Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-01-18
School Survey
Next February

school district have ordered a survey
OF the city school system, to be made
the third week in February, the edu-
Gators who have been selected to do
the work having accepted the task.
The parties are prominent and .ex-
perienced in the work, and when It
Is completed it will be a valuable
guide as to what the schools are do
ing and what should be expected of
them
The survey will bring out the aues-
ton as to whether enough attention
is being given to agriculture, com
merce, cooking, domestic art, etc;
whether Latin, German or other sub
Jects are being overdone; whether
the courses are lopsided or should 90
one way or another in the direction
of more or less practical work. The
general purpose of survey is to give
the school board and superintendent
basis of considering the needs of
the school system of the city as a
guide to the conduct of the course of
study.
The following is the staff who will
make the survey: Superintendent C.
r. Frazier, Everett, Wash; Professor
F. c. Aver, Eugene, Ore; Hon. H. B.
Miller.
superintendent Frazier held i'm
portant educational positions in Min
nesota. He built up one of the best
systems in that state at Winona. For
some years he was assistant state SUI
perintendent of schools in Minnesota.
At present he is superintendent of
school sat Everett, Wash. This sys-
tenn Is one of the best in Washing
ton.
Professor Aver has had large
school experience. For a number of
years he was connected with state
normal schools in the central west.
He did graduate work in pedagogy
at the University of Chicago. While
there he made critical study of city
school systems of Illinois and north
ern Indiana At the present time he
is in the department of pedagogy at
the University of Oregon.
Hon. H. B. Miller is head of the
department Of commerce at the Uni
versity of Oregon. He has had a
larse business as we'll as educational
experience, and spent many years in
the diplomatic and consular service
of the government in China, Japan,
Manchuria and Ireland. He is an
expert in finance and accounting.
| AS will be seen by the above, the
gentlemen are specialists in three dis
tinct phases of school work which
will bring to bear upon the problem
the observations from several angles.
Messrs. Frazier and Aver will look
into the matter Of the preparation of
the teachers for the work they are
doing, course of study general con-
tents of building, whether the maps,
globes and general apparatus are ade-
quate or not, examine the supple
mental readers, report on the super
vision of Fairgrounds and other fea-
lures pertaining to the general school
work. Mr.. Miller will take up the
financial side and report on the cost
of administration as compared to
other cities and as to whether any
department needs curtailing or econ
omizing, whether too much or too lit
tie is paid for the service, the system
of bookkeeping, the method of rails
ing taxes, etc.
The cost of the survey may look
to some as a large expense from
the plan outlined. but on account of
Messrs. Miller and Aver being part of
the faculty of the University Of Ore
gop it will only require their expense,
and Mr.. Frazier's services will not be
much more. The entire cost will not
exceed $3.50 of the districts money.
Superintendent George Briscoe Wis
tied fifteen high school systems in
Washington and Oregon at the di-
rection of the board of directors a
year ago and also made partial sur
vey Of the schools for the directors.
The proposed survey will strengthen
the sources of information available
and permit teachers, directors and
citizens to arrive at a more intelligi-
BILE understanding as to what is being
done in the schools and afford base
of operation for any proposed chang
es that may be suggested.
The superintendent and the board
of directors wish the people to be-
come interested in the system Of
schools the taxpayers are expending
their money to maintain, and would
be pleased to have any citizens inter-
ested in the work to becom eacquaint-
ed with itc purpose and give their
opinions as to what changes, II any,
ra Desirable