfield
secured Mr.. A. P. Stone, the accom-
plished principal of Portland High school
some years ago.
A reporter for the PRESS called upon
Mr.. Brookings yesterday to inquire, as
far as he HAD investigated, what he
thought of our public schools. Mr..
Bookings said that he considered the
schools he had seen as in excellent oondi-
ton. He visited number Of rooms in
each of the three schools named, and he
found them conducted on business prin-
ciples. What he especially liked was that
the teachers drove right ahead. There
was no stopping to pull out maps and
drawings for VISITORS attention, or any
other school work. They offered a. seat
and proceeded right along with their
school duties just as if no strangers were
about Their manner towards the pupils
did not change in the least. The pupils
were there to learn and they, the teachers,
were there to teach. Furthermore, said
Mr.. Bookings, you have got right,
smart set of teachers. The requirements
IN the way Of studies in the different
schools, are about on level in the two
cities, and in fact it is quite uniform in
all the cities TIE school superintendent
at their meetings arrange all that. Your
boys fit for the High school as young as
they do in Springfield and your High
school admission standard is as high as
any. Your sob GLARS seen. to be we'll up in
geography and arithmetic. I saw several
of your teachers that l would like to
have in Springfield. You pay 1926, We
pay 5000, and Albany about $780, We get
your teachers away from you If we can,
enticing them by the higher pay, and
then Albany and other larger cities play
the same game on us.
Yes, continued Mr.. Bookings I liked
the arrangement and general appearance
OF both the Butler and Smaller school
houses very much. Your North school
building did not fancy 40 much. 1t
seemed to me gloomy, and that must
have quite an effect ON the pupils. A
bright, comfortable, sunny school Ehouse
max IS great deal of difference in the
love of the pupil for school, and in aiding
him to learn.
How did find the pupils? Why, uni
forfnly attentive. 1t was evident the
teachers had grip on them. a good
teacher in putting his or her Questions
puts them SO that the pupil shall reason
ont the answer. That il the way the
pupils apparently did in the rooms
visited here, and it gave me great gratifl-
cation. There was no nonsense among
those teachers.
Mr. Bookings said he hoped to visit
the High school building while here. In
Springfield they are talking Of building
one, and he was quite interested hearing
about the one in this city.