Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-01

teachers have always made positions iR them desirable for any intending to make teaching a profession, and con- sequently there have been mary appli- cations for vacancies as they came each year
 You can imagine my feelings when reading on the most prominent place in the papers quoted as the sayings of a. past acting school visitor, a member of the town scheol committee as follows:
 Simply because at a fslI meeting of the town school committee, after fHaly discussing the question of salaries of principal of high school and of Israel Putnam school he with only seven grades 10 be responsible for every member in most complimentary terms relating Co their successful work in the interest of Putnam, but fully expltin- ing the great Increase In tares of the town and necessity of adopting the policy of econdny majority of the committee frankly stated it was their i opinion that Feme#beFing one past experience that the salary of Sf.60J for principal of high school and y1 LOGO | Tor Israel Putnam would not aRect' the efficiency of the schools. ReTnena- | bering that Mir. W. Fl. Holmes had | been principal ef the grammar school al salary Sf S750 and the following year promoting him principal of Put nam high school at salary of S1 ,5so. MT. Holmes has been referred to as eRe of the abIest high st1ieed teachers we have ever has sfia siBee Ieavfne has been superintendent ef sslesls in | Massachusetts and fer several years iH -Hheae Island
 Principal Sprstt new having sESSe salary and Superintendent DvFitan sl,S5e with every principal begiAHfnR with much smaller safaFy iReludiug Themselves with all tfiese matters be- ing talked freely by the eo1aHdftAan, it was decided that 1t wsaia be poggi- | ble to repeat eur tsxIBer sse6eryea with men ef less expeftsBce. itaAuGsue, the first year, leaving ample saramf24o advance sslsFfes in sfbseaaent ye8m as has been e9F custom. Now q wedB CT mere after tfsls AeffsB sf tle paa1s | jerity of tie committee to have fsas past aetiflg Visftsr allowing zin8ssf to De aaeted as felewss
 Tn my judgment H would re-Egtt iP the fRSst tetal disruption ef ssw pRtJtic scheel system"
 Tt has new Become evident tlpat fhs town is te loss BssRIy every teacher in the high school, the best yet as q l whole the town has ever had. and nearly all the Israel Putnam teaehers, and the loss of tuition from PerafFs4 pupils, who will not ret8Fh next year, will be very lsFge"
 fEn eoHseqReRee of this demer rall red condition @ the injury te the town in her. reYatstieH fer gOed seseels and the dise0gFaging outlook for Gbe faS tHFe, have handed in my FesfEnafIeu as acting school visitor and msnabsT of the teachers committee"
 Right at this point I wish to say that having no iHtiHaaSf0n whatever at the meeting referred te, that he con- templstee reSigHing fEgm the commit tee, it must be received by our com mittee then and there pFesented position and to bring shout by his action the deliberate attempt to cause the almost total disFupsion in our public school system" An action more desperate than anything of my long experience as a member of school committees in Putnam and Mansfield.
 If our past acting school visitor and member of teachers committee had at the above meeting of the full com mittee had then and there presented his resignation, his position would ap- pear more consistent, fer he admitted liz was without doubt possfbfe to SC cure 8 good principal of the two schools at saIaries votsd--the commit tee was Left te believe that whSle hs advocated the retention of both Urfn- cipa1s he was content with his state ment to make the best with the amount the committee had voted.
 Now, then, let it be understood as well by the committee and many Of parents of the pupils that the action of the acting visitor had not always been in harmony with his management of that ofIice. Having been acting v1s- itor for years 1 hear the qneStton: How many single terms has he ever visited the schools in accordance with the law covering that dutyT' It is true town records VIII show he has drawn money in amounts as fl he had really visited the schools as the law provides.
 Some are curious to ask how many
 textbooks he has introduced in tho schools without consulting the com
 pittee,
 How many textbooks has he placed in the schools that the committee have
 voted not to introduce? Again. Otherr
 would Ike to know what apparatuS
 had beer purchased by himself without
 consulting the committee.
 There are other questions that it l WOthu seem ildEQ U duSWCt IOAA Au.
 other point of the view that ours way
 "one mans' committee dictated bs one acted on by one.
 As the salaries of the principals is , the crux of the whole thing. ! car 1, safely assure parents and guardians ir
 Putnam, Thompson and Pomfret, tha s the intent of the committee is 10 main
 tain an efficient corps of teachers an, , the popularity. of our high school an' , grammar school, in short, all oui schools. We do not believe our teach 2 CTS will leave our schools as the resul T of the action of the acting visitor . as they will be liberally paid ant l treated with strict impartiality. , In closing, l have seen parents ou 1, of town patroniEing our schools as be : ing pleasant, satisfied and contentet ? over this resignation and ample ex
 planation why 1t is SO.
 GEORGE A. HAMMOND. Member of Town School Committe' of Putnam.
 1, Putnam, May S1. 1912,