Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-25

prove the school system of the state The commission of the last legisla- ture with Dr. Luther at it's head, had reported that the board was doing all that was possible under the limited powers granted to it. He said that the board would welcome an investigation but, also, that it should not be held responsible for matters that are be- yond it's control. MT. Smith said that the state must spend more money if it wants better schools.
 No Control of Buildings and Equip
 ment.
 He also pointed out that the board at pfesent has no control over build ings or their equipment and that un- der the adverse criticism in the report of the committee to which the Wood stock speakers referred was relative to the condition and equipment O1 buildings in the, country districts.
 Ashford Surrendered Under Protest.
 W.L.- Bennett said. that his town ot Ashford was one of those which had surrendered its rights in the schools under protesE and that the first thing the state did was to insist that the school buildings be improved before the state appropriation would be granted
 MT. Smith pointed out that that was case where the board did have ju- risdiction and that it had exercised it, forcing the town to do something that it should have done of its own accord. but reiterated that the state board did not have full control of school buildings and their equipment.
 Conditions in Woodstock.
 At this point the speakers at the hearing veered from the consideration of the proposed bill to a discussion of local conditions in Woodstock, where the schools are apparently not wholly satisfactory under the present man agement and were said by c. H. Pot ter to be costing more than he thought was necessary.
 Poor Normal Graduate Teachers.
 In relation to the practice of the state board in showing preference for teachers that were normal school graduates, l.. H. Healey told the com- mittee that the poorest teachers Wood stock has had were normal graduates. He made it clear that he was in fa- vor of normal schoolssand appreciat- ed the excellent work they were doing and that many of those trained in such schools made excellent teachers, but that if persons did not have the natural instinct of a teacher that a normal school training would not make them superior or more capable than another who did not receive the
 
 a natural inclination to teach and was we'll equipped to engage in such work.
 FriIIs and Fancy Work.
 MT. Heaiey said that superintend- ents and supervisors often insist on teaching methods that are impractical ble and that he believed pupils were being made to spend too much time on frills and fancy work. Relative to the state board not having enough power, MT. Healey said he believes they have too much in some respects. Mr. Healey said that his duties as master of the state grange take him into every country town in Connecticut and that he runs against conditions in every section of the state with which the rural people are very much dissat- isfied. MT. HeaIey expressed his con- viction that better results would be obtained in the schools in country dis ttricts if many of the superintendents and supervisors were done away with.
 Superintendent Pratt of the schools in Woodstock and Eastford also spoke briefly in explanation of some features of his work, stating that he did not insist that his teachers follow his methods except in special cases and that might have been secured h4s the committee regarding lis work from what was said by the speakers at the meeting. x z s
 Secretary Hins Present.
 Secretary Charles D. Hine of the state board was present at tho stear- ing. but took no part in the di4cts- siop- sz :. E ss s's