The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-02-02
COMMISSIONER
DEMPSEY MAKES
SUGGESTIONS
Circular Letter to School
Directors OH COnstruc-
tive Program

AJillHtlSc' / - q. I.uutttllUIl, Ia
is.A Aed the following letter to all
school directors and school sup
erintendents which will be of
equal interest 10 the voters as
they approach the annual March
meeting when the appropriations
for the maintenance Of schools
will be made:
| desire to bring TO your atten-
tion at this time the matter of lay
ing your plans fer school work for
the next year, and of securing at
town meetings necessar yappro-
priations for carrying out such
plans.
To have good schools it is nee
essary to have a carefully worked
out program, covering the school
work, which is thereafter to be
well followed up. Two of the
most important things in such a
program for most towns are:
First, securing first class
teachers. If you have excellent
teachers now, show them your ap-
probation and pay them within
reason such salaries as will en-
able you to keep them. If you
have some teachers working on
permits, or who after fair trial
have shown their ability to make
good start early to find and
sign up skillful, regularly certified
teachers for next year. Perhaps
they may cost a little more than
mediocre or poor teachers, but
they are more than worth the diff
fcreace. The welfare and progress
of the children justify securing
the best teachers you can afford.
Often times one or two dollars
week will make all the difference
between a successful school and
serious failure.
The amount of money you will
need for teachers salaries on the
above basis should be figured in
the budget submitted to the town
meeting,
Second, nrovidino satisfactory
buildings and equipment. Per
hapS yours Is one of the towns
that have been earnestly working
during the past few years to i'm
prove such of its buildings as
were in Door condition. Perhaps
such work is still to be started. A
Sood many school buildings all
over the state have been put into
first class condition recently. Many
others have been neglected for a
long time and need thorough over
hauling. If any such are in your
town, why not start now to fix
them up as they should be?
Here is a plan that is strongly
urged for your careful considera-
ton;
l. Look over all your buildings,
see what repairs, changes, and
work should be done on each one,
and estimate as CLOSELY as possible
what it would cost to do the Whole
job.
,. Divide the cost up to cover
one, two, three or more years, 50
that the expense to the town will
not be too great in any one year,
but nlan definitely to put at least
one or two buildings a year into
first class shape, beginning this
year
3. Be sure your plan is the best
one that you can devise, then talk
it up, advertise it and get people
interested in having good schools,
the kind they ought to have for
their children, the kind that arc
a credit to the town, and not such
as it has to be ashamed of or
apologize for. IF schools have
been long neglected, so much the
more reason why they should be
cared for without more delay.
4. Then have your definite plan
all ready to propose at the March
town meeting, with a call for ap-
preparations needed to put the
plan across. If the people see and
know that your plan is sound, pro-
gressivc, not eXtravagant, and
represents real needs, they will
approve it and vote the necessary
funds almost every time People
usually have pride in their own
town, want things right, are
anxious to have good schools, not
poor ones, and look to their school
directors to tell them what is need
ed, and what to do.
Many states and communities
talk a lot about what ought to be
done, and expect to do it-somc-
time, bat never get ahead very far.
Let Us not have this true OF
Vermont or any of the towns in
the state. Simply find out the job
to be done in your town, decide
how quickly it can be done, and
then all get behind the job and
push it right throuph,-beginning
now to prepare for the necessary
acton at the March meeting. The
way to get anywhere is to start
right and keep moving alone at
the best pace one can keep up.