THE

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

ASSOCIATION.

HE Association of City and Borough Superintendents of Pennsylvania held their Annual Convention for 1894 at Altoona, opening at 10 a. m., January 25th, in Library Hall, with a fair attendance.

The President, Supt. L. O. Foose, of Harrisburg, called the Convention to order, and Supt. D. S. KEITH, of Altoona, made the following

ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

The meeting of this Association recalls the history of its organization-how we first met with the county officers in one general body, and how as time passed it was felt that the special wants of city and borough schools required a special consideration that could only be secured by separate organization. This being at length effected, has given promise of usefulness in its earlier sessions, and we are therefore the more glad to welcome you to Altoona to-day, that we may discuss questions referring to our particular wants, and devise plans to meet them.

Nearly all of you have been here before, and know something of our city and its chief industry, the Pennsylvania Railroad shops. The summer resort feature is not available just now; but there is skating at the Park for those who enjoy that amusement.

But I wish particularly to welcome you to our public schools, which are all in session. You will not find them perfect; they have their good points, we hope, and their defects, we know, and hope to learn here how to help them. Our town is comparatively

No. 9.

young, and all our buildings have been erected since 1870 of substantial brick. We began with two-story buildings, then went up to three-story, and now the movement seems to be downward to the two-story plan. The increase of population has been so rapid that we have difficulty in erecting buildings fast enough to accommodate the school population; but we hope soon to provide comfortably for all. We hope you will visit our schools and judge for yourselves, and we assure you of a hearty welcome.

I am glad to see so full and strong a programme. When it has been thoroughly discussed, our ideas compared and assimilated, an educational power will be developed that will be felt all over the State.

Supt. Jas. M. COUGHLIN, of WilkesBarre, on behalf of the Association, made the following

RESPONSE.

We fully appreciate the kindly welcome we have received. We Superintendents are a busy class, and when we break away for a day or two from our home work, even to attend a working body like this, it seems like a rest; as the train flies along, we unbend like the Indian's bow, and by the time our destination is reached are ready for duty. We specially appreciate this visit to the Mountain City, for as we look upon its marvelous growth and the great power behind it, the spirit of these closing years of the nineteenth century rolls in upon us in mighty waves. As to the skating offered, I usually combine with that the study of astronomy, and perhaps I had better not experiment on that away from home; but

we shall all enjoy visiting the schools, and expect to profit by the visit, as we know them by reputation.

But we will not only have a rest-we expect to reap profit from the work on this programme. Those who attend these annual meetings find them profitable as well as enjoyable, and our numbers ought to be greater. In the rush of modern life, changes are so rapid that we hardly can keep ourselves adjusted to them; and in school affairs, efficiency is coming to depend more and more upon careful and conscientious supervision. Hence we as a class especially need all the light we can get from each other's observation and experience, to fairly meet our responsibility. Expecting such light from the work of these two days, I again thank my Altoona brother for the warm welcome, and the Association for the opportunity of briefly responding to it.

The CHAIR stated that, as heretofore, all Principals of Normal Schools and High Schools would be welcome to the privilege of the floor.

The Secretary being unable to be present, Supt. E. MACKEY, of Butler, was appointed to that office.

The roll of City, Borough and Township Superintendents was called; a full record of those present during the sessions appears at the close of this report.

President FOOSE, after thanking the body for the expression of confidence in choosing him to preside, and asking indulgence while the officers endeavored to secure the comfort and convenience of each and the welfare of the body at large, proceeded to read his Inaugural Address :

SOME URGENT NEEDS.

I have nothing new to offer to-day. I shall take the liberty, however, of calling attention, in a fragmentary way, to a few things about which you have all thought and read -things which very closely interest us as Superintendents, and very seriously affect our teachers, pupils, and schools.

There is little if anything new in our line of work. We deal with minds very similar to those that have engaged the attention of educators from all time, and with principles and truths, as the essentials of knowledge, that are old as the hills: but our work is to take in the situation as we find it, and to so adapt these, the one to the other, so far as possible under all the modifying influences and conditions of custom, law, society, and civilization, as to secure the best results at the least expense in labor, time and money. We will succeed best when we can best suit, apportion and modify the things to be taught to the most favorable condition and environments of those to be educated, so as to secure physical, intellectual and moral power as well as the attainment of useful

knowledge. Our task is by no means an easy one, and very often when we attempt to brush away the dust of time, or the traditions of ages, we find ourselves hedged in by difficulties, and our purposes thwarted by a conservatism which makes radical changes impossible; but the conditions in most localities are changing, and these changes bring new demands and requirements, the old order of things is gradually giving way to something better, and we are compelled, if we would succeed, to rise above what we now are, and to the extent of our ability and opportunities, to lift up our teachers, our schools and our communities with us. This is the state of affairs that now confronts us in many respects in most localities, and we are expected to make the best of it.

The situation in our cities and boroughs is such now as it has never been before. The possibilities for broader and more efficient work, I am glad to say, have never been so great, and the outlook for the future has never been so encouraging as now, though most of us still find much to hinder progress and dampen enthusiasm.

A section in the Constitution of the State says the General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public schools wherein all the children of this Commonwealth above the age of six years may be educated, and shall appropriate at least one million dollars each year for that purpose.

The General Assembly has done its part of this work well. Instead of a million dollars it has appropriated annually over five millions, and has given us free textbooks besides. And the question naturally arises, Are the schools thorough and efficient as required by the Constitution?

It is generally conceded that in many respects they are not thorough and efficient, and that they are not doing all that ought to be expected of them. It would not be a difficult task to give reasons why this is so, but I shall confine my remarks to the first question, Wherein are they not so?

In looking for shortcomings I take little account of much that is said and written against the schools and their management by the so-called experts and hypercritics of to-day. Whilst they are mostly sweeping in their accusations, and delight in tearing down without telling how to reconstruct again, they are often found, nevertheless, to be blessings in disguise, for they awaken thought and inquiry, and prepare the way for true reform and reconstruction, and are to be welcomed rather than suppressed, though they do sometimes sadly confound things and misrepresent persons.

I will allude to a few of the things that demand our immediate attention, and will suggest, very briefly, lines of thought and action which may perhaps lead to definite and practical results. Some of the urgent needs of the times are:

I. The strengthening of the schools in our cities and boroughs.

These schools are a growth. When the system began to take shape and form, most of the children were educated in private schools, especially the older ones. After a while high schools were established and advanced studies taught. It was only in recent years, however, that the schools in most of our cities and boroughs have been systematically graded, and that a fixed course of studies has been put into use. Subsequent modifications of these have given us what prevails to-day. Up to this time no attempt has been made to secure anything like uniformity in these courses of study in the schools of cities and boroughs throughout the State. Each community has built up a course of its own, without any regard to that of other places, and doubtless often without much regard to the pressing needs of its own children. In some places one set of studies has been made a specialty at the expense of, and often to the exclusion of, others of equal importance; in other places a different set of studies has been unduly pressed. This has resulted much to the detriment of the children who have gone from one place to another. They have nearly always been compelled to take lower rank in the schools they entered than they had maintained in those they left, because of these irregularities which need not necessarily exist. These have been the occasion of loss of time, and the cause of unjustifiable vexation and annoyance. There is room for thorough inquiry and investigation on this subject of our courses of study along interesting lines. What shall we discard? What shall we appropriate? How shall we secure better results without burdening teachers and pupils? These are some of the questions that we shall have to meet very soon.

Industrial education, too, comes to us now in so many phases that we must certainly be able to incorporate some of these into our work; and then it is doubtless possible, also, to enrich our courses with other subjects that will be worth more to our pupils in the end than some things over which they now spend much time and effort.

The late report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. N. C. Schaeffer, has this paragraph bearing on the subject"The schools are subject to the law of historical development. As the world's life changes and advances, they must change and advance. Things that are merits in one age, become defects in the next. There can be no doubt,' says Phillips Brooks, that many studies have beeu introduced legitimately, for reasons which were temporary, and then have remained like ghosts haunting our schools, long after their living necessity had died away.' It is the part of wisdom to view, with single eye, the defects that should be abolished in order that progress may be made."

We need to know more of our High Schools in the State, more of what they attempt, and more of what they accomplish, more of their organization and administration, of their cost and equipments for their work, more of what their work is and how it is done. We need to know how they best fit their young people for the practical duties of life, how they best serve their own communities, and how they best meet the expectations of the colleges which look to them for supplies. This is necessary in order that we may do the best for our own pupils. This information has been a subject of personal inquiry on the part of many for some years past, and I am glad to see that it is now coming to the front.

A late member of The Pennsylvania School Journal contains an article by Prof. Lewis R. Harley, at the suggestion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which contains much valuable information, and which I trust from inquiries now being made, is to be followed by an authentic report from the Department of Public Instruction. The same official in his last annual report says,

"The high school course in Pennsylvania is like the letter x in algebra-an unknown quantity, whose value must, in each case, be found in order to be known. Some cities and boroughs strive, with commendable zeal, to realize the true ideal of a high school, viz: A fitting school for those who wish to enter a higher institution, and a finishing school for those who must begin the struggle for bread. Some high schools neglect preparatory studies, but aim to teach branches which are better taught in the colleges, by reason of superior equipment and endowed professorships; and, at the end of a three or four years' course, their graduates are mortified to find that they cannot enter a respectable college anywhere. Other high schools have courses that were evidently arranged by persons not familiar with all grades of school work. Occasionally, one finds a curriculum so ill fitting and illogical, that it must have been shaped to meet the limited qualifications of some ambitious teacher, whose friends needed a pretext to give him the salary of a high school principal. At no distant day, a conference of representatives of our best colleges and secondary schools should agree upon a minimum high school curriculum, leaving room, of course. for local needs and future development. The Legislature could then follow the example of other states in setttng apart a share of the annual appropriation for the purpose of fostering and strengthening the high schools which come up to the proposed

standard."

This work of readjusting and reconstructing the courses of studies for our schools, whether for the lower grades or the high schools, where found necessary, and if need be, of reorganizing the schools themselves, belongs very largely to the superintendents who supervise and direct the work of the

schools, most of whom I know have already given the matter attention and thought. In order that something tangible be done, I would suggest the propriety of appointing a committee to prepare a course of study for the cities and boroughs of the State, to be reported for consideration at our next meeting. If thought best, two courses could be prepared, the one for cities with a population of 30,000 and upwards, excluding the large cities, and the other a modification of this course for cities and boroughs with a less population. This will doubtless meet with opposition, and may not do very much towards bettering the present condition of affairs; but it will be a step in the right direction, and may ultimately lead to something better.

II. The strengthening of the teaching force in cities and boroughs.

The old saying, "As is the teacher so is the school," within certain limitations, is as true to-day as it ever was. To have good schools we must have good teachers, is conceded by all, though unfortunately it is sadly overlooked or ignored in many instances when vacancies are to be filled. To have strong teachers only such should be appointed.

I. How can we get the best teachers? To secure this eud some means must be devised which will be found to be feasible and practicable in the different sections of the State. Each city and borough has its own method of filling vacancies and electing new teachers, and must necessarily be a law unto itself on this subject; but it is altogether possible for a superintendent who has the confidence of his Board, with the aid of some of its leading and influential members, to devise some method of procedure which will seem to be just to all parties concerned, and at the same time secure good teachers for the schools. Even though only partial success be attained, it will be better than if nothing had been attempted. In some places vacancies are filled only by those who have attained the highest standing in a competitive examination; in others, only by those who have made special preparation or have had successful experience elsewhere; and in others again, by those whose certificates at the ordinary examination are best. Many Boards can be educated to take higher ground from year to year, and when a good rule on this subject has been secured it will not be difficult to retain it under ordinary circumstances.

2. How can we keep those strong that are already in the schools? In many cities and boroughs for years past, before much stress was laid on qualifications, teachers often with very limited preparation found their way into the schools and having mastered the details of the daily routine, now drift along from year to year, some becoming better, others worse. Owing to the length of term, generous salary, and a fixed tenure of office in these schools, but comparatively few drop out or look for employment else

where. A condition of this kind naturally begets a feeling of security and ease, and furnishes but few incentives for personal improvement, especially to those who have not previously drunk more or less deeply at the fountains of knowledge, and are not alive to the importance of their work and the demands of the age in which they live. In many instances those who have gone into the schools more recently are in the minority, and can do but little to overcome the routine which prevails, and which unfortunately it is difficult to avoid in closely-graded schools. So difficult is it to do this in many instances that even those well trained drop into the rut after a few fruitless efforts, and give up the contest. This tendency has its origin in the fact that it is easier to secure uniform results through mechanical teaching than to secure the necessary uniformity through methods which are vitalized by the personal power and animating spirit of the wideawake teacher.

Crystallization is the bane of the grades. Scores and hundreds of our teachers after a few years of energetic work, with but faint hope of rising in the grades, or of securing much if any additional compensation for their best efforts, naturally transfer their intense interest and affection to something outside of their schools that will better fill their hearts, and thus become less ardent, and at last toil through their task with only a drudging diligence. When that time comes, we can indeed but pity those who in passive submission turn to the same weary grind month after month and year after year.

We must find ways to enable our teachers to escape this kind of work, and if they are already at its mercy, to break away from it. Their individuality must be asserted, their personal power must be felt, even at the risk of breaking over the lines of close gradation. How can this be done? We must not dictate plans and methods to them, but must enable them to work these out for themselves, assisted by our suggestions. We must attempt measures which will lift them up and make them feel that they are important factors in this great work of education.

To do this we must awaken enthusiasm and encourage investigation. Let us take them into our confidence in devising plans and expedients for carrying on their work, and make them feel that they are the directing power rather than we in matters of detail; and while we attempt to lift them up to our standpoint of view and action, we must at the same time endeavor to get near enough to them and their work to breathe into it a newness of life and a freshness that will be felt. This will beget inspiration, effort, purpose; and while all will not be affected alike, nor all lifted out of the rut, yet it will inspire confidence, patience, growth, efficiency, and we shall have "first the blade, then the ear," and finally "the full corn in the ear."

The following will be helpful in this work:

I. Investigations by grades or groups of teachers of methods, principles and subjects which enter into the work of the schools.

2. Reading and study along the same lines. 3. Comparisons of the how and the why along the same lines.

4. Utilizing the knowledge and skill of those strong in any line of work for the help of others.

5. Social, literary and musical recreation. 6. Arrangement for the observation of school work, either at home or abroad, by some system of visitation.

III. A reliable relief or benefit association for the teachers of our cities and boroughs.

There is a demand for some safe means of making provision for the declining years of those who teach in our schools. After years of faithful work many are left, incapacitated for any other kind of employment, without sufficient means to support themselves. This matter needs no argument or apology. In the large cities institutions of this kind exist, but I am not aware that their advantages can be made available to those who live in other portions of the State. I would suggest that this matter be referred to a committee to report at the next annual meeting.

Some of the subjects touched upon in this paper come up for discussion during the sessions of this convention. I allude to them here because I feel their great importance at this time. I trust that what I have said will not in any way interfere with their full and free discussion, but on the contrary will only the more add to its zest.

Supt. R. K. Buehrle, Lancaster: I Lancaster: I agree with most of the paper, and will add a word upon the last item-the provision for relief of superannuated teachers. It is often a difficult question, what to do in cases whose usefulness has ceased and their future is unprovided for. Philadelphia has a plan, and the subject is every way worthy of consideration. In order that information may be collected and some practicable plan devised, it would be well to have a committee to report on the subject at a future session. All of us, no doubt, have some experience in this direction. I know of a case where a lady over 70 years of age was retained in service under such circumstances, when a change was greatly needed. It is plain that the dead would be more easily buried if a decent coffin were provided, and their places filled with living men and women. Sometimes directors are at a loss what to do, and retain the superannuated teacher from year to year in the hope that the Lord may remove her. If the proposed provision be made, that difficulty will be removed. In such cases, the superintendent whose conscience constrains him

to try to create a vacancy is placed in a most unpleasant position, and is certain to be harshly criticised; this plan would minimize the unpleasantness, since there would then be a "visible means of support." In Germany it is obligatory upon officials and workingmen to lay by a certain sum every year to provide for support in old age. Some of our American railways have adopted similar rules. It looks like sound business. I move the appointment of a committee of five to investigate this matter, and report to the next annual meeting.

The motion was agreed to, and the committee subsequently announced, consisting of Supts. Buehrle, Transeau, Rupert, Keith, and Hotchkiss.

Supt. Keith: We need authoritative definition of what shall constitute a minimum course for high schools in boroughs and smaller cities. In many such places the principal has charge not only of the high school, but of all the rest; the course of study adopted may be fairly good, but the graduates are sent out with such imperfect preparation that they cannot get a certificate in an ordinary teachers' examination. Such results are not creditable to the high school, and such schools should not be recognized. A fixed minimum course would either exclude them or bring them up to the standard.

Supt. D. A. Harman, Hazleton: This matter will come up more properly at a later stage of the programme, and it may be well to refer it to a committee after discussion of the papers on the subject which are to be read. One of the first questions to be settled is the place of the high school, which is to be treated by Dr. Jeffers. We should formulate no action until we have heard him and Supt. Robb, and discussed their papers.

Supt. Coughlin : I would like to know more about the studies which are to be regarded as "ghosts." I confess I do not see what can be eliminated from the present course. There may be parts of certain branches that we may profitably omit, but what to dispense with bodily is not so plain.

Prof. Geo. L. Maris, Philadelphia: Is it conceded that there are such "ghosts," fragmentary or otherwise?-and if so, where shall we look for them? Perhaps in arithmetic, where we still see "beer measure" and are told how many gallons make a barrel-the fact being, as we all know, that no two modern barrels are