The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-02-10
COMMISSIONERS c. III. DEMPSEf,s
STATEMENT IN REGARD 10
VERMONT SCHOOLS.
January 80, 1922.


To School Directors and
Superintendents of Schools:
desire to bring to your attention
at this time the matter OF laying
vour plans for school work for the
next year, and of securing at town
meetings necessary appropriations
for carrying out such plans.
To have good schools it is necessary
to have a carefully worked out pro-
Gram. covering the school work,
which is thereafter to be well iol-
lowed up. Two of the most I'M
portant things in such program
for most towns are:
First, securing first class teachers.
IF YOU have excellent teachers now,
show them your appreciation and pay
them within reason such salaries as
will enable you to keep them. Ii
YOU have some teachers working on
PERMITS. or who after fair trial have
shown their inability to make good,
start early to find and sign up skill
full. regul arly certified 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
and progress of the children justify
securing the best teachers you can
afford. Often times one or two dol
lars a week will make all the differ
ence between a successful school and
a 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 meet
ing.
Second. providing satisfactory
buildings and equipment. Perhaps
yours is one of the towns that have
been earnestly working during the
past few years to improve such OF
it's buildings as were in poor cond1-
ton. Perhaps such work is still to
be started. A good 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 overhauling. If any such
are in your town, why not start now
to fix them up as they should be
Here is plans that is strongly
urged for your careful consideration.
/. 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.
2. Divide the cost up to cover one,
two, three or more years, so that the
expense to the town will not be too
great in any one year, but plan
definitely to put at least one or two
buildings year into first class shape,
beginning this year.
8. Be sure your plan is the best
one that you can devise, then talk it
up, advertise it and get people in
terested in having good schools, the
kind they ought to have for their
children, the kind that are 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.
q. Then have your definite plan
all ready to propose at the March
Town Meeting, with call for ap-
preparations needed to put the plan
across. If the people see and know
that your plan is sound, progressive,
not extravagent, 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 needed
and what to do.
Many states and communities talk
lot about what ought to be done
and expect to do it-sOmetime, but
never get ahead very far.
Let us not have this true of Yer
mont or any of the towns in the
State. Simply find out the job tt
be done in your town, decide how
quickly it can be done, and then all
get behind the job and push it right
MISUNDERSTANDING now to prepare
for the necessary action at the
March meeting. The way to get any
where is to start right and keer
moving along at the best pace one
can keep up.
The next number of the Vermont
err will contain a comprehensive ar
ticle on Recent Educational Pro
gress in Vermont" prepared Aby tht
State Department IF you want tt
know what has been doing for thu
last twenty years; whether we hav'
been pushing toward the front o.
dragging along the rear; where W.
are headed educationally-the ar
ticle ought to be of interest to you
In order to be sure to get copies yol
need for yourself, your teachers anc
friends, send in your order withou
delay to the publisher, Charles F
Cummings, White River Junction
Vermont. Price zoe per copy.
Sincerely yours,
Clarence H Dempsey,