The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-25
School Commissioners Think
They Detract from
School Work
BY DEMANDING
TOO MUCH T Il &
-
Annual Report o. .arre's
Public Schoc s are
Submitteu

leAn are icdAeu III tlc ANNUAL Tepults pi
the school commission, Supt. g. H. White
prin. III. II. Jackson of the high school
and the several departmental heads
Traditions of efficiency and policies Of
progress are being we'll maintained and
the tenor OF the reports indicates that
the schools OF the city are in very good
condition. The coming issue of the an
nual city report viii contain detailed
statements of the doings In each depart
ment, but The Times is publishing to-
| day digest of the achievements record
ed in 1916 and the recommendations
made for the present year and the years
to follow.
"School work il moving along in a
most satisfactory manner" says the
commission in its annual statement to
| the people, "and with the necessary
school buildings and equipment for the
departments now being taught" the city
| il fortunate in having a teaching staff of
experience. Emphasis is laid on efiicien-
| ey in Il teaching staff and a high stand
ard OF alumni The high school, under
the capable leadership Of Prin. II. I'll.
jackson. the report says, will close a
successful year with graduating class
the largest in the history OF the school.
Athletic teams have given good account
Of themselves and commendable fea-
ture of athletic competition is the spirit
Of fair play and an endeavor to win. but
not at the sacrifice OF sportsmanlike con-
duct.
Medical inspection is urged and para
graph is devoted to explaining how a
system OF inspection might work out
Truancy il on the decrease and in this
connection ii is suggested that some stu
dents have stayed away from school be-
cause they felt they were insutficiently
clothed Much il made OF the need of vo
cational training and In celebrating upon
this idea the commissioners reiterate
some of the arguments used in past
years, Financial problems are discussed
at length and the commission arrives at
the conclusion that the only remedy for
money scarcity in conducting the public
schools is to increase the tax rate through
the revision of the city charter.
A paragraph directed against the prac-
tlce OF recruiting school children for home
talent entertainments will not escape no
tice, Says the commission: eve desire
to commend the Barre Woman's club for
the work ii has done in connection with
the summer Fairgrounds, as well as 9th
er activities for the benefit of our chill
dren We cannot, however at this time,
help but deprecate the fact that in order
TO raise funds for their various enter
prises, they find it necessary to present
home talent plays in which many of the
city children perform. This necessarily
dctracts materially from their school
work BY taking their minds from such
work and usually in the midst of term.
If such plays could be prepared during a
school Faeation, there would not be this
objection to the children taking part"
In closing, the commission submits fig
ures which tend to compromise the claim
that "our schools cost too much" The
members of the board take their stand
as follows: "The schools do cost a very
large sum. but if we divide the amount
by the sam representing the number of
we find that the cost is not so
very great after all. In our city this Is
about SD per year, varying few cents
from year to year loss than six cents a
Law fol- each child. How much does the
average man spend upon his automobile
or for personal indulgences every day?
Surely he ought to spend as much for his
,hild's education as for his personal
pleasures" At the end of the report,
parents are strongly urged to visit the
schools and note the work being done and
endeavors of the teachers.
Teachers Show Progressive Spirit.
The introduction of the Beacon system
,f reading in one grade at the ward
chool and its apparent effect on the pu-
ills, the ab5lltion of the Al grade and
Is resulting effect on the pupils and de-
,artmental teaching in several of the
ra les are discussed by Supt. White.
IIuch was made of departmental work
through the cooperation of the Woman's
lub and several of the teachers and an
xhihit was held in the Church street
chool. Barre boys and girls were well
ewarled when they came to exhibit
heir work at the Winooski Valley club
Inhibition. During the year many of the
graduates were assisted to po-
itions, which is counted service not
alv TO the graduates, but also to the
lgh SchQQi 1UdeT MIS- Ntillt hOSeot
he training class is doing excellent work.
mixed school in the Lincoln rooms is
tanned for the spring term, plan which
calculated 20 give the members OF the
ass experience with several grades in
ne room.
Changes in the personnel of the teach
" staff were comparatively few and
,ntinued service on the part of teachers
cited as an important factor in main
lining the high standing Of the schools.
! this connection the superintendent
Tvs: u believe that, practically with
It exception, our teachers are studying
make the work Of each year more ef-
ctive than the previous one. The teach
: hold grade meetings, read recent edu-
.tional publications. visit schools to get
w ideas. and other methods, and sew
al each summer attend summer
hools7 Parents in nearly every case,
g. Mr.. White, are cooperating with
e pupils.
Interesting tables showing in the first