The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-04-06
ONE ROOM RURAL SCHOOLS
Effort to standarize BY Vermont
Teachera' Club

Effort to Standarize BY Vermont |
Teachera' Club
At a meeting last October of the |
Vermont Women Teachers Club a !
special committee of five was appoint
ed to formulate plan for standardiz-
ing the one-room rural schools of Yer
mont. This committee has just COM
pleted its work and has submitted
their plan to Commissioner Dempsey
and the State Board of Education, for
acceptance, modification, or rejection
Commissioner Dempsey is favorably
disposed toward it and the State
Board is now considering it.
The plan can be put into operation
either as a policy Of the State Board
or by a statute of the Legislature. The
committee suggests two year trial
of the plan as a policy of the State
Beard. Already twenty-seven states
have standardized Their rural schools
and it is hoped to get Vermont in line
early enough to escape being the for
ty-eighth state to standardize,
The purpose is to improve every
rural school through better buildings.
better equipment, better teaching, and
definite community cooperation,
municipalities will be issued by the
State Commissioner of Education, to
all schools which receive the required
rating on their rating card. Only
those things which are necessary to a
good school are required. Essentials.
rather than minor details, will deter
mine the rating, but the school must
be a good one. All points having to
do with sanitation have been made to
comply with the regulations of the
State Board Of Health.
The plan is that the district super
intendent win furnish to every teach
er. schools clerk, and member of the
school board in his district, a copy Of
the rating card, at the opening of the
school year. The marks will be de-
termined first by the appearance of
the buildings and grounds, general re-
par, lighting, heating, ventilation,
cleanliness, and sanitation of the out
buildings. End by the equipment such
as furniture. blackboards textbooks,
supplementary books and supplies
drinking arrangements, flags, play,
tlN cru ny lllt ltetNlttlo u dlilil6 anu
experience, efficiency and professional
spirit 4th by the pupils required at
tendance, personal appearance, and
sense OF responsibility. 5th by salary
paid, living conditions for the teacher,
reta ming the teacher, meetings, fairs
and exhibits and several special
points of merit
A name-plate bearing the words
"Standard School will be awarded to
those schools scoring between rs and
80 on the rating card TO become a
standard school all the forces Of the
community should work together. The
school board the teacher, the pupils. !
and the patrons Of the school have
each share in the work of improving
the school Every commun ty found !
to be actively engaged in working for
good school, deserves honorable !
mention, even though the name-plate !
cannot be obtained at the time.
There is a laudable desire on the
part of some school officers to make
their school as nearly perfect as pos !
sible To encourage this a name
plate bearing the words Superior
School" viii be awarded to schools |
rating 80 or above on the rating card. /
A superior school is one that is taught
by teacher of superior qualifications
and with the highest efficiency; in a
school house as nearly perfect in all
essentials as possible and furnished
with everything needed. The com
munity must show the interest that
the claim Of such a school implies.
Schools are standardized for an in
definite period of time. The ap-
proved lists Of all Standard" or
Superior" schools are kept on file in
the Office of the State Commissioner
OF Education. If it is found later on
inspection by the district superinten-
dent, or State Supervisor Of rural
schools, that a school no longer has
the required total score for Standard
cation. conditions must be improved
without delay or the name.plate, will
be removed. Every school should try
not only to secure and retain the
name-pate but also to have a finer
and better school from year to year.