Smyrna times., 1921-12-07
STATE SCHOOL BOARD FINDS
MORE COMMUNITY INTEREST
MISS ELIZABETH JENKINS, KENT
SUPERVISOR PRAISES WORK

Finds Parent Teachers Associations a
Helpful Medium for Better Schools.
State Board Learns More Facts
The State Board of Education held
an interesting meeting in Wilmington
last Thursday and thru the women su-
pervisors from all parts of the state
present, heard reports from them
showing just what they are doing in
their respective districts and what has
been accomplished for the betterment
OF the school system of Delaware un-
der the new school code. After listen
ing for more than two hours to the su-
-pervlsors the members of the board
admitted they had learned more from
them regarding the general conditions
throughout Delaware than they had
ever known before. DIR. H. V. Hollo-
way, secretary of the board and State
School Commissioner, explained that
in conformity with their policy of con-
ferring with those interested in the
school work they had invited the su-
pervlsors to be present at the meetin
and submit reports of their work. He
introduced Miss Ina Barnes, super
visor for the eastern half of New Cas-
tie county, as the first speaker. Miss
Barnes said she has 40 schools in her
charge and 79 teachers and during the
last three months she has travelled
1894 miles in visiting the schools in
her district. Sine reported insdetail on
what is bieng done in the district to
help the teachers in their work and %
improve the general mental qualifica-
ticns of the children. Miss Elizabeth
Jenkins, supervisor for the eastern
half of Kent county said after her
survey she found the big task in her
district was to improve the teaching
OF the teachers, also to get the various
communities to the point where they
would want something better than
what they have She is doing this
through the medium of Parent Teach
ers Associations and as a result of The
movement the parents are thinking
more of their rural schools than thew
have ever done in the past. She said
If she succeeds in making one thought
grow where there has been none be-
fore she will have felt that she has
accomplished much.
Sale of Old Unused Buildings Ordered
DIR. Holloway called the attention of
the board to the decision of Attorney
General S. d. Townsend, Jr., relative
to the boards right to sell school
buildings but not the property on
which they are situated. The board
authorized the business manager to
dispose of certain old buildings no
longer useful. The payment of sub
stitute teachers, which has caused
some difficulties in the past, was dis
cussed and it was finally agreed by
changing former resolution to make
the pay of substitute teachers 80 pc,
cent of that of the regular teachers
when the substitute has a regular
teachers certificate or when she had
experience teaching in the schools OF
the city and that those without the
certificate and experience here be paid
at the rate of rs per cent of the regu-
lar teachers salary. This was deem
: ed by all as fair and just.
MiddletOwn-O Odessa Transportation
Transportation difficulties in anC
around Middletown were taken up anC
it was explained that around Odessa
the situation has become acute. 1t was
! stated they can get bus large enough
to carry from II to IA children fol
E $100 per month and the matter was re-
ferred to the secretary and the bust
ness manager to report back at the
, next notwithstanding the conclu-
sion that it has absolutely nothing to
, do with the collection of taxes in Del
aware, the State Board of Education
: through its president, DIR. T. r. Brown
has reversed its decision to have the
rural school teachers and the boards
; of special districts make a census OF
all taxable persons 21 years or over in
their respective districts.