Year: 1877

About two years ago, by special act of the
Legislature, a school committee OF eight men
bers was assigned to the city of Portland; and
it was made the first duty of this committee to
elect a Superintendent of Schools. The mem
bers Of the school committee are busy men,
with their hands full of other matters; they
serve the city gratuitodsly; and it is impossible
that they should keep as thorough a supervis'
ion of the schools as is desirable. Ia towns
the supervision is well managed by commit
tee, but in city of the size of Portland it be-
comes different matter. With fifteen or six
teen school houses and from ITO to 115 teach
ers, there is evidently great deal to be
looked after; and it is absolutely essential eth
er to have much larger committee (which in =
wolves new difficulties and prevents unity of
action,) or else to have, as the act of the Leg
isature requires, Superintendent of Schools,
who shall devote his whole time to the general
work of experimenting he work of education.
The teachers of the public schools stand in as
little need Of supervision as any body of per-
sons in the community,-but in every conceiv-
able occupation in which ITO persons are work.
ing to accomplish one public end, and to carry
out one well adjusted plan, there is need of an
overseer, to ensure any unity or any great sue
cess in action.


1t is, therefore, no imputation of previous
faults to the teachers of Portland to say that
the wisdom of the present law has been vindi-
Gated by the marked improvement in the
schools under the supervision of the Supern-
teudent. At the Centennial Exposition in
Philadelphia, our city received peculiar honor
for the exhibit of work accomplished during
the first year of the new system. In the school
committee room, in our City Building, the pu-
pills work in the various classes, as they were
two years ago, and as they are now, can be
compared, and any eye can see the great
change. The improvement is most marked in
writing, cyphering, neatness of work, in draw.
ing, in answers to examinations in all branches
The improvement in the schools themselves is
just as manifest; in increased life and interest,
and in much better reading, spelling and sing
ing The boy leaving the primary school today
is better scholar than those were two years
ago who were finishing their first year in the
grammar schools.


Now this is worth money to the city. Edu
cation pays. 1t pays in dollars and cents. If
we have public schools at all, we want good
ones. 1t is for the public interest The heavy
taxpayers are well contented to be taxed to
give the best education possible to the children
of these who pay only poll tax. 1t pays also
politically. Strikes and riots cannot flourish
among the we'll educated. And if this inn
provement in the public schools pays, it ought
to be paid for The superintendent of ITO or
lis teachers is higher and more difficult work
than the superintendent of one high school OF
grammar school. The salary attached to the
Office ought to be the highest salary paid to a
school officer in the city, and then its commit
tee ought to employ maa who is worth the
salary. The great improvement in the schools
during the past two years is prima facie evi-
dence that they have done it. H. 9