The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-01-06
HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
OF EDIJCATION.

HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION:
AS required by your rules and regula- !
tions, submit this report at the close
of the first term of the school year.
&The Minnesota Educational Associa
tlon, as you are aware, held its annual
meeting at St. Paul, Dec. 26, Z, 8 and 8.
Teachers from our schools present were
Misses Stevens, Iceberg, Williams and
Bigham. 1t is to be regretted that more
of our teachers do not join this associa-
ton. In Illinois many boards place In
the contract requil ement that teachers
attend certain educational meetings OF
this sort The meeting at st. Paul was
more than ordinarily successful, the
program was more extensive and more
practical than in past years. The joint
session of school boards and city super
intendentS was the means OF bringing
out many points of practical interest
which provoked much discussion both
in the session and later in private con-
versation. l regret that the Mankato
board of education did not have a rep
resentative in attendance. Many boards
send one of their members at the eX-
pense of the board. With your permits
sion | shall now read from the city press
reports those portions that | consider
may be helpful to us in our mutual
work of advancing the Mankato schools
to the very foremost ranks.
After listening to the discussions of
these and kindred subjects | decided
that the relations existing between the
Mankato board of education and your
superintendent were nearly ideal if
judged by the standards ffered by the
above representatives You have uni
formly given careful consideration to
all of my recommendations, and while
they have not all met with your favor,
| believe the few adverse decisions have
| been rendered in fair and conservative
| Judgment for, what you considered, the
| best interests of the schools and patrons,
and in no case influenced by religious or
political consideration. The present
board has given evidence of a policy at
once liberal and conservative that be-
speaks rapid progress for our schools.
| In few cities the nomination of JAM
tors is placed on the same basis as that
OF teachers. do not approve of sucn a
policy, for while believe the superin-
tendent's recommendation of teachers
should be vital element in their selec-
ton, | am equally strong in my convlc-
ton that the board composed, as it is,
of the best of business talent, is better
able to to judge of the qualifications of
janitors, and that is the duty of the
superintendent to make the best use
possible of the janitors given him, to re
port concerning their work when called
upon by the board to do so, and at the
end of the school year to report in full
his opinion of the service rendered .-
The present corps of teachers is first
class. They are all working with en-
thusiasm and are trying to carry out
my plans for a higher educational and
moral development, both of which de-
pend on true refinement. 1t is necesz
sary that teachers have high educa-
tional qualifications, but it is even more
necessary that they have a strong per
sonality, and literary taste OF high
order. The Christmas exercises in the
several schools were extensive and well
presented, the result of much work on.
the part of both pupil and teacher.
This work was done for the most.
part outside of regular school hours and
without any considerable loss OF school
work. The gain consider much moreI
| than the loss, and it must be remem-
berad that the Christmas in the schools
| is the only Christmas for many children.
[ believe there is a marked improve
ment in the general action and bearing
of our pupils; they are manly, polite and
ambitious. More frequent visits from
| the members of the board would en-
courage both the pupil and the teacher.
Pupils are remaining in school, and as
a result our upper grades are, better
filled and the high school more than
full In two weeks we expect to have
enrolled in high school work 1870 pupils,
necessitating the reseating of the high
school room. ,s..-.-- .-..-ss.. =. s,--
The subject of Sports" is one to
which the attention of the board has
not been called, and one that, at first
thought, you may consider unworthy of
your attention. 1t is a matter Of great
regret with me that we haye no grounds
suitable for outdoor sports. The board
ought to think of this and take an in
terest in the physical as we'll as the men
tai boy and girl The gymnasium has
never been so generally used and is not
nearly sufficient for the demands made
upon it With the increased enroll.
ment we shall need more room for
athletic purposes. There is a large
amount of basement room suitable for
tulS LudU Is HOW uuuS0u AL GudG Is
necessary is the floor and heat.
Last year we placed the spelling book
in the hands of the pupils throughout
our grades, and added bookkeeping to
the high school course. In that a. tion
we were among the first of what is now
becoming general movement Our
course is now broad and elastic at once
suited to the needs of those whose col
lege is the high school, and those who
intend to continue in educational work
in some institution of higher rank.
There is yet much to be done, but all
cannot be accomplished in day. There!
are many problems to be solved and
| many mistaken notions to rid ourselves
of before we shall attain the highest
success We are reading less but read
| ing better. In arithmetic we are not
neglecting memory for reason or reason
for memory, but we have based our
work on middle ground with good re-
suits. The work in the several build
ings is uniform, the system of transfers
and records complete and permanent,
discipline firm without harshness, and
the pupils and teachers contented and
ambitious.
| The statistics for the month are as
| fo1