The midland journal., 1916-02-11

perience and modern training; and he
is aided by corps of supervisors, In
Guiding an assistant superintendent, 9
primary supervisor with an assistant
a grammar srade supervisor with an
assistant, manual training supervis-
or, domestic science supervisor, and
finally, supervisor of rural schools.
/ "But every county in Maryland could
up to the limits of its financial ability
do the kind of thing that Baltimore
County does. At bottom it depends on
the competency Of the County Super
tntendent.
Training Of Teachers.
In discussing the weaknesses of the
school situation in most of the coun
ties, the Report points out that the
teaching force of the state is in high
degree miscellaneous. On this funda
mental point the Report states:
Regarding the training Of these
teachers, no general statement can be
made at all. There are the widest pos.
sible variations In the training of teach.
ers doing the same grade of work-in.
conceivable confusion and lack of Sc.
quence and order in their preparation.
"Of over 5000 white elementary
teachers in the state outside of Balti.
more, 391 (12.7 per cent? have had only
an elementary school education; 634
| GOT per cent? have spent one or two
| years in high school; 1,O31 (33.7 per
Gently have completed four-year high
school course; only 148-less than 8
| per cent. of the whole-have received a
| standard normal school training.
One-third of Teachers Unframed.
"Of the rest, some have spent little
| while in normal school; some have re-
| ceived ain irregular normal schooling;
few have been to college and still
fewer through college. Grouping to.
gether standard normal school. part
college and college graduates, about 10
per cent. OF the elementary teachers Of
Maryland-not more-may be called
well trained; not quite one-third could
on stretch be called fairly well train.
ed; at least one-third are practically
unframed. The body as a whole is
| thus heterogeneous to the last degree"
OF the high-school teachers. it is
declared that not over two-fifths are
adequately trained.
A revision of the law dealing with
the certification of teachers is therefore
recommended as the first step toward
realizing improved conditions.
Teachers Salaries Too Small.
Salaries are too low to obtain we'll
| trained teachers; they range from an
average of $271 year in St. Mary's,
| to $662 year in Baltimore County.
Three counties pay an average of less
| than $500; four less than $3.50; seven
less than $4OO; seven less than $3.50;
and only two. Allegany and Baltimore.
pay in excess Of $780,"
School Attendance.
| The attendance of school children is
SO irregular and uncertain that even
| good teachers could not teach success
fully. AS the state is without an effec-
tive compulsory attendance law, many
children remain away from school al
together large numbers begin to go to
school too late or attend irregularly.
The precise extent of this evil cannot
be stated, for there is no correct school
census.
| 1t is recommended, therefore, that
the state enact statewide compulsory
education law, including proper provi-
siOns for attendance officers and what
ever else is required to make it effec-
tive.
Organization.
The schools of Maryland are support
ed in part by county in part by state
| taxation. Some of the counties, nota-
bly, Baltimore, Allegany, Queen Anne,
and Worcester, support their schools
literally; the rest do less and some of
the most prosperous do much less than
they can and should.
Help Those Who Help Themselves.
1t is recommended by the Report,
therefore, that the state contribution
should in future be paid to no county
which does not levy for educational
purposes a minimum tax fixed by the
Legislature. The more progressive
counties will, of course, continue to
levy more as they now do.
Again, the state and county organi-
cations exist in skeleton or outline
only. The State Department of Edu-
cation, which should guide, study and
report upon the educational activities
of the entire state, consists of a super
intendent, his assistant and clerk
Nothing is simpler" says the Re-
port, than to authorize or require the
State Superintendent to supervise.
inspect, examine or pass upon. But
neither inspection, supervision, nor ex.
animation can avail, unless an ade-
quate trained organization is provided
through which he can work The
force now at the Superintendents dis
posaI is utterly insufficient. He has a
single assistant appointed with the ap-
proval of the State Board at a salary
of $1,000 and one clerk at salary not
o. r.