The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-12-22
MOST VERMONT RURAL SCHOOLS
50 TO 90 PER CEAT Efficient

Dorothy Candeld Fisher in Statement
says W are ~ 10 Blame. schools
Neglected b. People Whose Chil-
drsn Attend Them.
Some months ago The State Board
q Education completed the plans Tor a
campaign for the Improvement q our
Vermont rural school houses. A
simple statement was prepared enum-
Grating the different elements neoes-
eary 70 make a rural school what il
should Be-. II II came up 70 the ordin-
ary standard u efficiency thence the
word Standardization" BY which the
campaign Is knovnl. This statement,
called the Official Rating Card for
Vermont Rural Schools" (which any
body can have who will write the State
Department Of Education for it) il
based on the plainest, most obvious es-
sentials for satisfactory school life.
There are no fussy, expensive require
ments, such as would be hard 10 meet
IN country schools, no mention OF run
ming water. or furnace heat, or side
show trimmings in teaching, or any
thing nickel plated or citifed or ultra
modern; just an enumeration OF the
things that any country-sehool in
America ought to have, TO be decent,
clean, reasonably attractive and eiiie-
lent, TO give children a good elemen-
tary training; such as, enough light for
the children to see their work; floor
that can be kept clean; stove that
gives the right heat and ventilation;
decent out buildings; sanitary drink
ing arrangements; enough up-to-date
text books to go around; plain, com
Portable seating arrangements for
teacher and pupils; clock, some soap,
a basin for washing hands and faces; a
deceutly-paid teacher who Is trained
for her work, cares about it, and stays
on her job; a community which sees 10
Il that the teacher has a fairly com
Portable place to live; pupils who go
regularly TO school when not sick; an
American flag outside and one inside
the building; interest taken in the
school by the parents Of the children,
etc
In order that the matter may be
clear and easily analyzed, these re-
auirements are set down on the Ofiic-
ial Rating Card Thus a school that
would meet all Of them would be
counted 100 per cent according to the
standard This rating is divided into
five parts: (l) building and grounds
county for 26 out Of the 100; (2)
equipment counts for q; (3) the quail
fly Of the teacher counts for Is; a.
the attendance and conduct Of the
pupil, -; and 60 the attitude Of the
community and a miscellaneous item
for II.
That is, a school which had a salts
factory building and neat grounds
would get 26 on that count, but II it
lacked textbooks, good black-boards,
and other essential equipment, it
would lose p credits; IL the teacher
was faithful and competent, it would
win is points; but II the community
showed no helpful interest in the
school, would lose II points.
A far as that goes. If the commun-
ity did show an interest in the school,
the school would soon be up to stand
ard.
Is the requirement set up by the
State board 100 points? That is, do
they expect to find Vermont rural
schools with a complete equipment and
perfect comfort. cleanliness and de-
eency2 No, indeed, not 20 much as
that. II school can show that il
comes up three-fourths Of the way,
and merits 75 per cent Of the points
given on cleanliness. comfort, decency
and efficiency. such a school is a prize,
is TO be marked STANDARD" by spec
ial nameplate, has a right to be proud
Of itself, and may be eligible for State
aid. provided for in a $4,000 fund.
Now do sou see the situation? A
plain standard FOR ordinary American
country ideals set up, and Vermont
rural schools rated il accordance with
Il. What is the result? How many
rural schools in Vermont are really
what they ought % be? How many
out of the 100 rural schools in Yer
mont are three-uuarters Of what a
plain. useful country school ought TO
be How many are even half II Is
the first time Vermont has conducted
such definite. minute investigation
into the actual present conditions ~
rural schools, the first time we Yer
monters have Rad any picture Of our
schools we can visualize. And row
we have q there b look az, the picture
Is not an We desire But % Is good
Tor Us 10 examine L iutently.