Evening star., 1901-02-06
WHITE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COUNTY ANNUAL INSTITUTE IN SES-
SION AT ROCKVILLE.
Prof. Bates stevens in Charge, Assist
ed by s. II. White, County Exam
iner-The Proceedings.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, February ., l9Ol.
The second days session of the annual
institute of the white public school teachers
of Montgomery county, in charge or frof
NJ Bates Stevens, state institute instructor.
and the county examiner, s. r. White, be-
gan at $50 o'clock this morning. Besides
n.nety-five teachers there were a large
number of spectators in attendance. The
opening exercises were directed by Prof. E.
E. Stacey, principal Of the kensington
school After prayer by Rev. G. Dorsey
White, pastor of the Rockville M. e.
Church South, Prof John T. Freeman, su-
pervising principal of the Washington pub
lie schools, read a paper on "The Place Of
Manual Training in Public School Educa-
tion." He commended manual training, not
only as a means of tran.ng the eye and
hand, but as an aid to mental development,
and stated that experience has taught that
instead Of proving a hindrance to other
studies as is often believed. 1t has been
found to always have the opposite erect.
Upon the conclusion OF hs paper Prof
Freeman answered several questions bear
ing upon the subject.
"The Demands Made on Our High
Schools was the subject of a paper by
Prof. r. Thos. West, pl ncipal Of the Rock
vile High School. Other papers read dur
ton VS.. Co-gymnastics." by r. w. Stout
principal of the school at Sugarland; 1.-The
Coming Teacher by Mss Margaret Dud-
row. DR.. John H. Mccormick, principal Of
the Gailhersburg Seminary, delivered an in
terestng address upon The Effect of Mod
ern Education-Phys cal, Mental and Moral
The feature of the afternoon session was
an address by Miss Leila E. Partridge of.
Philadelphia. Her subject was Pedagogy"
and she advanced several new IDEAS
Theory of Governing Children was the
subject of a paper by Miss Mamie lsher-
W. od principal of the Derwood school. She
was followed by Mr. George P. McCeney,
instructor If manual training in the Laurel
High School. who gave talk on Manual
Training The days program conc uded
with a talk on Geography" by Miss Ell
lott of New York.
Evening Program.
In the evening Prof. w. c. A Hammel
of the Maryland State Normal School lec-
tured on wireless Telegraphy." He in
terestingly explained the mysteries of
transmitting messages without the use Of
wires, and gave practical illustrations
Prof. Hammels lecture was listened to
with marked attention by large audi
ence.
During the day a petition was circulated
among the teachers and nufnerously sign
ed, requesting the county school commits
sioners to return to the old system of pay
ing teachers. Under the old law it was
possible for a teacher to earn as much as
$3.50 per quarter his salary being regulat-
ed by the number Of pupils taught. Sew
eral years ago this was changed ana
uniform salary schedule adopted. Under
the existing law it is impossible for
teacher to receive more than S120 per quar-
ter. no matter how many pupils he may
have IN his school The change caused
much dissatisfaction among the teachers
generally and at the next meeting of the
county school commissioners committee
of teachers will appear and present the
petition and urge return to the ola
method, which is claimed to be the 1alr
one.
The institute began in the court house
here Monday, with nearly all of the 100
teachers of the county in attendance.
The opening session was called TO order
at 1920 o'clock by Mr.. White. An or
ganization was effected by the selection
of Prof A G.. Harley. principal OF
Comus School, as secretary, anu 81 M,ss
Blanche f. Bradd1ck. principal OF the
school at Unity, as assistant secretary. Rev.
Robert l.. McNair pastor OF the Rockville
Presbyterian Chuseh, delivered the address
Of welcome, and Prof. Harley responded Ill
appropriate remarks. The morning session
closed with an address by Prof Stevens.
who gave some practical ideas up0n public
school work. He declared among other
things that public school teaching Is the
poorest paid profession on earth, and stat
ed that the average annual salary paid fur
this work in Maryland Is but S2Io Pror.
Stevens said that the only way to obtain
and retain efficient teachers Is Tor the peo-
pie of the state to see that the salaries
provided are commensurate with the work
required.
The opening exercises at the afternoon
session were directed by Prof. r. T. West.
principal of the Rockville High School. Mrs.
Lemira A. Langille. teacher in the Ken
sington school, read paper on Literature
for Children" She was followed by Mr..
r. Cpoke Harley, principal of the Forest
Glen School, who read a paper on Physical
School Surroundings" How to Preserve
Order in the School was the subject of
paper by Miss Fidelia Walker, principal of
the Brownngsviile school. Discussions fol-
lowed each subject mentioned. The after
noon session closed with an address by
Prof Stevens. His subject was 1.-The Teach
er's Oath of Office
In the evening social was held. 1t was
in charge of a committee composed of Miss
Blanche E. Braddock, Miss Sue Fontaine.
Mr.. r. Cooke Harley, Mr.. Edward w. Mon
day and Mr.. Pearl Holland. A literary
and musical program was rendered and
freshments were served.
County Examiner White has appointed
the following committee to consider the
question of revising the schedule of studies
for the public schools of the county: r. w.
Stout, A. C. Harley r. Thomas West, e E.
Stacey, f. w. Monday, ]. l.. Burdette, Mrs.
Lemira A. Langile. The committee will
report before the close of the institute.