Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-13
CHANGE SYSTEM OF
| TRAINING CLASSES
Abolish Offices of Model and
Ia Teachers in the
Webster School.

y In order to clear the way for a
new system of training teachers al
the Webster School in conjunction
with the taking over by the State
Board of Education of the Normal
School, the Instruction and Educa-
tional Supplies Committee of the
Board of Education determined at a
meeting held last night to recommend
the abolition of the title of model
and critic teachers.
That the present system of con-
, Quoting the training classes in the
! Webster and Normal Schools is q
failure, Acting City Superintendent
David B. Corson practically admitted
in his report. Some of the facts con-
/ tanned in that report furnished a
F surprise for the commissioners who
had no idea that in many of the
classes in the Webster Street School
+ there were less than half the number
/ of scholars the rooms would seat. In
/ some cases there were as few as ten
4 or twelve scholars to a class.
The proposed change is called the
| "one-room plan and contemplates
y Including two classes in one room
| with the model teacher in charge
The Normal School graduate will as
sist the model teacher and be gradu-
ally introduced to the science OF
kteaching. The first week she will
sNdo nothing but learn the pupils
( names, etc. The second week she
1will take charge of one subject; the
second week, two subjects, and prog
ress in that fashion.
: BY the new plan twelve teachers
will receive from the city $1,10O a
year each. At present there are
eleven being paid 81, 900 a year each
The State Board of Education will
pay the additional bonus of $500 a
year, so that the model teachers will
mot suffer a reduction of income. One
of the model teachers will resign
it is said, and as one has to be
appointed there will be two new ap-
pointeeS.
the system of training teachers tc
the city is $27,50S. Mr.. Corson re.
ported while under the new manage.
ment the total cost for each of the
next three years is to be $24, $50
$25,776 and 26,651 At the end of the
third year fifteen teachers will bt
on maximum and two within 500 oil
maximum and after the third veal
an Increase of $1,000 year for ter
years will cover all of the cost.
The new system will combine the
centralfzing method followed by the
State Training School at Trenton and
the apprenticeship plan in effect al
Montelair Training School, When
the practise teacher in the Webster
School is allowed to go out for ap-
prentice work in the Special A grade
under the new system she will have
advanced so far as to be able to take
real advantage of the opportunity.
The "one-class plan" was endorsed
by the committee without a dissent
ing vote. Some of the commission
ers voiced their astonishment at the
revelation of conditions at Webster
School. Glasses were smaller there
than at the Normal School. Under
the old system there were sixteen
classes at Webster School and six
classes and a kindergarten at the
Normal School.
Under the new system there will
School and the limit will be twenty
seven pupils to a class. With full
classes more pupils will be taught
than were given instruction under
The old system. Webster School
ought to come up to the standard of
other schools in the city under 1t,
Mr.. Corson said.
Details of the plan will be worked
out at a later meeting of the board.
In the meantime Mr.. Corson will
talk it over with the model and critic
teachers and get their views. The
State Board of Education will take
over full control of the Normal
School and operate it.