Smyrna times., 1909-01-20
URGE ACADEMIC PLAN FOR
SMYRNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DIRECTOR LEWIS NJ PRICE WOULD
INTRODUCE ADVANCED IDEAS
Have One Common Study Hall For All
High Grade Pupils, Recitation Rooms
For Glasses Specialized Work

High Grade Pupils, Recitation Rooms
For Classes Specialized Work
AT meeting of the Board of Com
missiOners of the Smyrna Public
Schools Thursday night, Mr.. L. M
Price one of the most influential di
rectOrs, advocated some important
changes in the school that would bring
Smyrna institution up to the grade
of academic requirements needed to
prepare a boy or girl for college
life. Mr.. Price was probably more
or less influenced to take this course
from the fact that he was obliged
to send his son, Warner, to Conference
Academy at Dover because of lack
on the part of the Smyrna Schools to
prepare students in French, German
and other studies now required in
most all entrance examinations to
Colleges and Universities Mr.. Prices
plan was to change from the present
methods of instruction to that of more
specialized work. He advocated build
ing a so foot extension to one of he
wings of the school building to provide
for large study hall which should
be used for study only and to which
all pupils of the higher grades would
assemble. The rooms -on the first
floor he would have partitioned into
a number of class or recitation rooms.
The second floor he would keep
intact for the primary grades to be
conducted as at present time with
but few modified changes. By
system of bells the classes would
move out, probably six at time, to
the various recitation rooms to return
after the period to the study hall,
when other grades would move out.
Special Teachers For Special Work.
Then he would have a special
work for each member of the faculty
above the primary grades, that is
one teacher to teach mathematics.
another to teach languages, another
to teach English, another history and
so on. That is, the teacher in math-
ematics woud hear one grade at time
until all grades were heard at some
period during the day. The same with
other courses. When not in the class
| room, the students could be at work
in the study hall where everything
would be quiet and uninterrupted
by the teaching of other classes as
is now the case in the several rooms.
Then he would have a change in
the curriculum so as to admit of such
studies as are not taught in which case
French or German would be added
to the duties of the teacher of Ian
guages. The plans for reconstructing
the building would entail a cost of a
little over $500 or $1,000 and could
be done during the Summer recess.
The other members of the School
Board heard with interest Mr.. Prices
plans but were not ready to accept
/ them without more serious considera-
tion. One thing was deeply impressed
and that was that Smyrna will have
to keep pace with Milford and
other graded schools in the matter of
advanced studies and the preparing
of young men and young women for
college ard this idea of specia lization
seemed to make a favorable hit. The
study hall plan (where students un-
attracted by the teaching of other
classes, and with every thing quiet
about them) seemed to strike some
as a most excellent idea. The Board
will probably take up the matter
more thoroughly at future meeting.
Mr. Prices plan does not include
an increase in the number of the
faculty, although some changes might,
have to be made in the matter of
specializing.