Smyrna times., 1921-11-23
STATE SCHOOL BOARD TO PUT
VISITING TEACHERS ON STAFF
MISS LEILA A. THOMAS, DOVER,
APPOINTED OFFICIAL VISITOR
Relations of These Teachers to the
Superintendents, Supervisors and the
Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees
Through the generosity of the Del
aware School Auxiliary Association
the Board of Education is able to put
into the field the following persons as
visiting teachers for the present year:
New Castle county, Ruth NJ. Jones,
County Building, Wilmington; Kent
County, Leila A. Thomas, Dover; Sus-
sex, eastern Section) Laura S. Rich
ards, Georgetown; Sussex, (Western |
Section), Mrs. Mabel Riggen, Laurel.
This letter is to introduce them to you
formally and to describe briefly their
work.
Relation to Supervisors and Teachers
The visiting teachers are asked first
to visit schools in their respective
territories, to get acquainted with the
teachers, to see and understand the
work they are trying to do, so that
it can be explained to parents where
necessary to learn of those children
who for any reason may not be max
ing satisfactory progress in school, to
receive reports of attendance from the
teacher, either by mail or at time of
visits, to cooperate with the teacher
in every way possible in the interest
of better schools. The visiting teach
er is the community assistant of the
supervisor and the regular teacher.
Relation to the Board of Trustees
The visiting teacher is your agent
in dealing with the patrons of your
district should you desire to make use
of her services. She will explain to
YOU the records of attendance made IN
YOUR school last year and in the cur
rent year and show you how your dis
trict stands as compared with other
districts and with the average for the
county and State. She will visit all
homes where the school attendance is
poor and endeavor to assist in every
way possible to help to better that at
tendance. She will visit the homes of
the children who do not make salts
factory progress in school and advise
with them and their parents. She is
not an officer of the law. She is a
= friend to help your district. | trust
that YOU may find her of assistance tC
you in running good school.
Relation to the Community at Large
p The visiting teacher will be inter
ested in your church, your grange
r your community clubs of whatever ma
1 ture and your parent-teacher associa.
: ton, she will assist the teacher to or
4 ganize such association where they dc
$ not already exist. She will be the
o confidant of the community. She viii
: know much that she may help much
v She will say little that she may hell
& the more. Henry Ford few years
O ago kept employed in Detroit about 81
r social workers whose sole duty it wa
@ to look out for the various interests o
G his 5000 employees in that city. Tit
2 visiting teacher idea for the stat
D. school system has somewhat the SAM
o motive back of it. The workers ar
l. at the call of the superintendent II
h Special Districts, except Wilmington
lr as well as in other schools. They vii
,t work, however, only in the whit
le schools. This department will b
j. pleased to receive at any time sugges
,e tions which may add to the usefulnes
of the work of the visiting teacher.