Prof. Chute On Teaching

The Expense Placed Too High at Trustees Meeting

Additional Work

Necessary by Physics Teachers in Preparing Apparatus for Experiments

Ann Arbor, Micli., May 16. 1903. To the Editor of the Argus:

Dear Sir - I desire to correct a few of the errors contained in the report of the meeting of the board of education held on the 15th inst.

First. It is uot true that the teachers of physics receive an aggregate of $4,040 a year. There are two instructors in this department and one of these does work in another department as well as in that of physics. The aggregate pay received is $2,600.

Second. Profs. Wines, Jocelyn, Montgomery and Chute do not have practically the same work. Messrs. Wines and Jocelyn teach mathematics, whereas Messrs. Montgomery and Chute teach science and in addition to their class duties have large laboratories to look after and much apparatus to care for, involving a large expenditure of time and energy which certainly demands recognition.

Third. The table giving the number of hours of actual teaching done by each teacher is very misleading, in that it takes no recognizance of the large amount of time it requires to prepare for effective class work in physics and chemistry, especially in the arrangement of apparatus for the many necessary experiments, a condition of things not found in other subjects. It is true that at present I have 16 classes per week; but it is also true that I am obliged in addition to this to devote the five and often six teaching hours of one day per week to the correction of about 100 note-books, an additional 10 hours per week and often more to the preparation of class experiments, at least half of every Saturday to the adjustment of the students' physical laboratory for the following week, and frequently many extra hours and large portions of vacations as well to the repairing and construction of apparatus, thereby saving the school district many dollars. It should also be stated in this connection that I have charge of the junior boys of the high school, involving no small amount of clerical work.

May I ask you, Mr. Editor, to give the above statements of facts as prominent a position in your excellent paper as you gave those incorrect statements tending to imply that I have not fully earned the amount that has been paid me in the past, and that a readjustment is now demanded.

Yours very truly,

H. N. Chute.