Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-06-15
The Schools of Butler County


Extracts from County Superintend-
ent Painters last report to State
Superintendent Schaeffer.)
s.I hereby submit my sixth annual re-
port of the schools Of Butler county.
The wear Just closed. as whole, was
very satisfactory. The teachers. with
but few exceptions. were faithful and
tried TO succeed. In this work as in all
other places in life some few always
fail: vet we do not wonder at that. for
when we come close to the work OF the
teacher and study it carefully and see
il in its trials and difficulties, we are
SURPRISED that more of them do not fail
each year,
The attendance Of the pupils in most
sections of the county was good, though
some few districts were careless IN this
matter. and the attendance was not
what it should have been. Poor attend
ance means poor progress for any pu-
pil. 1t is also contagious and one OF
| two families afflicted with it may spoil
the report ami progress of whole
school. 1t therefore rests upon pupils
/ parents. directors and teachers to re-
duce this habit to the minimum.
| Fifteen public examinations for teach
ers were held during the year, and were
attended by four hundred and nifty ap-
plicants. Two hundred and thirty pu-
pills successfully passed the diploma ex-
animation. This was the largest class
of pupils ever graduated from the
schools of this county and we think 1t is
| a martial outcome of an earnest effort
| that has been made to encourage our
bows and girls to complete our common
school course and then to take some
higher education. Through the press,
| in public meetings and in my visits to
the schools I have brought this matter
before our young people and their pa
rents every time could do 50, and by
taking note Of the students now attend
| ing our normal school. and the several
academies and high schools of our
county, we see more young students en-
rolled than usual in each OF them.
Eighty OF our teachers were be-
Qinners and eighty four OF them had
taught for five or more terms; and by.
careful calculation / find that the
wages paid our teachers this past year,
on an average, were fifteen percent
higher than those paid six years ago.
This steady increase in wages was not
due to the minimum salary law for that
law changed the wages OF only three
townships of this county.
This question of teachers wages is one
of vital importance to our schools and
have regarded and treated it as such
during my superintendency. We want
no Door teachers, and we can't expect
to get and hold good ones very long un-
less they are fairly well paid for their
work.
again visited every public school in
the county and called at several OF
them the second time. l attended and
took part in fifty educational meetings
during the year and, judging from the
attendance and interest shown in most
of them, feel safe in here reporting
the school sentiment in this county al
very good.
Our three township high schools did
good work. These schools are growing
| In favor in our county and the work Of
organizing three new ones has already
beer nearly completed.
During my superintendency have
endeavored to place good pure litera
ture in the hands Of our young people
| The teachers were examined each veal
as to the books they were reading and
the ones they wanted their pupils tt
read. School libraries were advocated
and through the efforts Of our people
more than two hundred libraries have
been placed in the schools Of Butlel
county during the last five years.
| In closing my work as superintendent
of the schools of Butler county / do %
with clear conscience, having don'
the best / could for the good Of th'
schools. / made my mistakes in ths
work but meant to wrong no one Ant
now / wish to thank directors, parents
teachers and pupils for the many act
Of kindness shown me during the year
/ acted as superintendent. II was only
because Of your help that my work wa
Of any benefit.
/ bespeak tor our newly elected sup
erintendent, Prof. Pentield, the sam'
kind treatment you gave me, and m,
hearts desire is to see our school
everywhere prosper in the future ever
more than they have done in the past
| Yours very truly,
| HOWARD J. PAINTER.