The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-07-25

ucation. The respective teachers of
the various grades have also held
meetings in which the work of the
grade was outlined for a couple of
months at a time, thus organizing
and bringing about uniformity in
the work.
Salary.
"A comparison of the salary sched-
ules with cities such as Sioux Falls
and Aberdeen shows that WI are not
on a par with these schools in salar-
les paid. In fact we have had some
difficulty in inducing some OF u
teachers coming from small towns
to take up the work here in Mitch
ell since the salaries offered were
less than they could command there
and the transfer was made in several
instances simply because they want
ed to get in touch with a larger sys-
TEN. Some of these new teachers
are coming here al a distinct finan-
cial loss.
81 would suggest before the time
comes for the reelection of teachers
for another year that a new salary
schedule be established: That the
salary be not determined by the
length OF service but rather the eff
cheney of the teacher. l would sug-
gest the merit system as the sole de-
termining feature of a raise in salary
the object being to pay more money
to the strong teachers and thus hold
them; the weak ones will remain
without any inducement if they get
the chance.
In accordance with the permission
of the board there is under construc-
ton at the present time a course of
study for the grades which is to be
published in connection with the re-
port of the Board of Education. In
the high school course which has al
ready been published there has been
no e%ssentitl change in the plan of
the work ave that it has been ar
ranged into several courses and some
work such as Biology, Trigonometry
and Political Economy have been adj
ded. The work of the high school
during the last year l find to be good
but it is to be noted that especial in
terest conferred around the Industrial
work. The course in the grades is to
include a greater amount of supple
mentary work getting away from the
old forms and getting into the prac-
tical as far as possible. With the in
PRODUCTION of the Manual training
work into the 18th and St1 grades in
the central school, also the sewing
for the girls during the same time
the boys are thus employed, the in
dustrial work has made a very salts
factory beginning. The teachers of
the respective grades have had
charge of the sewing work with the
girls and the results have been very
gratifying. This is evidenced by the
fact that the teachers We're themselv-
es very much more enthusiastic over
the work at the close of the year
than when earlier in the year they
felt that it would be their duty to do
this work. An exhibit of the work
of the boys and girls in the grades
was made at the Central building
during the last week of the school
"In connection with the high
school an exhibit was made of the
work done by the girls in the Domes-
tic science department af the high
school during the last week of school
that of the boys in Manual training
was made in the City hall. These
are the agencies used to get the
people OF the city into closer touch
with the schools. We covet their
interest and desire their cooperation
for this is the one way in which a
school can be operated successfully.
81 regret we are unable to
ce Il commercial course for the hlgh
school for the next year but antlcl
pate that it will be an addition in the
near future. This work is equally
important and is entitled to be class
cd at least on the same level as all
industrial work, and in the general
education of the young people of the
public schools have a duty. Another
year, in addition to the Commercial
course / hope to see the Science
course recognized. 1t is the plan of
separate the boys and girls and pre-
sent the work in keeping with hat
which will be of service to them later
in life. Our science mar of the pres
ent year has been much interested in
this line of work and has been in
strumental in %arousing interest in
this feature of the work.
1--WE are at the present time work
ing on the special feature of public
speaking and debate, which work we
hope to see have renewed life next
year, and hereafter become a perm
anent feature of the school course.
During the past year we attempted to
do something along this line and
with this in view organized a debat-
ing class. Some few students were
so interested that they were willing
to meet after the regular sessions of
the school for the work. During the
year we had two debating teams in
the field one meeting Aberdeen and
the other Sioux Falls. In n cas-
the team was successful. and in the
other it was not. The showing was
remarkable considering the exper-
fence of the students in debate work.
THE city of Mitchell has an ideal
place for the upper grade work.
With the Central building for the de-
partmental work and with the policy
of the board to build the small ward
.h"i'dinps so that the small children
will not have to go SO far to go to
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