The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-27

The following interesting report has
been forwarded by County Superinten-
dent J. c. Taylor to Superintendent OF
Public instruction Schaeifer.
Hon. N. c. Schaeffer, Superintendent of
Publication instruction, Harrisburg Pa.
Dear Sir l have the honor to present
herewith my fifth annual report OF the
condition of the schools OF Lackawahna
county
The educational outlook in this county
has never been more encouraging than IL
is now. Educational conditions are stead
iy improving. Better buildings are being
erected. More attention is given to hea.-
ing, lighting and ventilation New build
ings are being supplied with the best
modern furniture and an abundance OF
slate blackboard School yards are be-
ing improved, fenced and adorned with
trees. Directors are actively seeking the
best text books and apparatus. Nearly
all our schools are furnished dicuon-
aries and many III higher grades with
smaller Dictionaries, majority OF the
graded schools have good encyclopedias.
Libraries are growing.
The average length of the school term
is increasing. eve now stand first
among the counties o. the state in this
respecD. Salaries are steadily rising.
We pay an average of $5ll3 per month
to males and $32. .S5 per month to female
teachers. But probably the best sign OF
progress is the increasing demand for tho
roughly qualified teachers This demand,
growing stronger every year, is inducing
our teachers to use every available means
for Improvement. The general health
was good during the year and attend
ance, consequently excellent in most OF
our districts. The examinations at the
close of the year showed better res;:!:s
than those of any previous year of my
term of Office.
COUNTY GRADUATION.
Five years ago we began to use course
of study in common schools leading to
the common school diploma. There has
been a steady growth in this work year
by year. In our first final examination
i'm '94 there were So candidates; in 'o5 the
number increased to 20; in '96 there were
81; in 90 we examined 113 students, and at
the close of last year there were 100 ap-
plcants. Not only has this number OF
candidates increased each year, but the
quality of the work submitted has stea l.
ily improved At the opening of last
school year committee of principals
adopted a high school course for the
county. At the last examination thirty
students were examined in the first year
of high school work.
This higher course is a modest Degln-
ming and includes only the following
subjects: Civil Government Physical
Geography, Algebra, Plain Geometry,
Rhetoric. English Literature, Natural
Philosophy and General History. From
| this beginning we hope to advance until
satisfactory high school course is in
| use in all the graded schools of the
| county.
Schools cannot give entirely satisfac-
| Inr 1D n
roughly mastered the subjects he teaches.
until each teacher has a knowledge OF
rational methods and teaches Intelligent
| ly instead of following tradition, and
until each has learned to manage and
| govern "A school by appealing to high ana
| eevatng motives. Realizing these re-
ouisites to the best teaching, We have
been striving during the last five years
| to raise the standard of qualifications so
| as to make better results possible. While
| we have steadily advanced In our knOwl-
| edge of the subjects taught, We have also
studied carefully each year some good
| professional work. Nearly all OF our
| teachers have studied Hughes Mistakes
in Teaching. Pages Theory and Practice,
! Quick's Educational Reformers, and
| Baldwins School Management Results
of this reading are fully apparent in the
improved methods of teaching.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
The professional certificate is granted
only to those who have had five years
successful experience and who can pass
| a thorough examination in the comm IN
| branches, Civil Government, Theory OF
| Teaching and History of Education.
| These teachers we believe compare IA
| vorably in their work with the average
| normal school graduate. This year
| professional class will be formed in Sep
| tat1 1bnr N rpsn
| out for them, and they will meet the su-
| perintendent at stated times for sugges-
| tionS and assistance In their work. BY
| means of this special work the un-
trained provisional teacher If ambitious
and Industrious, may gradually develop
into the skillful professional teacher.
Five years ago our report showed that
we were employing $50 teachers holding
provisional certificates, and IS teachers
| of all higher grades. Now We have 1873
| teachers with provisional certificates and
1856 of higher grades OF the 1873 holding
| the lower grade certificates 75 have had
training in high schools, academies or
normal schools, leaving only IS who have
had no education beyond the common
| school course.
| This shows net gain of 6J high grade
| teachers in the tiVe years.
! Our annual institute was held in Scraa-
| ton during the week OF September G. The
| instructors We're Hon. John Q. Stewart
| DIR. Martin Benedict, Professor +. H.
Green, Rev. Elkanah Hulley, Miss Anna
| BuCkbee, Superintendent Geo. w. Twit-
| myer and Professor II. f. Coggswen.
| The special features of this institute were
| Professor Green's lectures on literature
and Superintendent Twitmyer's instruc-
| tive drills i'm pcnmanship. The interest
aroused in these lines amounted to en-
| thusiasm. For the lessons in penmanship
| a hai nd
tables, and pens ink and paper ware
| provided BY dividing the teachers into
| two sections all were given three periods
| of instruction of forty five minutes each.
The object of this work was TO inform the
teachers how to build the habit of free
| muscular movement writing. This
branch has long been neglected in our
schools and we are far behind business
colleges both in methods and results.
DIRECTORS MEETING.
The Directors association organized in
| 1898, held its fourth annual meeting on
| Thursday, September 8. Professor John
A. Moyles. the directors clerk reported
81 teachers present, the largest meeting
OF the four Addresses were made by
| President William Repp, eN' Superintend-
| tnt Anna Buckbee and Superintendent
George w. Twitmyer. The question,
"What Should Guide Directors in Select
| ing IeaCneIS WIS dDly ulsCusseu ny
Charles +. Baker, president Jermyn
school board; Albert Ball. secretary Dali
ton board A. ID. Dean. ESQ., president
| Waverly board and Edwin Maclay, secre-
tary Blakely board. At. p. m. the di-
rectors adjourned to the main court room
where, with the teachers, they listened
| to an eloquent address from DIR. John Q.
Stewart. The work of this association IS
steadily growing i'm interest and value,
Many improvements are clearly traceable