Putnam patriot., 1916-04-07
SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT
Recommends Return TO Two Session
Plan
advocates the Trial Of Other Changes

I
In his report submitted to the school
board Monday evening Superintend-
ent Files recommends several changes
in the present school system in a
lengthy detailed finding in substance
as follows:
"in the preparation of this report
have had occasion 10 look up facts and
figures CLEANED from reports from other
towns and cities of about the same
population as Putnam. 1 find that the
necessity for longer school day Is
generally felt, that the tendency is to-
ward longer days for the grammar and
high school grades, and that In most
progressive communities, there is n
marked preference for the two session
high school. There must be a reason.
In New England for fifteen years we
have been COMPRISING and shortening
the school day until very recently. We
have tried 10 do in four and half
hours what we used To do fairly we'll
in six hours. We have found, as others
have found, that the work we used TO
do reasonably well In six hours cannot
be we'll done in the shorter school day,
with the distractions of the present
day 10 contend with. Most of the
communities that first changed from
the two session TO the one session day
have changed back TO the old hour
schedule. The zone session plan that
was fine in theory proved poor In prac-
tice. The idea was that pupils would
do their studying in the privacy and
quiet of their homes after the close of
school hours. In practice this did not
work out, and the percentage of fail
ures due to lack of preparation increas-
ed rather than diminished. The one
session plan is too short to provide
time for preparation and recitation.
For this reason, If for no other, the
two session day should be restored and
the day heightened.
We are at present working on what
is known as the four and half hour
basis. Most committees have found II
necessary to change from this as is
shown by the following figures:
1,270 towns reporting on the length
OF the school day. report as follows.
1888 report school day of from four
and half ito five hours, 521 report
school day of from five TO five and
half hours, and All report school day
of from five and half to six hours In
length. Putnam Is numbered among
the 1888.
| am convinced that $50 to II and
to $3.50 would be the best arrangement
of hours all things considered. 1t
seems to me that in school day OF six
hours a school days work could be
done and done well. With The length
ening of the day and the lengthening
of the periods with more time for pFep.
aration, it stands to reason that more
and better work could be done. AS
we secure better results, naturally we
improve the grade of work done by the
school.
With Grade 8 housed In the high
school building, Grade cannot be run
satisfactorily on two session basis, as
the high school is now run. Boys and
girls who have done fair work below
Grade s, as rule, do not keep up the
standard they have set i'm the other
grades in their last yeur of grammar
school work. Among other reasons
that may be assigned for this sag is
the reason of shorter hours than for the
lower grades. Whether the high school
is aintained on a one session plan or
on two session plan, | am convinced
that the work of Grade = can be more
pro6tably done II this grade, with
Grades 5, o and I were housed in the
same building and we were TO offer for
them departmental instruction.
In the different elementary grades
different teachers are handling differ
ent phases Of the same elementary
subjects. In one grade find teach
er who is especially strong In M sthe-
mates, In another grade | find
teacher who can make language and
technical grammar work OF appealing
interest, In still another grade | lind
teacher who can teach history and
civics in such a way as TO give the
average grammar school graduate CO.
herent idea of his country's story and,
at the same time, the proper idea oil
the duties and obligation of citizen
ship.
Never have / found a teacher who
was equally good as an instructor in
ali the elementary branches TO be
taught in her grade.
Under the departmental plan |
should use the teacher who was a
strong teacher in mathematics for
mathematics instruction in Grades v,
!: VI, VII, and VIII; the teacher who
was strong In language and grammar
/. for instruction In these subjects in the
grades mentioned; and the teacher
who was especially strong in history
and civics for instruction In these sub
jects for these grades. In this way |
would distribute the work of instruc-
ton among the various teachers to
. give these grades the benefit OF the
best instruction to be had with these
, teachers, using these teachers 10 get