The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-17

| higher ClHsS SeTLluCdtes.
| The annual report Of County superin-
tendent of Schools ]. c. Taylor was
forwarded, yesterday. to the depart
ment OF education, Harrisburg. 1t is
an interesting document and we'll
worthy of perusal. Appended is the
report in full
Scranton. Pa, Aug. Is, 1901.
Dir. y. c. schaefer. Superintendent Of Public In
| struction, Harrisburg, Pa.
| Dear Sir: | have the honor to submit the fol.
| lowing report Of the condition OF the schools Of
| Lackawanna county for the year ending June J.,
| 1901. The work in the schools Of this county
| during the last year has been, in many respects,
the most satisfactory since the writer began his
| work as superintendent. Our teachers are better
! prepared for their work. salaries are slowly
| rising, attendance was more regular, methods ot
teaching are improving and in large majority
Of the schools good order prevailed
| Nearly all OF our teachers are reading educa'
tional journals and a majority attend and partici'
pate in the local institutes. Progress in the
| advanced classes in country schools is still hin
dered by patrons who keep old pupils out OF
school to work during the first two months OF the
| term.
In mining districts the night school reports
show that a large number Of hoys under the age
| Of thirteen years working in the coal break.
| ers The boys are getting only two or three
months instruction in night schools each year.
In most cases the instruction in night schools is
| confined to reading, writing, spelling and the
elements of arithmetic. A great injustice is
| being done to these working boys and they arc
being cheated out Of their hrthright for every
| American hoy is entitled to a good comAon
| school education.
QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS.
The grade Of qualifications for teachers ia ris.
| ing. Those who take the examination for the
provisional certificate are required to study some
good book on methods or school management
| each year During the last seven years they have
studied Pages Theory and Practice" Quick's
"Educational Reformers." Badwin's "School
Management" Taylors "Chld Study" Brooks
Normal Methods" Mistakes in Teaching,
and GLOW to Keep Order" by Hughes. The
| teachers are classified as follows:
Number of teachers holding provisional cer-
Number Of teachers holding professional Ger.
thcates .,.......,.............,.... %
Number of teachers holding permanent Ger.
tlhcates ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~
Number Of teachers holding state certificates
Number Of Normal school graduates ........ lis
| Total number Of teachers holding higher
grade CertlhCates ......................,.... 2la
| This Is about 70 per cent of the whole mum
Der. The total number Of teachers holding highef
grade certificates in 1893 was ffty.three or about
| o5 per cent Of the whole number. II scholar
ship and professional training are valuable, this
means great gain in teaching power.
LACKAwANNA SCHOOL NEWS.
| In September Of 1900 the writer, assisted by
| Principals NJ W. Cummings. NJ !. Lloyd and
| T. q. Osborne, began the publication Of a
monthly paper for teachers and directors called
the Iackawanna School News Its purpose is to
help the schools to do better work, especially
in learning to write English, TO call public at
tention 10 certain abuses relating TO schools and
| school management, and to give general infor
| nation to teachers, directors and others con
| cerning examinations local institutes and Other
| educational events, In this paper published
articles upon methods, school management and
school administration written by iradng teach
ers and directors Of the county
| portion Of our space devoted to the
best essays written by pupils in the county
schools. This had stimulating effect upor
students. and we believe that more composition
work done last year than in the preceding
fvc years.
The paper was sent free 10 all teachers ant
directors, the expense of publication being borne
partly by advertisers and partly by the pub
fishers.
COUNTY INSTITUTE.
week Of Oct, 90 in the court house in Scranton
We enrolled $40 teachers, including fifty from
DunmOre borough. The average daily attcndanc,
was 33s The institute was divided into tw,
sections-primary and intermediate teachers il
one section, and grammar and high school teach
ers in the other. Teachers Of country schools
were directed 10 choose the section hest suited e
the grade OF their schools.
The instructors were Dr. y. C. SchacHer, Dr
Sherman Davis DIR. George W Hull, Mis-
Louise Connolly Miss Elizabeth Lloyd and Prot
John I Watkins
Instruction given in pedagogy, school man
agamont nature study, physiology, English gram
mar and composition history. arithmetic, geog
raphy, primary work and vocal music, Popula
addresses THE Successful Teacher" and "Th
Successful Pupil were given by Dr. Hull, and al
address "Some Teaching Ideals by DR.. Isaa
J. Lansing.
The programme was varied and interesting am
seemed TO give satisfaction to teachers and thu
general public.
Our plan in preparing the programme is no
merely TO provide something interesting and en-
tertaining, but TO secure such instruction a
will strengthen the weak places in our work a
observed in the school rooms during the visit
of the preceding year We aim 10 give positive
and definite instruction. so that T. ers Of al
grades may find matter Of prac value I,
use in their teaching.
DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION.
The eighth annual meeting Of our Directors
association was held on Wednesday oct 81. Al
| though the day was stormy about seycnty.fiv
directors were present. An able address on "Im
provement OF Rural Schoos' was delivered b,
President A. ID. Dean, Of Wavcry, advocatin!
consolidation of rural schools and establishing
to nshp high schools.
| \ general discussion on "School Discipline'
was led by Directors William H. Priest, o
Blakely, II. G. Hoffman Of jefferson, and A. T
Doud, Of Moosc, The association was also ad
dressed by Dr. " C. Schaefer, Dir. Sherman l.
Davis and Miss Louise Connolly
The officers elected for next year are: Prcsi
dent H. C.. Hoffman, Of jefferson; vice presidents
OF Glcnburn; secretary, C.. Rogers, Of Dickson
City; treasurer, John C. Tthill, OF Bakely
resolution was adopted insructing these offceu
TO attend as delegates the next meeting Of TN
state association of school directors This meet
ing was held in Harrisburg, Feb. IA and l5,
1901, and was attended by all the delegates abov
named accompanied by Principal N. W. Cum
mings and the writer,
The value OF county directors association
might be greatly increased il the attendsnc,
Of all the directors could be secured bill
requiring the attendance of all school director
at the county association, and providing for III,
payment OF their necessary expenses, was intro
duced in the last legislature by Hon. Edwar,
James, of this county, but was defeated Hac
this bill passed it would have been as helpfu
to the public schools as the county institute Law
has been.
The legislature has passed laws and appropri