Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-04-01
SUPT. A. 6. MILLER ON
TRIP TO INDIANA
Official Report to Board
of Education.

with other Georgia educators, attend
ed the annual convention of the Ma
t.onal Educational Association.
Supt. Miller's interesting report isl
given herewith:
1 respectfully submit this as my
monthly report of the city schools
There has been but little change in
the enrolment Of pupils since my last
report. AS is usual with our children
at this season. a few are beginning to
drop out The average attendance.
however, holds up we'll
The health conditions Of our chill
dren have been good While there
have been some cases of scarlet fever.
and diphtheria, in our city. they have
interfered but little with the work Of
the schools. In a town as large as
ours has grown to be, We shall always
have these diseases with US. There
have been a few cases Of smallpox in
the city, but on account of our
stringent rules for vaccination, no
cases have developed among either
the white or colored pupils.
The work of the schools has pro-
crossed as well as our crowded con-
dition will permit. We are trying to
hold our own, hoping for a better con-
dtion of things in the future.
Through the generosity of the Board
of Education I had the pleasure of
attending the sessions of the Depart
ment Of Superintendent of the N. Z.
A. held in Indianapolis, Ind, March
/. ? and g. In Atlanta I joined a
party of Georgia and Florida school
men, with whom I made the trip each
way. The place Of meeting being cen
trally located, the~meeting was more
largely attended than any held in re-
cent years. The sessions were pre-
sided over by Superintendent Stratton
D. Brooks, Of Boston, Mass, and were
handled in a mastery manner The
work of the convention was topical in
/ its nature and the topic discussed was
the individual child. Each session took
up some phase of this topic, as for in
stance, Tueday mornings session was
taken up with the defective child, the
afternoons session with the backward
child, etc. The speeches and papers
! presented were Of a practical nature
and contained less of the theoretical
clap-traD which so frequently marks
and mars educational discussions. All
of them had something which was of
value to the superintendent of a small
/ system such as ours Without excep-
/ ton all favored the semi-annual pro-
motion of pupils, thus giving each
pupil the opportunity to do his best
and to progress according to his
ability. One point made struck me
as containing the kernal of a great
truth, and that was that the child
which is leading the grade in his
studies is frequently the most back
ward. or retarded child in the grade
/ The progress OF any grade is guaged
not by the work of the best pupils in
the grade, but by that of the slowest.
This being true, frequently pupil
which could by natural ability adj
vance rapidly and gain two or three
grades, is kept back that much By
a system of semi-annual promotions
coupled with a system of flexible grad
ing, children could be advanced
through the grades with rapidity
commensurate with their ability toll
do the work. This point I have advo-
Gated ever since I became superinten-
dent, but owing to our crowded con-
dition and lack Of teaching force it has
been impossible to adopt a satisfac-
tory plan. We are trying a plan of
flexible grading which we had hoped
would permit a pupil to gain at least
one year in the course.
I attended the sessions of the de-
partment regularly during the first
two days, but the last day 1 devoted
to visiting the schools Of the city
The schools of Indianapolis rank IS
among the best in the country. Every
appliance that money can furnish is |
found in the schools. Their teachers |
are all trained for the work and are
experts in their lines. The work Of
the schools moved like clock-work |
The children in the cIass-rooms
seemed to enter with more zest and
earnestness into their work than our
children. There was more snap in
their manner of reciting.
The city of Indianapolis has an
elaborate system of medical inspec-
ton Of their school children. How
ever, this work is under the direction
of the Board of Health instead of that
Of the Board of Education. The in
spectors are paid by the state at the
rate of 4 half cent on every 500 oil
taxables. The inspection is very rigid
and the authority of the inspector is
absolute. Under no condition, how
ever, is he allowed to prescribe or
offer any suggestion as to treatment
This is left entirely with the parent of
the child and the family physician
The high schools are furnished with
dining halls and kitchens, where chill
dren are furnished with hot lunches at
a nominal cost. The buying of the
lunches is not obligatory, but We were
told that the amount derived from
this source more than paid for itself
and the department of domestic
science AS their daily sessions are
somewhat longer than ours, this was