Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-11-27
INTERESTS ARE MUTUAL
Teachers and School Boards
Should Get Acquainted.
Interesting Address by Principal c. E.
SlOthOwer at County School
Board Meeting.


me to lead in a discussion of tbe
topic. The Teacher and the School
Board. In particular, he has asked
me to have something to say of
what / consider the relation which
these should bear to one another.
In brief, he wishes me to tell what
the board ought to expect from the
teacher and what the teacher ought
to expect from the board.
In a sense, the teacher is the
servant OF the board, and in general.
whatever is the true relation of
employer and employe, applies TO
the relation of teacher and school
board. The board acting for the
district, should make provision for
all the material interests of the
school, outline course of instru,.-
ton, and adopt ample general rules
OF government. The teacher making
use OF all of these, should teach the
school and make it a success.
The teacher and the board should
clearly understand one another.
Too often the teacher and the board
members are scarcely acquainted.
''Have you seen the teacher yetq I
once heard one board member ask
of another long after school had
opened. The answer was no. The
teacher had made application to
only one member of the hoard and
the other two had concurred in en-
ploying her. This is not right. The
teacher and the board should know
each other. They should meet
sufficiently often so that they may
come to understand one another.
Such meeting should be held each
month, but if this is not possible.
certainly they should meet each
term.
At the meeting the board should
in straight forward manner ex-
press to the teacher just what they
desire and discuss with her ways
and means OF carrying out their
desires. The teacher should also
be expected to express fearlessly
anything that she has in mind that
may be for the best interests Of the
school. No attempt should be made
to hide anything that should be
told. The board should be frank
with the teacher, telling her just
what they think and just what they
lz-O0y Of E1o1a c.7ooocco- oCJ eo.l,-,o.
The teacher in her turn should be
frank with the board. IL there are
matters that need remedying, all
should set themselves to the task of
finding out the way.
The board should not be penurious
with the teacher. [ once knew q
board that complained because the
teacher used two boxes of crayons
costing thirty cents during one
term of school. I have known
cases wherein the teacher was
obliged to purchase curtains for
the windows or go without them.
Such is very poor economy. The
teacher should be willing and the
board should expect her to suggest
things that should be purchased for
the school. A teacher should not
be afraid to ask for what she wants
and what she needs. If I were 3
school board member, I should have
a vevv poor opinion of a teacher
who did not want many things not
to be found in the school The
teacher should ask wisely for need
ed supplies and then the board
should on their part try to get
them.
There are many little things that
a teacher needs and she can not af-
ford to buy them herself and she
does not like to keep running to the
board all the time to ask them to
get them. I believe that often i6
would be wise for the board to
authorize the teacher TO spend some
stipulated amount, say SO. 90 and
then to pay the bill upon presenta-
ton. With this amount, a teacher
could purchase ample material FOR
busy work, nature study, and school
room decoration. By having pictures
well selected, the school may be
made much more cheerful and home
like. Too often, boards have been
very careful of the public money
when it came to the purchasing of a
few things that the teacher really
needed, and more than liberal in
buying some snowy chart offered at
an exhorbitant pzlce by an agent.
The teacher and the board should
be fair with one another. Each
should faithfully carry out his part
of the contract l shall put the
matter more strongly than this.
the teacher by zeal, earnest effort
and enthusiasm. should forget for