BELOIT PUBLIC SCHOOL. is designed for two pupils. The house is warmed by means of stoves, and will ac LETTER FROM THE CIRY SUPERINTENDENT. commodate about five hundred and thirty scholars,-one hundred and eighty in the Our city is divided into two school-dis- lower room, one hundred and fifty in the tricts, in which the schools are conducted second, and two hundred in the third,entirely independent of each other, so that but the latter is not yet furnished, so as as yet, we cannot hardly be said to have to be occupied. There are two large rea "school system." citation rooms adjoining each schoolIn District No. 1, upon the east side of room, and at present, six teachers are emRock River, the school is now under the ployed. Mr. N. W. Hodge, who was charge of Mr. James H. Blodgett, a grad- formerly a teacher at Oberlin, has been uate of Illinois College, whose salary is appointed Principal, with a salary of eight eight hundred dollars per year. One of hundred dollars. Four of his assistants his assistants receives six dollars per receive six dollars each, and one receives week; three receive seven dollars each, seven dollars per week. and one receives eight dollars. The school The prospective prosperity of the house is a three-story brick building, 35 schools is quite encouraging, but we have feet by 52, and cost, five years ago, about not yet attained to a very high standard. five thousand dollars. It is warmed by We very much need a change in our means of a furnace, is papered and paint-school system.—if such it may be called, ed within, and furnished with common-as the present laws are not adapted to wooden desks, designed for two pupils the educational wants of this community. each. The upper room will accommodate I hope that not long hence, both of the one hundred pupils, and each of the other schools may be brought under the directwo, one hundred and thirty. The reci- tion of one Board of Education. so that tation rooms are very small and there is they may not be conducted with so little only one adjoining each large room.--reference to each other's wants and interThough this building may have been all ests. In haste, your ob't servant, that was necessary at the time of its erection, it certainly comes far short of meeting our present wants. JAMES W. STRONG, Sup't of Schools for City of Beloit. SHEBOYGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TECAH- EXTRACT OF A LETTER. In District No. 2, there has been no public school since last Spring, until within a few days, in consequence of the sale of the old building, and the erection of a new one, which has but just been completed. This is built of stone, is 60 by 70 feet in size, three stories high, and modeled nearly after the "Racine High School" on a salary of $900 per annum, and has building. It cost about twelve thousand five assistants each receiving for the first term, $6 00 per week. The principal of our school is engaged dollars. The upper room is to be furnished like the second, with the "HartWe have but one school house though ford School Desk" (I believe), the ends of others will soon be needed-indeed are which are cast iron, and the woodwork is now needed. This building is of brick, attached by means of screws. Each desk 54 by 72 feet, two stories high. On the first floor a hall runs through the center. ors, and any widow having a child beThe west half of the lower floor was de- tween six and eighteen years of age, may signed for a lecture room, but I think also vote in person, or by witten proxy." must be used next term for a school room. The east half is divided into two rooms, with a narrow hall between them. These are occupied by the first and second divisions of the primary departments. The second floor has two main rooms with recitation rooms opening from them. They are occupied by the intermediate and higher departments. SCHOOL BOOKS. Every school should have on its teacher's desk, a large Dictionary, not only of Words, but of Geogrophical names, of Arts and Sciences, of Mythology, and of It should have good Proper Names. Maps, not School Atlases, but large, and These rooms are all furnished from the complete Maps. It should have the best School Furniture ware rooms of S. Wales, manuals of science, such books as HerBoston, with oak chairs and cherry desks, schel's Astronomy, Lardner's Natural fastened in place by iron standards: very Philosophy, Stockhardt's Chemistry. In neat and convenient. The cost of the other words, it should have all the applibuilding finely painted and grained, with ances for solving whatever obscure point the furniture, fences, &c., exclusive of the might arise in the reading lesson, in the cost of the lot on which it stands, will be history lesson, in whatever lesson; and something over $8,000. The thorough no teacher should regard his class ready and substantial manner in which it is done for recitation until every point which is greatly to the credit of the contractor, could start a collateral question had been A. L. Weeks, Esq., of this place. It is thoroughly cared for, and the pupils had the cheapest building of its kind I presume traced all doubtful matters as far as the in the State. books of reference at their command Hitherto our schools have been in a low should allow them. No term should be and discouraging condition. The present allowed to pass undefined, no name of a term opened in the new house with very place should pass without being found favorable auspices; the scholars are en- upon the map, no historical character, thusiastic, the teachers skillful, and proswithout such remembrance of his life bepects very hopeful. Our people are in ing repeated, as the Biographical Dictionearnest to have a school of the highest ary would furnish. Teachers, do you not character. There are three hundred and neglect this? And are you not best pleastwenty scholars at present in attendance, ed with the text books which accomplish with a prospect of a large increase from all this for you? the city and from the towns in the county. Yours, very respectfully, CHARLES W. CAMP. But you will say, we have no books of reference in our school. To this we would answer, do not rest until you have them. If you are not able to present your school WHO MAY VOTE AT DISTRICT SCHOOL with such a library, and the town is unMEETINGS IN KENTUCKY.-The Kentucky willing to appropriate money for one, go Revised Statutes, 1852, ch. 88, "Schools with a paper in your hand, and solicit of and Seminaries," Art. 6, Sec. 1, contain wealthy men in your town or district, the following provision :- "The qualified twenty or thirty dollars for such a purvoters of each District shall be the elect- pose.-N. H. Journal of Education. of each clerk. It would also be well for Town Editor's Department. Superintendents to see that the district clerks get the Journals which are directed to them CORRECTION. The article in tho December from the post-office. Sometimes district clerks No. of the Journal, "The use of the Beautiful in Education," should have been credited to the Massachusetts Teacher. Some delay occurred in mailing part of the December No's. of the Journal. We hope this delay will not be attributed to neglect; it was one of those mistakes which will sometimes occur, and which we shall endeavor to avoid in future. A WORD TO TOWN SUPERINTENDENTS. The primary object of this Journal, is to benefit the common schools of the State; in order to do this, the co-operation of school officers and teachers, is indispensable. That the benefits which this Journal are intended to confer, may be more fully realized, requires some systematic effort on the part of Town Superintendents and school district clerks. We take the liberty therefore to suggest, first to TOWN SUPERINTENDENTS. have labored under a misapprehension as to the intent for which the Journal is sent to them; in some instances, the Journal has been refused by the district clerks, because they supposed by receiving it, they would be regarded as subscribers, and consequently obliged to pay for it. Errors of this kind are not strange, because the laws of the session of the Legislature, containing the provision for furnishing district clerks with the Journal, have not until quite recently been distributed in the State. SCHOOL DISTRICT CLERKS. The law requires, that each district clerk shall procure each yolume of the Journal to be bound at the expense of the district, and kept in the district library, subject to the library regulation. It would be well for each district clerk, to accommodate the teacher in his district with each number of the Journal for the purpose of reading it, provided the teacher is not already a subscriber for it. The reading matter of the Journal, is intended to interest and benefit teachers more than any other class of persons. If it fail to reach the teachers, one of the principal objects it is designed to accom TEACHERS. By the provisions of an act of the Legisla-plish, is not gained. ture approved March 19th 1856, the State Superindendent of Public Instruction, is authorEvery teacher in the State, who is really in ized to subccribe for one copy of the Journal earnest to succeed in the business of teaching, for each Town Superintendent in the State; al- should take the Wisconsin Journal of Educaso one copy for each school district clerk. Our tion, or some other periodical devoted to comlist of names of the district clerks in many mon school education. If a professional man towns is quite imperfect; in some instances, should undertake to establish himself in the we have not obtained the names of the clerks business of his profession, and neglect to avail at all, and have only the whole number of dis- himself of books or periodicals devoted to the tricts in the -own. Our chief reliance is on the business of his calling, he would very likely Town Superintendents for information, as to the fail to gain the confidence of an intelligent comnumber of school districts in each town, and munity. The lawyer after having been admitthe names of the district clerks A majority ted to the bar, needs to keep himself continually of the Town Superintendents have furnished posted in the latest judicial decisions. The us with full lists; some have failed to do this. physician must keep himself advised of the In every case, where it has not already been progress of medical science, if he would acquire done, Town Superintendents should furnish us eminence in his profession. The intelligent with a complete list of the number of school mechanic, is quick to adopt new improvements districts in their towns; the names of the dis- in the line of his business, and is ever ready to trict clerks; the No. of the district to which gain information from each new discovery.each clerk belongs; and the post-office address The well informed farmer, reads with interest his agricultural Journal; carefully notes each gested that a general law under which large new improvement in agricultural science, and districts might be organized, without resort to appropriates it as far as possible to his benefit. special legislation, would be a public benefit. So the teacher should avail himself of all the The constitution of the State, contemplates the means of information within his reach pertain-enactment of general laws with the view to ing to his occupation. But if he is indifferent avoid special legislation; and the legislature to the progress of improvement made in the has to some extent provided statutes, under school room: if he does not care to learn the which corporate bodies may be organized. It most successful methods of imparting instruc- would seem that a general law, allowing the ortion in the different branches of science, which ganization of school district boards, with prop-? the experience of active teachers is continually erly defined corporate powers, would prove unfolding, and a knowledge of which is gained highly serviceable, and prevent much inconveby reading educational journals, then there is nience. The friends of education will consider but little hope of his ever rising to eminence in this suggestion. his profession. A LAW SUGGESTED. COMMON SCHOOLS AND SELECT SCHOOLS. Common schools and select schools, are not The plan of dividing a large village into a number of separate school districts, is now very calculated to be mutual helps to each other, generally disapproved. The organization of where both are located in the same neighbordistricts containing a large population, con- hood or district. The free cominon school, conduces to the erection of better school buildings; templates the indiscriminate education of the better school apparatus and furnishments; the masses of the people; it recognizes the equality employment of better teachers; better classifi- and rights of humanity in accordance with the cation of scholars, and a greater concentration fundamental principles of our government.-of influence of the right character. It has how- The select, or private school, dispenses its benever been found inconvenient to organize a efits more in accordance with the pecuniary district embracing a population of some thous-ability of its patrons, and relies chiefly for supands, under the present common school law of port on what is termed the "better classes of the State; hence special enactments for this society." A few wealthy families, or at least purpose are obtained from the Legislature.-possessing the show of wealth, living contiguOur school law does not make all the necessary ous to cach other, are sometimes seized with a provisions for the proper organization and man-hallucination, that nobler blood courses in their agement of large graded schools; the law con- veins, and that they are destined to move in a templates but one day in the year, on which the higher scale of being, than their poorer and less general affairs of the school are to be regulated favored neighbors. The idea of something and provided for. It is true special meetings more exclusive-more select, than the public are allowable, but the manner in which they are school, where rich and poor meet on a common required to be notified, is almost impracticable level, obtains with them great prominence; the in a large population. Besides, five hundred thought of their children being associated with or a thousand voters assembled in a school dis- the commonality of the race, is unbearable. trict meeting, cannot be expected to transact business as calmly and deliberately as a proper board of education, chosen by the electors of the district, to represent its interests. It would be quite as convenient for a population of such numbers to meet en masse, to enact ordinances and to determine all the regulations of an incorporated village or city. Some persons, excuse themselves for giving their patronage to a private or select school, on the ground that the common school is not what it should be; or that it does not afford the necessary advantages to their children. This kind of excuse is simply selfish, and betrays a want of interest in the general welfare of the community. If the common school is of too low a In view of what has been stated, it is sug-grade; if its standard is not sufficiently high, 浄 then the men of wealth and influence in the district, instead of resorting to other institutions, should lend their aid, to make the common school what it ought to be. The man who feels no obligation to promote the public good of the neighborhood in which he resides, is devoid of moral worth, and his claim to patriot ism is a sham. the true theory of our free system of education. Under our system of free schools, private or select institutions of learning, meet with less encouragement, than where the common schools are not free. Neverthelesss, in our own State, there is often witnessed an ambitious desire, especially in the new villages which are springing up, to start an academy, or some such inThe establishment of an Academy or a Semstitution, even before the common school is inary in a village, may afford accommodation fairly organized, and furnished with the necesfor the few, but generally proves injurious to sary accommodation. This hurry and anxiety the many in its vicinity. The Public School to start an academy, it is often suspected, does and the Academy, can never stand side by side, not arise so much from the educational necessiand hold alike the confidence and support of ties in the case, as from a desire to add value the people. If the influence of wealth and to town lots. Proprietors of village plats, and fashion be thrown on the side of the Academy, dealers in corner lots, are shrewd enough to as it generally is, the Public School must inev-know, that one of the successful methods to itably languish and maintain only a sickly ex-give notoriety to an embryo town, and induce istence. The class of scholars which are kept New England settlers; is forthwith to put in from the common school and sent to the academy, are generally the very kind of scholars which are needed to strengthen and give character to the former. The establishment of separate schools for the education of the more favored classes, tends to create caste-to foster an aristocracy incompatible with the genius of our institutions. As all are ultimately to be The capability of public schools to meet the weighed in the scale of merit, and by that rule educational demands of the people, to the exto find their appropriate level, why then, should tent desired, is exemplified in this State.not all be allowed the same educational advan- It is a fact which should command attention, teges, and the race for the prize be equally open that in such of our towns where the public to all? The influence of the men of wealth and school has been rightly appreciated by the peocharacter, is indispensable to the success of ple; where it has taken a high standard, and the public school; withdraw the character and has been managed by properly qualified and respectability of the community, and the aris-efficient teachers, private schools make no protocracy of public opinion will wither its useful-gress; indeed, it may be said they have no ness; the teacher will become discouraged and existence. While there should be no disposifeel that he holds a neglected and despised position; the scholars too, will feel degraded, and lose their respect for the school. operation some institution of learning with a sounding name. Although the common school might be made to subserve all the necessities of the inhabitants equally well or better; yet its name is not sufficiently imposing; it is too tame and common place to achieve the object sought to be gained. tion to disparage private or select schools; or to undervalue the good accomplished by semiDaries and academies, it is always proper In all our civil codes and political theories, give most prominence, to the first and great the people can boast of nothing so truly repub-essential interest of the people. It is no arrolican, as their public schools, provided they are gance to claim pre-eminence for our public made what they should be. The standard of schools; they have a right by virtue of the education of no public school in a city or in a constitution and laws of the State; by the village of any considerable size, should be be- enlightened judgment of men, and the low that of the best academies; in short, the spirit of the age, to assume a position first public schools in all our large villages at least, in rank, among the institutions of the peoshould afford all the facilities for acquiring an ple;-they are the hope of the country-on education, which may be had in ony other in- their success depends the weal or woe of the stitution below the rank of college. This is Republic. |