The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-07-23

~-%~-- - -
school has number.
For the apparatus card index inventory
should be prepared and kept thoroughly up
to date. Doubtless the frequent change of sci
ence teachers has had some bearing upon the
upkeep of the laboratory and the character of
the equipment. Nevertheless some constant
policy in this regard should be adequately
maintained in spite of changes among teachers.
The material for biology was also meagre.
To assist in indicating the desirable equipment
for class of twelve appending to this
report list of material. With an enlarged
laboratory the botany and zoology classes
would have an advantage they do not now en-
joy in the ordinary classroom.
In the matter of rooms the Board is urged
to consider the practicability of having the
entire second floor used for high school classes,
and having the classes now upstairs occupy as
far as necessary the first floor. 1t is believed
that by this plan a better administrative
scheme can be evolved and a stronger sense
of solidarity developed in the high school. Be
sides the older pupils are better able TO climb
the stairs than the elementary pupils. Even
with the different hours of session of the high
and elementary grads less confusion would
be had than under the present plan.
That good school work may be done. it is a
trueism to say that teachers and pupils must
have material with which to work. The
Mount Holly schools lack supplementary read
ers through all the grades and supplemental
reference books throughout the school in the
elementary departments. At least two full sets
of supplemental readers should be available for
each grade. In the other subjects each room
should be provided with four five reference
books besides the regular textbook With such
material in given classroom both teacher and
pupils have opportunity to study matter
that is and to get points of view for
discussion and organization.
THE TEACHING STAFF.
The supervisory and teaching staff consists
Of supervising principal and 80 teachers dis
tributed as follows:
kindergarten
Elementary grades 81
High School
Special Physical Training
Special Cooking and Sewing
Special Music
Special Manual Training
The academic and professional standards de-
manded by the rules of the board, and in gen
eral adhered to are high. and the salaries paid
compare favorably with those in schools in
similar localities. Yet there has been fire.
quent change among high school teachers es-
pecially which does not make for continuity in
the general policy of the school, or in the re.
spective fields of work. Where this condition
exists, whatever the cause, there is all the
/ more need Of strong supervisory policy ant
a definite and clearly comprehended set OF
| aims and purposes in the different departments
of the school. A school is a unity and not
| mere aggregation of classes and teachers eacf
Independent of the other. Every effort shoult
be made to hold good teachers. Teachers
should be happy and contented in their work
and so far as we could learn the conditions
conducive to this state of mind have not pre-
vailed during the past six months at least
Regular meetings of teachers are held Of
| which we examined the minutes These show
/ ed. however, that there was not enough evi
| dence of constructive work in problems o.
| teaching discussed The teachers seemed anx
| ous to grow, and in answer to questionnair,
| showed that most took professional maya
| zine, and had read one or more professional
books during the year. Some teachers had at
/ tended one or more sessions of summer
school. In the main healthy spirit of pro
Sress Is , thus shown among the teachers
In the organization of the schools of Noun
Holly there is no evidence of delegated author
| ty in the administration of the different build
| ngs, but all details seem to be centered in tn
| supervising principal The rules of the boar,
| do not recognize vice principals or head teach
| ers who should be in some measure responsible
| for the routine administration of the school,
or departments. The result is that the time O
he supervising principal is occupied will
routine matters which use time and energ!
/ which could be better expended upon thu
ing the schools better meet the needs of tn
pupils in preparation for life in the commun
ity.
The rules governing the supervising prin
:ipal make no mention of his most importan
function, that of supervising instruction an,
of stimulating the entire system to its bes
| sndeavors. Rather the principal is by rule O
| the Board governed in his coming and goin,
10 the school, and in addition there has com
with the passing of the years an absorption
in routine administration, although clerica
| assistance is provided in the Office
The larger view of the supervising prncipa
as a social engineer does not seem to be suffici
emily fixed in the minds of either the board o
education or of that office. We could find NJ
violence that any continuing policy was fol
| owed in regard to buildings and equipment
for the gradual increase of teachers saarie
upon basis OF merit. or OF any cooperation o
board or principal in checking up local prac
tices with those of progressive systems il
other parts of the state. A special problem il
Mount Holly is that of the care of out of tow
pupils, of whom there considerable mum
Der in the high school, Many of these ar
Obliged to remain in town for some time afte
| he usual closing hours. Some more defint
provision should be made for their care an
supervision.
Such reports as are presented to the boar
| monthly are largely statistical, and perth
mt information as to what the schools are &C
| iualy accomplishing is largely lacking. 1t
not the practice of the board to present to tn
| people annually report of school progress
| pther than financial. In other words, there
| lbsent any conscious recognition of the fac
| hat the schools are most vital factor il
he civic life of the community, and that tn
| people should be made cognizant of the poll
| les of the Board. and urged to their respon
| aimed.
We did not find that the Parent-Teachers
Association was recognized as signifcan
art of the community's educational asset
| These organizations can be made most help
full for making known school ideals
For the best results there is need of far see
| ing and masterful leadership coupled with mu
ual confidence among all the factors tina
make for good schools Our observations lea
rs to believe that this state of affairs has no
yet been completely realized.
ID sore is not to be interpreted as mean
ing that no progress has been made, the poin
IS rather that of the amount and the direction
| in which it has appeared. The existence o
| he following is highly commended:
The Introduction of Manual Training.
The Introduction of Domestic Science.
fhe Introduction of Music.
The building of a High School,
| The securing of the certificate privilege t
certain colleges for high school graduates
| The fitting of pupils to take clerical positions
| The last two items. however, apply to a com
2aratively few pupils, and in public educa
| lion the needs of the majority are most i'm
oortant. and we shall show later too great al
| Elimination of pupils.
In the supervision of instruction it woul
| appear that much of the work is largely in
sidental and accidental. Any striking situa
ton discovered which was radically wron
would be dealt with, but there was little evi
denee of any large problems, g., the readin
| n upper elementary grades, the teaching O
science in the high school, the overageness o
pupils in grades, being attacked co-operativel
with the teachers. The quality of teach
| ng could be measurably improved by arrang
ing at least twice month for demonstration
| teaching IN which given teacher teaches
lesson which is to be observed by the teacher
of two three grades. This is one of tn
| ways of training and improving teachers il
service. The regular teachers meetings is an
other source of help if they are organize
around particular problems which are comm,
up from day to day as actual classroom situa
| realize that there is one
Too much Journalism in administration an
in some of the teaching was shown in the sys
tenn
The examination system in the high schoo
is good example of what is meant Her
every six weeks actual classroom work stop
| for formal examinations, taking at least tw
days. 1t is not question of testing at nat
ural break in the subject matter, but o
| the calendar. The teachers must teach for ex
aminations, and these extend to such activi
subjects which should be tested through pro
| eesses and not through words. but all subject
must apparently be treated alike. The resul
| of the examinations are averaged in with 9th
err marks given by teachers and final ratin,
given Tests covering less than year SHOULD
| be used primarily as aids to teaching and no
| for the purpose of marking. Furthermore dur
| ing the year between two and three weeks arr
lost of valuable teaching time
This administrative attitude toward formal
ism is further reflected in the practices Of
teachers below the high school. Here it wa.
| found that too much time was spent upor
testing the pupils. Many of the recitation.
| observed were conducted upon testing basis
| The majority of questions asked by many
of the teachers sought information only
They were not questions which would bring
out the individuality of pupils. While severa
| OF the teachers visited showed that their maiT
purpose was to lead out the pupils, to teach
| them how to think. and how to study, yet moi
enough of this type of teaching was in evi.
dence. IL is only fair to state that in many
pupils. and not enough effort spent teaching
pupils how to do a piece of work or how tc
| organize and the information obtained
through study.
The present plan of departmentalizing the
seventh and eighth grades is in keeping with
| the best practices. This, however, could be
extended through the organization of an inter-
mediate school, and thus make the last six
grades a single administrative unit Doubtless
pupils would stay in school longer, and by the
beginning of differentiation in the seventh and
eighth grades the instruction could be made
more vital. This plan of organization is COM
mended for serious study.
OBSERVATIONS OF WORK IN THE ELE-
MENTARY GRADES.
We found that almost as much time be