The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-12-21
STANDARDIZATION
OF VERMONT
RURAL SCHOOLS
An Open Letter By
Dorothy Garfield
Fisher

Some months ago the State
Board of Education completed the
plans for campaign for the i'm
provemeht Of our Vermont rural
school houses. A simple statement
was prepared enumerating the diff
ferent elements necessary to make
a rural school what it should be,
If it came up to the ordinary stan
dard of efficiency (hence the word
standardization" by which the
campaign is known. This state
ment, called the "Official Rating
Card for Vermont Rural Schools"
(Which anybody can have who will
write the State Department of Ed
ucation for it, is based on the
plainest, most obvious essentials
for satisfactory school life. There
are so fussy, expensive require
ments, such as would be hard to
meet in country schools, no men
ton Of running water, of furnace
heat, or sideshow trimmings in
teaching, or anything nickel-plat-
ed or cititied, or ultra modern;
just an enumeration Of the things
that any country school in America
ought to have, to be decent, clean,
reasonably attractive and efficient,
TO give children a good elemen-
tary training; such as, enough
light for the children to see their
work; a floor that can be kept
clean; Il stove that gives the right
heat and ventilation; decent out
buildings; sanitary drinking ar
rangements; enough up-to-date
textbooks to go around; plain,
comfortable seating arrange
ments for teacher and pupils; 4
clock, acme soap, a basin for
washing hands and faces; de
ccntlypaid teacher who is train
ed for her work, cares
about it, and stays on her job:
community which sees to it that
the teacher has a fairly comforta-
Bile 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
requirements are set down on the
Official Rating Card. Thus a school
that would meet all of them would
be counted one hundred per cent.
according to the standard. This |
rating is divided into five parts:
0) building and grounds count for
tWcnty-siX out of the hundred; CIV |
equipment counts for tWenty-sev-
en-; CD the quality of the teach
cr counts for eighteen; (4) the at
tendance and conduct of the pupil !
twelve; and (5) the attitude of |
the community and a miscellaneous
item for seventeen.
That is, a school which had a
satisfactory building and neat
grounds would get twenty-six on
that count, but if it lacked text
books, good black boards, and 9TH J
er essential equipment, it would |
lose tWcnty-seven credits; if the |
teacher was faithful and compe-
tent, it would win eighteen points;
but if the community showed no
helpful interest in the school, it
would lose seventeen uoints.
As far as that goes, if the com
did show an interest in the
school, the school would soon be
up to standard.
Is the requirement set up bv the
State Board one hundred points?
that is, do they expect TO find
Vermont rural schools with "A
complete equipment and perfect
comfort, cleanliness and deccncy?
No, indeed, not so much as that.
If a school can show that it comes
up three fourthS of the way, and
merits seventy-fvc per cent of the
points given on cleanliness, com
fort. decency and efficiency, such
Il school is a prize, is to be mark
ed STANDARD" by special
namc-plate, has right to be
proud Of itself, and may be eligi-
Die for state-aid, provided for in a
en-thousand dollar fund.
Now do you see the situation?
a plain standad Of ordinary
country ideals set up,
md Vermont rural schools rated
n accordance with it. What is
he result? How many rural
,chools in Vermont are really
What they ought to be? How
many out of the eleven- hundred
ixtv rural schools in Vermont
re threeouarters Of what a plain,
,scful country school ought to be?
low many are even half? 1t Is
he first time Vermont has con
lucted such a definite, minute in
-estigation into the actual pres ,
Mt conditions Of rural schools.
he inst we Vermonters have had
lC~-4:p,.a2 on narn