The Portland daily press., 1898-03-01

A Very Interesting Paper-severai 'aiu-
able Suggestions The Salaries of
Teachers Inadequate to tho Work that
They Perform-The High Standing
Obtained by the Maine Teachers.
The regular monthly meeting OF the
school committee was held yesterday af-
| ternoon.
Tn the absence of the Mayor, Mr..
Brownson was chosen chairman pro tenn.
All the members were present.
The resignation of Miss Kate Welsh Of
the North school, was rendered and ao-
cepted.
| On motion of Or. Warren, the rules
were suspended, and Metcalf's English
Grammar and Metcalf and Bright's Ian
euage Lessons parts I and II, put ON
the list of text books.
Miss Ida Norton was granted leave of
absence on account Of illness for the rest
of the school year.
Two orders for books, one for use in
the High school and one on the Vaughan
school, were passed.
Some questions having been asked
about children on the streets, the truant
officer is able to make these excellent
reports from the Centre and Chestnut
street districts, the only ones he has yet
examined.
In the Centre street the number of chill
dren from to 16 living in the district,
| is 472, of which number AZ was attend
ing school. and of the So not attending
"A were at work and II sick. There were
So temporarily absent from january 81
to February z, of which ~ were
ouarantined and 81 were detained by
storms, sickness, no shoes, at work, late,
suspended, etc. e -
In the Chestnut street school there we're
IA. of which 66S attended school. VI
those not attending 60 were at WORK,
sick, 1 expelled, II not entered and 20
left school. Those temporarily absent
from February Sth to 18th, &c were de-
tanned by sickness and quarantined, IA
were working and had no clothes.
Superintendent Lord read list of the
percentages of attendance at high schools
in Massachusetts and showed that Port
land High school is excelled only by Wor-
cester.
Ii DR.. Warren spoke of the withdrawal
of DIR. Vose from the school committee,
the good work he had done and the re-
greet with which he parted with him and
he felt that party politics ought not to
have anything to do with the school
committee Mr.. Hall, Mr.. McGo wan and
Mr.. Browpsop followed in the same vein.
| DR.. Vose said he felt highly grateful
at the remarks of his comrades. His re-
lations with them had always been
agreeable and he only withdrew on &C
count OF demands on his professional
time. He hoped the committee would
have more authority in school building
in the future than now.
Mr.. Joseph A. MCGOWAN, representing
Ward 2 on the board, presented the an
lnual report, prepared by himself, which
was received with great applause, and
on motion of Mr.. Hall the report was
accepted and ordered placed ON file.
The report was as follows:
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
There are five thousand pupils in the
Ipublic schools of Portland. This fact
alone should prompt the experimenting
School Committee to give an account OF
their stewardship to the parents and
friends Of the boys and girls whose educa-
ton is intrusted to their supervision, even
in the absence of statutory requirements.
Recognizing, then, the right OF our cltl-
zens to be informed upon. ALL lmportah6
school matters, and at the same biine
complying with the laws OF the state, the
following report for the municipal year
1897 9s is respectfully submitted.
Our fair city has lost none OF It's pres
tige as community wherein may be
ers in New England. Holding last 10
that which is good, but prudently ADOPT
! ing newer and better methods when tneir
superior merits are firmly established. our
; schools have steadily kept abreast OF al
vanced thought and principles ana may
well elicit public admiration. Ih1s is
true in the main In some particular
} cases. however, Improvements ana cnang-
es will be suggested in this report
The building of a new school house on
MunJoy Hill, the establishment OF two
new kindergartens, the Introduction OF
improved methods in teaching penman-
ship. certain changes in regard to the ad-
, mission of pupils to the High school, the
formal presentation of works of art to the
!. various schools and the transferring Of
tho School for the Deaf from the city to
state control, are the principal events
, which have marked the year now drawing
: TO a close. These topics will be enlarged
! upon in due course.
& In considering results it may not be
amiss to give some idea of the cost OF
maintaining our public schools. that tax
payers ,uay know to what purpose their
contributions to tho public fund are de-
ninety actual school days to the year, it
cos5s in round numbers for teachers sal
, aries and school books five hundred dol
lars every day our schools are open.