The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-30
PROBLEHS TO SOLVE
HARD ONES WHICH PHE SCHOOL
BOARD WILL HAVE TO
TACKLE
MANUAL TRAINING IN GRADES
Uniform Salaries for Grade Teachers
and Night schools to Be Resumed
Some of the Things to BE Settled
If Additional Levy Can BE An
ticipated New building Will Be
Erected in Eighth Ward.

The board Of education win have
some important and interesting problems
to dispose of at its meeting Wednesday
afternoon. There is a strong likelihood
that the board will make provision for
some material changes in the course of
study in the schools so as to include some
industrial and commercial features as
recommended by Supt. Smith.
Questions of ways and means on this
and number Of other subjects will be
taken UP by the board. AS the best means
to incorporate some of the changes rec
commended by Supt Smith several months
ago. the inspectors will probably pro-
vide for the resumption of manual train
ing in the grades. This branch was abol-
ished when the hard times came on and
the board was forced to practice economy
in every direction. Supt Smith believes
that every boy should have some trade
or profession at which he could turn his
hand when through with school The
first thing he does when out of school is
to look for a job, with no definite vo-
cation in view. Mr.. Smith believes that
the instruction given the school boys
should be made to fit the particular COM
munity in which il is located.
Now that the board is to have little
more money at it's disposal, several Of
the branches which were done away with
in 1895 will doubtless be restored There
has been an urgent demand for the re-
sumption of the night schools. In these
schools wage earners whose opportunity
in youth had been limited are given q
cation. The board could spend ten or
fifteen thousand dollars in this direction,
but with judicieus economy the school
can. according 10 the figures of Supt.
Smith be run for about $4,000. With
night high school the cost will be increas-
ed somewhat, but the superintendent re-
gard this very low figure. In fact, a
night high school is regarded rs even more
necessary than the grammar schools.
In former years night schools were con-
sidered an important branch of the school
work and were well patronized and their
usefulness was never questioned.
. A question which Is of great Importance
to the teachers is that of salaries Ger
tain member of the board favor a uniform
maximum salary for all grade teachers
Under the present schedule there is an
apparent discrimination against the
teachers of the lower grades. 1t is pro-
posed TO fix maximum salary which will
apply 10 all grammar school teachers
irrespective Of grades. Under the present
arrangement it can either be taken that
the teachers Of the lower grades have less
to do or that they are not so capable,
both of which are erroneous. Supt Smith
believes that maximum salary ior grade
teachers should be fixed by the board so
that there would be no discrimination.
as 1t is argued that it is just as hard and
requires just as much work and ability
to teach one grade as another The
board will take the matter up although
Ii is not probable that it will be definitely
settled until the July meeting
The budget will have to be made I'D
within short time and everything will
be thoroughly discussed at the next meet
ing, as the special committee appointed
TO present the matter to the comptroller
must have their report ready by July |.
1t is conceded that the board can antic-
lpate the one and half additional school
tax levy this summer by using the funds
appropriated to run the schools for the
last half of the school year and RELY upon
the sale of. the certificates next January
to pay expenses for the balance of the
year.
The board will make the needed repairs
on all the buildings and build two an
neXes and two new schools. The Eighth
ward most needs new school and one
VIII probably be built somewhere between
the Madison and Jackson. This will ena-
bic the board to raise all the buildings to
eighth grade schools as room will be
made for the lower grade pupils in the
new building.
The salary question as applying to those
outside of the grades will come up for
consideration, and 1t is certain there will
be no reduction and perhaps a Slight ad-
vance may benz ade in the regular sched-
ule Under the rules teachers in the en-
ploy of the board are not subject to an
nual electoion, but to an assignment each
year, which virtually amounts to the
Same thlng. No important changes are
contemplated.