Press enter after choosing selection

Very Successful Meeting Of School Officers

Very Successful Meeting Of School Officers image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
August
Year
1899
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

They Discussed Topics of Live Interest to the District Schools of the County.

                     ___________________

THEY WILL SECURE UNIFORMITY OF GOOD WORK

                     ____________________

They Organized a Permanent Association and will Meet Again to Continue the Good work so well Begun.

                    _____________________

The school officers of Washtenaw county held a conference in the supervisors room at the court house yesterday.
Nearly every township in the county is represented and a great deal of interest is manifested by the 40 or 50 school officers who are present. The topics discussed in the morning were the hiring of teachers, the term schedule, the length of the school year and school funds.

On the subject of hiring teachers, there was no dissenting voice from the opinion that the teachers should be hired for the full year.
Michael Braun, of Ann Arbor town, was the only man who mentioned salaries and he brought out the interesting fact that his district had only had two teachers in 11 years.
In the past three years 22 pupils had graduated from the eighth grade.

It was decided that the school year under ordinary conditions and in a proper sized district should be at least nine month long and that the winter term should be as long as possible and not less than four months. Also that the fall term should begin on the first Monday in September.

The meeting of the school officers of the county at the court house was concluded yesterday afternoon and the interest was sustained to the end.

The subject of the adoption of a course of study was taken up. Commissioner Lister said that the course of study which was sent out by the state department two years ago bas been placed in every school house in the county. He urged that at the next meeting of the school boards they adopt that course of study for the eighth grade at least.
This led up to the discussion of the next topic, the ninth grade in the district school.
All seemed in favor of the ninth and tenth grades being taught where conditions permitted. Where the schools were too large they did not believe the smaller children should be slighted to maintain the extra grades

"School Apparatus. " Commissioner Lister discussed this question by paying his compliments to school apparatus agents, who foisted upon districts worthless or nearly worthless devices at exhorbitant prices. There was nothing in the line of necessary apparatus that could not be bought from their own local dealers.
One chart man came into Washtenaw county during the past year and took out $4,000 in school money. Mr. Lister advised them' to stand by their local dealers, because if they did not get what they wanted they could get back at the dealers.
That apparatus specified in the school law as necessary apparatus should be bought first.
The question of irregular attendance was first spoken on by Commissioner Lister He explained the California system of distribution of primary school monies, that being the distribution of the fund on the basis of the total number of half days' attendance This was one of the greatest incentives to regularity, because every time a boy or girl stayed out of school, it raised the rate of taxation.
Under the Michigan system the matter devolved upon the hearty co-operation of the teachers, of the school district officers, and truant officers.
K. H. Wheeler, of Dexter township, said they had enforced the truancy law to the letter during the past year. At first it had created a great deal of function, but now they were glad they had made the move.
R. P. Copeland, of Dexter, village. said they had not been successful in enforcing the truancy law.
R. C. Allen, of Milan, said the same thing was also true in his village. The majority of the district officers said that they had been lax in the matter, but all agreed that it ought to be enforced to the letter.

"What to do with incompetent teachers," was the next topic. It was generally agreed that there must be cooperation between school officers and the examining board.

John K. Campbell, of Augusta, discussed admirably on the moral influence of cleanly out buildings.

The last topic for general discussion was the matter of text books. Commissioner Lister said he had found in several districts text books in geography in which Washington, Montana and others of the newer western states were represented as territories, while the Dakotas were not divided.
He also found old text books on other subjects, some of them edited in the 40 's and not revised and some not revised since the '60's while throughout the county there was a general lack of uniformity. He called for an expression of the school officers present regarding this matter.
It was agreed something ought to be done. The outcome of the discussion was the appointment of a committee of A. D. Crittenden. of Saline, M. J. Braun, of Ann Arbor township, and E. O. Allen, of Milan, who were to examine into the question of text books and recommend to the school officers of the county a complete list of text books for use in the district schools
D. E. McClure, the deputy superintendent of public instruction, gave a half hour talk on general school problems of interest to the officers present and received a hearty reception at the hands of the meeting. He gave a great many statements of value to school officers which were highly appreciated. The meeting created such an impression of its value on school officers present that it was unanimously agreed to make the organization a permanent affair, and the following officers were elected:
President, Hon. J. K. Campbell, of Augusta ; secretary, A. D. Crittenden, of Saline; treasurer, M. J. Braun, of Ann Arbor township, and these three together with the school commissioner were to constitute an executive committee.

The results of this meeting in Ann Arbor will be that the officers who were present will have a better appreciation of the responsibilities of their position. It will tend to more uniformity of work in the various districts which logically means that the district schools will be more perfectly in tune with the general educational progress of the state. Every district not represented suffers a distinct loss. An effort will be made to extend the benefits of the School Officers' Association of Washtenaw county to the utmost corners of the county.
It ill also tend towards improvement in school architecture and a hundred other questions of importance to be taken up. It is possible that the next meeting will be called in connection with the next teachers' convention.