The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-31
STATE CAMPAIGN
FOR GOOD SCHOOLS
Commissioner of Education
Urges Improvement of
School Buildings
ACT AT COMING
TOWN MEETINGS
Divide Cost Over Series of Years-Loeal
Educational Authorities Should Not
Delay-Replace Incompetent Teachers
with Good Ones-It Will Pay.

Educational Authorities Should Not
Delay-Replace Incompetent Teachers
with Good Ones-It Will Pay.
MONTPELIER. Ian. 31.-Clarence
III. Dempsey. state commissioner of edu-
cation. is starting a campaign to get the
towns of the state 10 employ better
school teachers and to improve the
school buildings. He urges the %presenta-
ton of a plan of improvement to cover
a term of years at the Town meetings
this spring and prompt action on the
proposals by the voters. . He is sending
a letter to the school directors and su-
perintendents outlining a definite plan
and urging immediate action. The letter
follows:
10 School Directors and Superintcnd-
cntS of Schools -;
! desire TO bring To your attention at
this time the matter of laying your
plans for school work for the next year.
and Of securing at town meetings neces-I
sary appropriations for CARRYING out
such plans.
To have good schools it is necessary TO
have a carefully worked out program,
covering the school work. which is there
after to be we'll followed up. Two OF
Z fAN AAA*F' 'fA"=@ 80 E'f -
gram for most towns are:
Good Teachers First.
First. securing first class teachers. IF
you nave excellent teachers now, show
them your appreciation and pay them
within reason such salaries as win en-
able you 10 keep them. If you have some
teachers working on permits, or who
after fair trial have shown their inabil-
ity TO make good. start early to find and
| 1fya mn ~lfIFHF ppu4-1rTy pnpfIfapB
teachers for next year. Perhaps they
may cost a little more than mediocre or
poor teachers, but they are more than
worth the difference. The welfare aud
progress of the children Justify securing
! the best teachers you can afford. Often
times one or two dollars a week will
make all tho difference between a sue
ccSsful school and "A serious failure.
The mount of money you Will need
for teachers salaries on the above basis
should be figured in the budget submitted
$ to the town meeting.
Good Buildings and Equipment.
Second. providing satisfactory build
$ ings and equipment, Perhaps yours is
one of. the towns that have been earn
cstly working during the past few years
To improve such OF its buildings SIS were
q in poor conditions. Perhaps such work is
T. still to lie started. \ good many school
buildings all -ofCr the state have been
put into first rFta~S condition recently.
a RIanE rfllGs asi4 Cheen Pfelfetfk forza
Hong Time and need thorough overhaul
ing. If any such are in your town. why
mot start now 70 liz them up as they
should bcE q "
Here is q plan that is strongly urged
for your careful consideration
II Look over all your buildings. SEQ
4 what repairs, changes, and work should
be done ON each one. and estimate as
M aIega1v rs npG~Ihln what n EOnIG pn@t
To do the whole job.
,. Divide tile cost up TO cover one
two. three or more years. so that tn,
expense to the town viii not be too great
in any one year, bat plan definitely t.
put mt least one or two buildings a yea
into first class shape, beginning thu
year.
3. BE sure your plan is the best on,
that YOU can devise. then talk it up, ad
vertisc it and get people interested il
having good schools. the kind they ough
to have for their children, the kind tina
are a credit to the town, and not. sue
as il has to he ashamed of or apologiZ
for. If schools have been long neglected
n so much the more reason why the.
should be cared for without more delay
Act at Town Meeting.
4 Then YOU have your definite plal
all ready to propose at the March tow
meeting. with "a call for appropriation
needed to put the plan across. If tn
people sec and know that Your plan i
sound. progressive, not extravagant. an
represents real needs. they viii approx
it and vote the necessary funds almos
every time. People usually have prid
in their own town, want things right
are anxious 70 have good schools. no
poor ones. and look TO their school ii
rectors to tell them what IS needed, an
what to do.
Many states and communities talk
lot about what ought to dc done, and eH
pect to do it-sometime. but never &c
ahead very far.
= Let MS not have this true of Vernon
II or any of the towns in the state. Simpl
lind out tho job to be done in your tow
decide how quickly it can be done. an
then all get behind the job and push
right Notwithstanding now to pre-
mare for the necessary action at th
March meeting. The way to get any
where is to start right and keep movin
along at the best pace one can keep III
Sincerely yours,
s- CLARENCE II. DEMPSEY,
Commissioned Of Education.