The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-07
FROM THE REGULAR CLASSES.
THEY WORK AN INJUSTICE no
THE OTHER SCHOLARS, HE
r THINKS.
THE SYSTEM OF SUPERVISORS.
The New Superintendent VIII ToIer-
ate il Ii III Is Properly Held In
Check.

Gay listened to the plea of a delega-
ton of Seventh warders who want a
school built near Ridgewood park. The
request was referred to the committee
on real estate
Mr.. Scholle, as chairman of the fl
nance committee, was directed to go
before the city council to argue in be-
half of the budget
Supt Curtis presented the following
report. his first
l find in the code of regulations govern
ing the schools of St Paul a rule requiring
from the superintendent monthly written
report of the condition of the schools, to-
gether with such suggestions and recon-
mendatfons as the needs of the schools, in
his judgment, require.
l may be able to live up to that require
ment only IN FORM at this, your first monthly
meeting since my induction into office. For
you must appreciate the fact that SUFFICIENT
time has not yet elapsed since my entrance
upon the duties of superintendent to enable
me to thoroughly investigate the workings Of
so large a system and fully ascertain your
educational conditions and needs.
| have had sufficient time, however, to
make some general observations, and am
able to deduce therefrom certain conclusions.
The schools of st. Paul, doubt, have
shared ip the mistakes and defects Of all
large city systems but, relatively to other
systems of Similar magnitude their manage
and productive of good results.
| find, here a well-arranged system, with
a large number of spacious and well-equipped
buildings, with a corps of intelligent and eff
nc1ent teachers, with "a curriculum enriched
with those elements of culture, Of which the
Older public education had slight knowl-
edge and for which some of our ultra-con-
seryat1ye educators have still but little use,
but Which the progressive modern view holds
no less essential than the time-honored
fundamentals.
| find among the principals abundant evil
dence Of a wholesome professional spirit,
earnest. desire to promote the highest vel
ware of the schools, with, perhaps, some
natural difference Of opinion concerning the
best methods Of reaching the desired end.
fnd corps of supervisors, who are evil
IDENTIFY experts in their special lines; thor
oughly, conversant with the best methods and
keenly alive to the demands of modern edu-
eational thought. Specialists are liable to
be narrow, to expect everything to revolve
round their own orbits, and likely at times
TO demand too much in their special lines.
This tendency must be held In check by the
superintendent, whose scope covers the whole
field in its totality well as it's indvidu-
atty and particularly.
With a. proper Correlation Of the supervis-
ing forces, as wen as Of their subjects, there
need be no conflict.
So faraas to your system, equipments and
teaching, force, I find, is invariably the
case in a city which has such rapid growth
and development, many schools overcroWd-
ed, in some cases obliged to resort to double
sessions. Some rooms having an attend
anee 5of ffty-fve or sixty pupils-too many
for any, one teacher to do perfect Justice to.
Some schools on stairways and in rooms al
together too small and too poorly lighted
and Ventilated to be sanitary. -e,.
These conditions are doubtless familiar TO
YOU gentlemen of the board; and you prob
I ably have been for some time earnestly even
though Eainly struggling with the problem.
i shall not at present presume to suggest
a remedy. | must have time to become
familiar with all the con iitions, as well as
with the exact state OF the financial
sources of the city. = -~ts-s+
If it resolves itself into the problem of
making the wisest. use of inadequate
amount provided, then it is not easy of sou-
ton.
1 am particularly pleased to find the kinder
garten established and incorporated as an
integral part of the public school system.
/ will not take the time now to discuss the
benefits Iof the kindergarten, but will SIM
ply say that you build wisely, when you base
your educational superstructure upon such
a foundation = ,.'
sorry attendance law, on her statute books but
L from its imperfect provisions it is practically
imperative. There was formerly some OBJ
lection. to compulsory education, but it
must be that with the increasing intelligence
of the people, public sentiment would now
sustain atfstrict enforcement of judicious
law ,Iand2it would seem to to be wise
) and iDhilanthrop!c move on the part of the
boards, Of education of the larger cities in
the stats to see to it that amendments or ad-
dftiona1 provisions are made for the carry
I ing Of such law into practical effect
With reference to truants, 1 note that by
the provisions of the charter the board
of education. has authority to make such pro-
visions and rules concerning children proper
ly enrolled upon the registers of the public
schools with said district, who have become
I habtual ftruants and who are between the
agesY OF eight and sixteen as viii reasonably
tends to scompel their attendance in such
schools, provided. ETC., that they have no law
full occupation, are growing up in ignorance,
etc. ~ "a
This is altogether too vague, and 1 do not
wonder that it is dead letter.
There is pressing need to which I beg
leave tor call your attention and which
| think might reasonably be provided for
There are in cur city numbers of pupils who
by reason of their street influences, and per-
haps hereditary dispositions, are disturbing
influences in the schools, who take much
more than their proport.onate share of the
teachers time, making a positive detriment
to the forty other children who are we'll
disposed and eager to avail themselves of the
advantages of the schools.
Then there are truants and those who are
very Irregular in attendance for some cause
or another, sometimes from legitimate causes.
These must be turned out on the street or be
allowed to remain disturbing element in
the school, destroying its efficiency and
actually .robbing others of their just dues in
the waySof instruction and attention
1t sesem to me that it would be wise and
economical to establish in some central por-
| ton of the city special schools where such
pupils could be cared for and looked after
There is no intermediate provision for such
form school. If there were, many could be
reclaimed or turned from evil beginnings be-
fore they were SO far on the downward way
as to be past retaining.
The cost would not be great, II the room
can be spared. There are teachers who would
be willing to undertake such missionary work
and it could be made an object, and in my
opinion is worthy Of your serious considera-
| ton.
With regard to policy and methods I have
no desire to make immediate or radical
changes
your system, and it will be my earnest en-
deavor to search those places out and
strengthen them, if it lies in my power
I trust that as soon as there is established
between the board Of education and the SUI
periditendeRt full mutual confidence and un-
derstandng Of purpose, there will be that
earnest sympathy and cooperation, without
which the improvement of the schools is i'm
/ present the usual monthly statistics of at
tendance.
The proposition to change the school
| boundaries so as to make general re-
lief Of Crowded conditions in certain
districts was referred to the superin-
tendentb
The report for December shows the
while number enrolled, 20, OPP: avera ga
daily attendance, 1907; whole number
admitted, q, IA.
Leaves of absence were granted Su-
perintendant Curtis and Miss Sarah G.
Brook to attend the national educa-
mountaineering at indianapolis.
On Recommendation of the school
|. committe the resignation of Miss Helen
Sargent, kindergarten assistant, Frank
/ lin school, and Miss Elinor Leith. La
fayette school, was accepted Miss
| Clara Plechner was made all-day as
sistant kindergartner at the Franklin
!. = 4 ~ tn y ~.