The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-01-01
NEW ASSOCIATION
MAKES SUGGESTIONS
PRESIDENT OF PARENT-TEACHER
ASSOCIATION CITES CONDl-
TIONS EXISTING IN THE LOCAL
SCHOOL SYSTEM, WITH RECON-
MENDATIONS.

P"ledSantV1lle wishes TO call Jne aluen-
ton of our t~ownspeople to some of the
conditions in our public schools, condi-
tions of which we were ignorant until
we held our Parent-Teacher meetings.
We do not believe We are the only ig-
norant residents of our city.
Our School Board are doing the best
that can be done under the circum-
stances. Our Supervisor and teachers
are making every effort to bring Pleas
antville schools to a place where they
can measure up to those of surround
ing cities. But, friends, "it can't be
done" under present conditions. No
teacher can accomplish the impossible.
Our Woodland Ave. School-the
school in the center of u city-the
school in which should be centered
u greatest civic pride, is in a de
plorable condition. Do you know that
six rooms of that school are on half
time? Three first grade and three
second grade-and that the rooms
have an average of fifty on roll? Do
you know that no more than thirty
preferably twenty or twenty-five
should be given a teacher in the lower
grades where the personal attention
is necessary to give proper foundation
for higher work? Do you know what
half time means? 1t means that one
teacher with her class of fifty little
ones goes on duty at $50 in the morn
ing. Definite school work and study
start at that hour. For four consecu-
tive hours those babies must sit and
the poor teacher do her best to force
the rudiments of education into their
weary little brains. 1890 arrives. No
little one who doesn't understand his
work can remain and be cuddled and
mothered and helped owe some hard
place. All must march out on the
minute and another teacher enters
with her brood of fifty to try between
1890 and 4.3O to do in four consecu-
tive hours what should have a full day
with the long midday rest and fire,
quent rest and play periods to accom-
plish. No child's brain in the lower
grades can DO good work under such
conditions. 1t would take too much
space in our paper to explain why. We
have a competent school nurse whC
will gladly explain to anyone who vii
ask her, as we'll as any of the teach
ers.
Neither can a teacher do her bes'
work thus handicapped. A teacher il
the lower grades has no study period
to relax and plan her work. All he.
work must be planned out of schoo
hours. Every minute during tn,
school session is given to intensive
mental and physical instruction. no
for one Instant can she relax. h}XGI
ftaa iass ss3li lSE'S ;Esa slsse / 5eisp s5paa
ls & a1d rsfvously i
! S&6s66d5 SH66 Is also handicapped AZ
Sbfackboard room. Much of her w.
needs to be done from the blackboard
There isn't room for the work OF bot
teachers on the board, nor is there an,
time to put the work there, for 1T mus
be placed there out of school hours.
We women asked u Supervise
how the work in these rooms compa1
ed with that of the same grades i
No. 9 School, where the childre.
though overcrowded, have an Aida
session. He answered us frankly tina
those pupils in No. 2 School were ia
in advance of those in No. 1 Schoo
Not because of any superior mentallt
of the children nor of more ef1c1en
teachers, but entirely because of n
conditions.
These are our city babies, the bah
classes of our public schools. Hav
we the right to so neglect these hell
less little.ones? The children of E
rope are not the only children suffel
ing because of the late war. We fin
them right here in our own publ
schools. A new school should hav
been built two years ago, but we wer
in the midst of the horrors of a worl
war. There were NO laborers, buildln
material or equipment available.
Every inch of space in No. l Scho'
has been utilized. The Auditorium
and even the teachers room hav
been turned into class rooms. D1
carded desks have been mended an
brought back to be used-battere
ugly, disgraceful looking affairs to |
in a city school. But war mad
necessary.
War no longer places it's grim r
strictions upon us. A new scho
building can be and it must be bull