The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-01-06

3
our rormal school from year to year
We have recently roadjus,ed the sal
] airy schedule in these institutions and
are now completing the re-orgauizs-
tion Of our normal school curriculum.
II is expected that when courses Of
study have been re-orgaaixed that
many colleges will give full two years
credit for work done in these institu-
tions"
At the present time Vermont Is ex
perimenting with three distinct types
Of supervision The Union superin-
tendent, the supervising principal, the
superintendent with helping teacher.
Now IL there is any special type
best suited state whose school prob
lem is runal, why not specialize in that
TYPE?
Favors Helping Teacher" Plan
DR.. Calvin ~ Kendall, commissioner
in New Jersrey, believes that the
helping teacher will be one Of the most
effective means Of re-organizinR and
vitslizing rural school instruction.
New Jersey has given this type Of
supervision four-year trial and in
1918 had thirty helping teachers. DIR.
Kendall in his 1918 report states:
"The purpose Of the helping teacher
is to give rural school teachers help
in their work with children.
"ln city systems are found superin
tendents Of schools, assistant superin
tendents, supervisor Of special sub
jects, music, drawing domestic sci.
e1ce, etc.
"This is the settled policy for the
conduct Of school affairs in the cities
Of this country The policy is settled
because II is well known that no teach
er, whatever his experience, is so good
teacher that he cannot be better
one Constructive helpful supervision
goes a long way in making better
one.
"On the other hand in rural districts
are found on the whole the unframed
teachers, the inexperienced low-salar-
led teachers The teachers who stay
but year or a short time There is
no supervising officer as in the city.
Ungraded schools with many classes
and supplies often lacking. The teach
ers who need help the most do not
have it, If city teachers trained, ex-
perienced, well salaried, need assist
ance, why not afford rural teachers,
inexperienced, immature, unframed,
similar assistance?
"The helping teacher is supposed to
give these rural teachers such assist
ance is given so generally TO city
teachers.
Poor Teaching Costly
"Poor teaching spells an enormous
waste in education everywhere, but
nowhere is it found TO a greater ex-
tent than in country schools The
greet problem there is to secure more
vita teaching Of children.
Country children are naturally as
bright as city children but the plain
truth is that they do not get square
deal in our educational system. The
helping teachers came into being in
order>to give these children the educa-
tional rights to which they are en-
titled
"The inexperienced, meager-salar-
led, new-to-their-schoo teachers in
rural schools welcome eagerly such
help. This has been demonstrated in
the past two years.
''These teachers have testified TO the
kindly, sympathetic, positive guiding
hand Of the helping teachers"
National and State School Poiitics
Although the training Of teaohez,
in the matter Of ideals, is a national
affair, the making Of constructive
school laws belongs wholly 10 the
state, and the effective administration
Of such matters depends largely upon
the towns. With a high national ideal.
and a strong central source Of state
no community should long
be satisfied with inferior school advsn-
tages
Vermont twenty-five years from
now will be the kind Of Vermont we
make Il with our school laws Of today.
Let US build well on sound principles
that last for all time Remembering
always that Vermont's state eduea-
tional problem Is now, and will no
doubt. be then, a rural school problem.
Very truly yours,
FLORENCE r. RANSOM
rsu4insor peravehar d fq20