Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-03-14
Correspondence.
Our Town school system.

town school system. Sufficient time has
elapsed to give 1t a thorough trial, and to
bring out its advantages and dissdvan-
tages. II 1t has not given US superior
schools aud better schoolhouses as u
| whole, We should find what the defects
OF the system are, and seek to remedy
| them by proper legislation, or return to
the district system as did our fathers
a hundred years ago.
| Under existing laws, the schoo! super
visor or superintendent has less power
than under the old law, unless conferred
upon him by the school committee, which
may divide its duties with him. He has
no power TO hire teachers, and no author
| ity to examine and issue certificates to
them as formerly. He has no power
to select text books, aud direct the
| general course OF instruction, nor to
enforce the discipline OF the various
schools, aud classify the pupils ac
cording to their rank and ability. He can,
however, take a list of the pupils and visit
] the schools and make a report thereof.
His duties require little education, aud are
too limited In scope to admit OF any great
improvement from this source.
In some towns the superintendent has
taken the full power into his own hands,
and the committee has acquiesced Ia
| silence, unmindful OF the hoDors Of the
office or glad to be SO gracefully deposed.
| In OF her towns the committee has quar-
relied sw bile and then abandoned the field.
| In still OF her to " us, the committee has met
and organized, and imposed the entire
| work, with a few instructions, upon the
superintendent. In a few towns, how
| ever, the committee, composed OF pub lic-
| spirited, intelligent citizens, has had Its
| regular meetings and ventilated the
various questions looking to the improve
| ment OF the schools.
| II seems a little strange now In con-
tempiating the matter, that the original
ideas that give birth to the present town
supervisory power should be so pslpaby
violated In the enactment OF law 80 in
| efficient and inconsistent. The law was
mainly a magnificent effort to get rid OF
the Ignorant district agent, who has
| been paraded in every State school report
| so far back as my memory runneth, as
| the scapegoat charged with all the Ills
and grievances tina, have afflicted our
school system In the past.
| The present law makes 1t incum bent
upon towns to choose three, five or seven
memb OF board OF school committee,
| with no statutory qualifications what
ever, upon whom are imposed all the
/ higher duties perta lining to the supervis-
/ ion OF schools, and the emf loynent aud
| fitness OF teachers, and they are expected
! to throw them off or discharge them
| without compensation.
| Formerly the Ignorant agent" y ould
| hire his cousin or wife's cousin occa-
sionally, and 1t was thought to be an
! awful thing, but the supervisor stood
| bet ween him and the teacher II she were
| ignorant OF and auqus ihed Tor her work.
| Now the often ignorant committee eau
club together and monopoiizs the schools
| wit h their relatives, aud he man OF edu-
cation aud professional skill has no
power to intervene aud prevent rush
| OF Ignorance into the schoo!room.
That duties SO important should be so
| reckIessly disposed OF, Is almost incredible
| In view OF the theories from which the
| Law was developed. Tae loss Ut pubic ia
terest iu our schools, since the district
| system was re egated to oblivion, is a
| lamenta bic fact and one OF the silent and
| powerful arguments III lis favor.
| The schoolhouses are not holding their
own In many towns since the expeadi-
lures for repairs devove upon towns.
| Under the district system every district
| held It's annual meeting in the school
house. Every defect in tue Old structure
was visible and spoke with eloquent
tongue to the assem- oied voters. Every
expenditure was discussed in detail +;
| every item in the school agents account
| was thoroughly scrutinized, and the
feeling hat thi, is ''our schoothouse" and
sour school" Infused individual voters
with "a sense of personal pride and re-
spoons bility which led them, at least, to
protect their property from the rsvages
/ of time. and the assaults OF the bad boy.
Now the schoolhouses belong to that
| indefinite factor, the town, and Will all t he
multitude OF matters demanding attention
at our hasty noisy town meetings, there is
little time and inclinatio to discuss the
detailed conditions OF the schoolhouses
as presented by the school committee or
superintendent. The sum suggested for
repairs by the committee may seem large,
and Is OF en- guessed at rather than based
on an accurate est Innate OF the needs of
| each house, and the town is more likely
to cut down than increase the proposed
appropriation.
Let Us hear OF the workings OF the new
school law in each town and have the
matter thoroughly ventilated in Hancock
| county, prior to the assembling OF the
next legislature. ii.
The Point of View.
1t was at womcns club. and the
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