Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-27
THE VISITING TEACHER
By H. Addington Bruce
. ROM the United States Bureau of
II Education there has recently come a

n ROM the United States Bureau or
II Education there has recently come a
report Of special interest to citizens
really appreciative of the Importance of edu-
eating all the children of all the people. This
| report, prepared by Miss Sophia G. Glenn, re-
views the activities Of that latest recruit to
| the work of public education, the visiting
| teacher.
| Already, it appears visiting teachers have
| a place in the school systems OF more than
| twoscore cities and towns. They serve as
| links between the school and the home, the1l
special business being to promote the educa'
| ton of children who for any reason are fire.
| uuent absentees from school or not keeping
up with the work Of the schoolroom.
incidentally, whenever necessary, visiting
teachers help parents to grow in knowledge
| that will make them both better parents anc
more efficient citizens. Among non-Engllsh
speaking parents the visiting teachers are
distinctly missionaries of Americanization.
| But always their first interest is saving
| to society children in danger Of being robbed
| Of their educational rights. When. as oIten
| happens, the teachers find conditions OF a
seriously detrimental sort, they intervene
determinedly for the children's good.
Illustrative of the work they do, these
specific instances may be cited from Miss
Glem's report:
boy slept frequently in class. The visit
ing teacher of his school found him work
M The necessary home adjustment was made
to put a stop to this drain on his vitality.
Three cases of infringement of the child
labor law were discovered by visiting teach
er. The right of schooling was insured to the
children. through her cooperation with the
child labor committee.
The demand for working papers for girls
| in the upper grades Of one school was les
sened when one year Of visiting teacher serv-
ice was added to that given by the regular
school teacher.
Poverty at home threatened to prevent
| boy from completing his school term. The
visiting teacher secured a scholarship fol
| him.
! In one city seventy-six eighth grade pupils
| who had left school . returned after calls
| were made at their homes by a visiting
teacher.
It was noticed that two little girls in one
family alternated in absence from school.
visiting teacher found that they took turns
staying home to care for two motherless in
| FAINT sisters Arrangements were made en-:
abling both girls to attend schC oil regularly
A six-year-old< italian girl was habitually
| absent from school. Investigation showed
that she stayed home to care for an insane
mother and four little children. The mother
was placed in a sanatorium and provision
made for the of the children.
Work of this sort, as noted by Miss Glenn
is particularly necessary in all cities where
there are large numbers of foreign-born par
ents living in poverty or semi-poverty. But
in all communities it is safe to say, there
is scope for the humaniZ1ng activities OF
visiting teachers endowed with the energy,
common sense, and tact which their special
task peculiarly demands.
Copyright, 1921, by The Associated News
papers.)