Putnam patriot., 1919-12-05
THOMPSON SUPERINTENDENT
 VIGOROUSLY DEFENDS SCHOOLS
Declares Report of State In- spector Is Unfair and Unwar- ranted and Not Desired By Community or Board.

"Seh, iieTe appeared report on the condition of the schools in the town of Thompson submitted to the town board of education and signed W. S. Dakin of the State Board of Educa- tion. Mir. Dakin's report, in which he deplored the condition of the Thomp- son school from practically every an- gle of administration, finds a vigorour condemnation in the lengthy and de- tailed letter printer below and sign ed by Superintendent F. E. Kutscher. superintendent of the public schools of Thompson, and principal of the Tourtellotte Memorial igh school.
 MT. kutseher's letter is as follows: To the Editor of The Patriot:
 My attention has been called to the report of the State Inspector publish ed in your paper in which the schools of Thompson are condemned root and branch.
 Hithertofore l have not discussed in print previously published criti- eisms. School controversies carried on in newspapers merely create an at mosphere that is bad for the schools, parents, and pupils, and usually end in petty personalities and mutual re- eriminations. The usual. proper, and dignifed course is to have the legally constituted authority, the school com mittee, consider all complaints and criticism, and take proper remedial measures. The Thompson school com- mittee has so acted, but some one who has been receiving these state communications, for some ulterior motive, has seen fit to publish them without stating the opinions and de- cisions of the committee.
 Since the matter has been made public property, l deem it but fair to the townspeople who in a large meas ure support our schools and to the committee who have been legally ap- pointed to administer the public schools of Thompson to state fully both sides of this question.
 Controversy a Farce
 In the first place, the controversy with the State Secretary, and the State Inspectors is q three act farce. The third act has not yet been publish, ed and refers to the evening schools which have barely begun. Although | the superintendent has absolutely no | responsibility for them but was added to the evening school committee as an
 afterthought to give as much aid as possible, his part is condemned. The
 report, signed by Francis E. Harring- ton, Field Agent for. evening schools,
 tells of the lack of cooperation, faulty | organization, the necessity of addi-
 tions to the teaching force which he
 and the evening school inspector made
 for the town at the towns expense,
 He also promises further visits to | keep the schools up to the standard WHICH Iit ndS tStdDliSliCQ. w hSsN ti | then. the three branches of our school system under the ban of the state in spectors: High School, Elementary I School, and Evening School.
 Act One
 Up to last spring the schools of the
 town enjoyed the favor of the State | Secretary and basked in the smile of his approval What, then, has brought
 upon us the Jovian frown, the light ming and the thunderbolts from Mount | Olympus?
 The horrible fall from Olympiar
 grace came about in this manner Last spring, at the death of Mrs
 Harriet Arnold Tourtellotte, the town
 came into possession of the benefceni ! beauests of Dr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte
 It was felt by the school committed | that the time had finally come wher the school system should be thorough l ly reorganized and be made if possi
 ble, equal to any in the state. A Junior high school was to be establish ed in the High school building snd suitable transportation provided, ths | common schools were to be limited tt
 six grades, and more and better train l ed teachers added to the corps of in structors-
 l By some very singular coincidence on the day fixed by the committee ts take up the question of Junior Higf
 school. the inspector of High schools
 appeared. The project was fully dis
 cussed and explained by Mir. Harring
 ton and the principal of the Higf school and was endorsed by the in spector. MT. Harrington then de manded dual supervision. In this h' was backed by the inspector, whs maintained that it was necessary tt pay a large salary to two men to su
 pervise the work of 125 pupils At 1 subsequent meeting, it was unani mously voted by all members presen
 to unify the system, to relieve th'
 principal from teaching duties, and t
 request him to take charge of the en tire system. It was believed that thu