5 Li-) LO >- GIFT OF Lc/.^^A^rjr. ALr^A^r/.ConA GTPT SEP aa 1919 Connecticut bulletin 45 i\3 N I VERS IT V. \ or* K ^ EDUCATIONAL INQUIRY East Windsor May 1916 Co-r^•rvC.c."V;cot^ '^o'^'r6, o^ <^Aoc-a.irv (i->o " •> ■> t n The_State_Board_of Education Hartford Connecticut V Members of the State Board of Education 1917 Marcus H Holcomb Governor Clifford B Wilson Lieut-Governor Schuyler Merritt . Edward D Robbins . Charles F Smith Howell Cheney Dr John G Stanton Southington Bridgeport Stamford New Haven New Britain South Manchester New London { office r , ; V; 'J^oohi J4?, ;Cai5^1J0,l/ Hartford March 1917 1 Scantic 3 > Closed 4j 5 Warehouse Point 6 Closed 7 Melrose 8 Broad Brook 9 Closed 10 Windsorville 11 Barber Hill •:i: ^-^ ^ U O'O • • • • • • • • •. EAST WINDSOR In May 1916 an inquiry into the educational work of East Windsor was conducted by Mr N S Light, agent of the state board of education, by whom also this report was written On May 8th the following letter was sent the chairman secre- tary and former acting visitor of the town school committee. Later the same letter was sent the principal who was said to be per- forming the duties of acting visitor Hartford " May 8 1916 Dear sir The state board of education is making a survey of educational conditions in the several towns in the state In pursuance of this plan our purpose is to spend two or three days in visiting the schools of East Windsor Will you kindly make any suggestions which will assist us in our work? Yours truly From the chairman and secretary no replies were received A few days later visitation of the schools began. The inspector conferred once with the chairman once with the secretary and with the acting visitor several times in every instance urging an immediate conference with the. town school committee concern- ing the conditions, found in the schools In every case it was said to be impossible to gather the com- mittee together before the annual meeting in July The acting visitor had not then visited all the schools and was unfamiliar with conditions. Later he agreed to report in detail to the school committee and it is understood that he did so No notice of the annual meeting or any other meeting or con- ference was received by the inspector during the months of May June July and August hence in September the postals appearing below were sent to the voters of East Windsor. Their purpose was to arouse the community to an inquiry into the work and con- dition of its schools The people were entitled to the facts PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor "Why does East Windsor fail to provide its schools with skilled supervision? Why does East Windsor pay more for music instruction than for instruction in reading, writing or arithmetic? Why does East Windsor provide skilled supervision for music but not for the other subjects? Why are the schools not visited according to law? Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary I N'Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor Why isn't there a definite and helpful course of studies? Why are the subjects required by law not taught? Why isn't reading taught in every first grade? Why is there little good reading matter? Why is the school at Barber Hill neglected? Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor Why does East Windsor pay salaries to which the teachers are not legally entitled? Why are the teachers not examined according to law? Why is the average monthly wage to women teachers more than $20 less than the county average? Why are the teachers not given the benefits of skilled direction and training? Is janitor work teaching? Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor An East Windsor school "The desks are of an ancient double type showing the scars of many jack-knives. -The bench in front long ago lost its legs in ceaseless battle and now propped upon a soap box and a block makes shift to continue in ser-Wce. The top of an old organ has parted from its under-structure and balancing on a box serves as an uncertain and not too useful table. The one chair serves the teacher constantly but the visitor must shift for himself and an uncertain shift he has." Think it over Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor "In and about the privies were lewd markings and cuttings, broken boards and fencing, leaky roofs, filthy floors and seats." Why are indecent filthy privies tolerated? What is their influence on the children? Is a dirty school house a thing to be proud of? Why were only the old books burned after a case of diphtheria in one school? Why is there no water supply on most of the school grounds? Why is there no means of teaching personal cleanliness? Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor East Windsor's indebtedness on September 15 1915 was $102,- 803.15. How much of it was for schools? The town's expenses are increasing. The town debt has grown $30,000 in two years. Why has the tax rate dropped 25% ? A town note for $70,000 is due in a few years, and no provision has been made for meeting it. Why? East Windsor appropriated for schools 4.78 per cent in mills of its taxable property. Less than Somers, Suffield, Windsor or South Windsor. Why? East Windsor's cost per child in average attendance was less than that of either South Windsor, Suffield, Windsor Locks, Windsor, Ellington or Somers. Why? Think it over Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector PUBLIC SCHOOLS State board of education Room 42 Capitol Hartford East Windsor In the eight years from 1908 to 1915 road payments quintupled doubling in the last four years. The school expense doubled only The rate of increase in payments for roads has been nearly five times as large as for schools Plans for modernizing the roads and bridges have been made. Are there such plans for the schools? East Windsor's grand list in five years has grown 68%. Have East Windsor's payments for schools kept pace? Why not? Think it over Correspondence is solicited Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector 6 Responses both favorable and unfavorable came from these cards. The one clear inference to be drawn was that neither the committee nor the people were aware of the nature of the work done in the schools nor of the condition of the school plant and equipment This report in a tentative form was mailed to the members of the school committee on September 16th. A welcome was assured to any suggestions or corrections and an offer to confer with the committee was again extended Further requests for conferences with the school committee were made in September and October. At this writing March 1917 no conferences have been held except with the acting school visitor and with individual members of the committee Public meetings to consider ^school matters have been suggested to the committee without result Changes in the personnel, of the committee have occurred during the spring summer and fall and more activity has been apparent Opportunity was afforded the acting school visitor to prepare for printing with this report a statement of the accomplishment and plans of the committee. This has not been forthcoming and therefore the following paragraphs are included 1 Committee meetings are now held once a month 2 Teachers' meetings are being held part of which are addressed by speakers from the outside and part by the local principals. Members of the committee are attending these meetings 3 More supplementary reading has been purchased and two changes in textbooks have been made. Steps toward an eight grade system have been taken. Extensive repairs and improvements in equipment have been made in at least one district. Sewing ma- chines and telephones have been placed in the two center schools 4 Different courses of study are still tolerated in the different parts of the town 5 Abominable privy conditions have not been remedied 6 Little has been done to secure to the children in the one- teacher schools the training rightfully their due SELECTIONS RFOM REPLIES TO POSTALS "As a citizen of East Windsor I am ashamed of this condition of things" "Because they need waking up all along the. line and have for years. If more attention were paid to the "3 R's" they might turn out a better finished product." "1 cannot, however, look upon the cards which you have sent into this town other than as a direct insult to the present mem- bers of the School Board and a reflection upon the intelligence of the citizens of this Town. I think that had you fully looked into the situation here you would not have gone off half cocked as you have done in the present instance." ACTING SCHOOL VISITOR The correspondence with the chairman of the town school com- mittee concerning the acting school visitor is printed below. The date of the secretary's statement should be noted as well as the fact that he omits the date when the appointment was confirmed Hartford , May 11 1916 To the Reverend W H Brewster Warehouse Point Reverend and dear sir There seems to be some uncertainty as to the legal status of Mr Mandrey as visitor for the school committee Has the appointment been formally acted upon by the town school committee? I note that the Barber Hill school has not been ofificially visited this year Yours very truly N Searle Light Hartford July 15 1916 To the Reverend W H Brewster Warehouse Point Reverend and dear sir I cannot find a reply to the letter a copy of which is enclosed Will you kindly write us by return mail? Yours very truly N Searle Light Dear Mr Light I did not read your letter as requiring an answer. At that time Mr Mandrey's visiting of the schools was on trial. The annual meeting of the School Board must have been held or to be in the near future * * 5)C * * * * Yours truly Wm J Brewster Litchfield Conn July 18 1916 8 Mr N S Light Hartford Conn Dear sir Broad Brook Conn July 18 1916 In answer to your inquiry of May 11th to Rev W J Brewster would say that Mr Mandrey was elected by the full Board of Education for the Town of East Windsor to fill Dr Wm F English's unexpired term as school supervisor which term he has filled to the best of his ability Very Truly yours H O Allen Chas D Hine Secretary N Searle Light Inspector CHAPTER 1 Settlement — early school records — reports of visitors — school societies — district system — town control — private schools — ■■ Theological Insti- tute of Connecticut — high school — supervision East Windsor as part of the original town of Windsor was among the earliest settlements in Connecticut. Nearly simultan- eous with settlements on the west bank of the Connecticut began those on the east but the early history of the latter is not clear The first reference in the records to a school on the east bank is in April 1698 when Windsor voted "agreed to hire a schoolmaster — 3 months on the east side, 4V2 months on the west side north of the rivulet and iVz months south of the rivulet" Each quarter of the town was to provide a suitable school house without charge to the town. The master received 20 pounds 'be- sides that which is given of gift money* A committee, Lieut Hayden and Matthew Allen, were appointed to employ the schoolmaster. ' Their contract with Mr Samuel Wol- cott dated April 1698 appears below "Agreed with Mr Samuel Wolcott to keep a reading, and writing, and cyphering, and grammar school for one full year, to begin on the twelfth day or this month (July) ; to take none but such as are entered in spelling. His salary is to be thirty-five pounds in country pay or two-thirds of so much in money. The school is to be kept at the several places agreed on by the townsmen Daniel Hayden Matthew Allvn selectmen Samuel Wolcott The next reference to the schools on the east side is in the records of the east society under date of Dec 15 1702 when it was "voted also that there shall be a school and divided as it was last year; voted also that the committee chosen shall provide a man to keep school." From this it may be inferred that the society assmned control of these schools in 1701 or earlier. This control the society did not relinquish until many years later under statutory compulsion. In 1702 James Younglove began to keep school An interesting item appears in 1708 in the payment to John Stoughton 1 s 8 d for teaching school one day In 1717 a committee was appointed to hire the teachers and an- other to act as visitors to see to the well-ordering of the school The town frequently added to the amount received from the county for the support of its schools. Its custom was to employ masters in the winter and dames in the summer and for many years school was kept somewhere the whole year. The number of places where school was kept steadily increased from two in 1718 to three in 1721 and six in 1724. In 1781 the town was re-districted and the number made six. Twelve years later Warehouse Point became a separate district The ministers trained young men for the ministry in their own families. The ministers as executives of the ecclesiastical so- cieties which controlled the schools visited the schools regularly until about 1830 and individual ministers have continued to act as agents of the town and as school visitors intermittently to the present day In 1741 a committee of three was "chosen to take care of the money given for the several towns lately laid out in the western land, to be disposed of,. and improved for the support of schooling in the several towns and parishes of the Colony, as mentioned in the Act passed in May, Anno Dom, 1741, by the General Court, or Assembly." The fund received in 1742 amounted to eighty-four pounds five shilling nine pence. The school fund in 1890 amounted to $889.99 and it so remains today From the records of the society it appears that commonly a committee of 12 collected the funds' and supervised the schools. The last entry on the ecclesiastical records having to do with the common schools was in 1798 and had to do with the appointment of such a committee. In that year the law went into effect which completed the work begun in 1795 in creating a school society separate and distinct from the ecclesiastical society. Each society was empowered to appoint a committee of persons not to exceed nine of competent skill and letters to be overseers or school visitors There is little information concerning the schools' work for the next forty years but we have no reason to suppose it better than in the neighboring or other towns of the state. It was a period of little advance in most respects. The number of govern- 10 ing authorities increased steadily while the amount of state aid increased and local financial support dwindled in many cases to naught In 1841 the report of the school visitors noted 1 a general lack of parental or public interest 2 that the school houses were "bad," "all things considered" Under the last heading the visitor said their "location, size and internal arrangements for ventilation, temperature, seats and desks are not what they should be." There were no wood sheds. Two were without privies. One privy was directly across the road from the school and was without a door, the interior being exposed to the view of passers-by. All schools were dependent upon their neighbors for their water supply The acting visitor stated that "no one thing would conduce more to the improvement of schools than the appointment of a county examiner" for^ teachers to eliminate the unfit. "Children are generally deficient in the primary branches," summarized the edu- cational work in the mind of the visitor This report was made to the state board of education and was later published in the Connecticut common school journal. To most of its points we shall refer later In 1856 the act abolishing school societies effected the elimina- tion of the East Windsor societies but the district system re- mained until 1895 when the town again assumed control of all the schools The academy on East Windsor Hill now a part of South Wind- sor vyas erected by private means about 1800. It continued a use- ful life until the building of the Theological Institute which grad- ually absorbed it This academy erected about two years after the incorporation of the Hartford grammar school was of the earliest group in Con- necticut. Among its teachers, generally young men from Yale, were J H Brockway, Yale 1820, lawyer and representative to the United States congress Judge William Strong of the United States supreme court General Nathan Johnson of Hartford The boys were prepared for college and quite a number of girls went to finishing schools in Hartford. East Windsor in part at least was early interested in educating its young women beyond the elementary schools but not at town expense In a diary under date of April 24 1811 appears the following note of an exhibition at the East Windsor Hill academy "The Academy here had an exhibition. It began about eight o'clock in the evening and continued until two in the morning. I did not attend. It is said to have been a very good one." 11 What sort of exhibition this was is not known but assuredly there was genuine popular interest in the school In 1817 a two-story brick building was built by private enter- prise for an academy at Scantic. It was not the equal of the other academy but was useful for many years. The building is standing and in use, the lower part by the upper grades of the dis- trict school and the upper until recently by the grange A school of art and design flourished for some years in what is now South Windsor and Deacon Reed's apprentices were active in bank note engraving later In 1833 "The Pastoral Union of Connecticut" was organized at a convention in East Windsor. The Union had for its purpose the defeat of the theology advocated by the Yale college theology department. It established the Theological Institute of Connecti- cut and located the Institute at East Windsor Hill where the buildings stand today, evidence of the ill judgment displayed in their isolated location. The Institute struggled along until 1865 with never more than 34 students. An offer of amalgamation from Yale college was refused and the Institute removed to Hartford where it has prospered East Windsor immediately took advantage of the state law- passed in 1897 which permitted local school committees in towns not supporting a high school to pay the tuition of its pupils at- tending high schools in other towns and to receive a partial refund of such payments from the state. Similarly after the passage of an act in 1903 permitting payment of transportation charges of high school pupils with a refund from the state the town began these payments. Its pupils today attend high schools in five neigh- boring towns with the approval of the town school committee. Their distribution is Vernon 29 Enfield 11 Hartford 1 East Hartford 1 Windsor Locks 22 total 64 Free textbooks and supplies have been furnished since 1898 twelve years after authorization by law In" the case of supervision the town has not kept pace with the law. In 1856 an act was passed permitting the appointment by the school committee of one of their number as acting visitor. Un- der this law East Windsor has supervised its schools until the win- ter term of last year when the resignation of the acting visitor found no member of the committee in a position to take over the work, A local principal was requested by the chairman without committee action to perform the duties of acting visitor under the supervision law of 1903. This appointment was not officially con- firmed until July after school closed 12 The town has not employed a skilled superintendent under the law of 1909 The town in general has progressed educationally as the laws required. No great voluntary effort is apparent except in the ac- tivities of groups of private citizens CHAPTER ii Location — topography — roads — rail connections — industries — population — school population Ea:st Windsor is on the east side of fhe Connecticut river a few miles above Hartford. It includes*'the Saltonstall Park grant and now adjoins Enfield on the north, Ellington on the east and South Windsor on the south. Most of the land is level and the few hills are small. It is traversed by several brooks, one of which sup- plies power to the mills at Broad Brook. The rich and fertile soil grows superior crops of leaf tobacco, the chief industry. With the high prices of recent years the growers have prospered as never before and this prosperity evidenced by the large acreage under cultivation, the care and condition of the land buildings the fences impresses the traveler strongly. With the growth of insurance and improved means of curing, many of the risks neces- sarily attending tobacco culture have been greatly reduced The roads are above the average. The state trunk line from East Hartford to Springfield runs though the western end and an excellent road through Scantic and Broad Brook leads to Elling- ton and Rockville. The trunk line to Springfield is paralleled by a trolley line with a branch from Warehouse Point east to Broad Brook Melrose Ellington and Rockville. Through the eastern part runs the Hartford Melrose and Springfield railroad with a branch to Rockville. Across the bridge over the Connecticut the Springfield and New York railroad line is reached at Windsor Locks. The trolleys carry express and on the north and south and the Melrose to Rockville lines freight cars are handled. While the trolley lines are not paying and are not giving good service, on the whole the town does not suffer from insufficient means of travel or shipment The telephone service connecting with telegraph stations is ex- cellent and the postal and express facilities are good The chief industry is tobacco culture with a few warehouses for sorting scattered about. The distilleries have declined in number and volume of business since the days when the town led the nation in gin manufacture. Woolen and silk goods factories are successful The past has seen a large ship building and transfer business along the river. One writer describes twenty sloops anchored off the Point waiting a favorable wind to go down the river. With the opening of the railroad and canal the transfer and shipping importance of the Point dwindled rapidly The future lies in the development of agriculture upon a broader and more secure basis. ^ In this work the schools can have a large influence if properly directed 13 The population of about 3500 is slowly and steadily increasing but is pretty well scattered with small centers at Warehouse Point and Broad Brook. Along the Springfield and Hartford trolley residences are strung along quite evenly This division of the town into two centers controlling each its section has seriously hindered the town's development in many ways. Friction and strife exist in some form always. Sectional jealousies have prevented the selection of the best man for the job too frequently. Each watches the other closely to prevent any move to the advantage of the one without a compensating ad- vantage to the other. The 'people have no ''town mind" as it were. They seldom think or act as a unit The school population is little affected by seasonal fluctuations. The influx of tobacco laborers at certain seasons seldom brings more children although the permanent demand for such help has brought in many Polish with large families of children. But this growth has not kept pace with the rapidly growing grand list Of foreign born whites there were 762 in 1910 while of native whites of foreign or mixed parentage the census reported 1211. The last item is nearly equal to the item native whites of native parents 1369. There were 1001 males of voting age and'of these 60 were unable to read English. Nearly half of the foreign-born have been naturalized, 165 out of 358. One hundred and fifty is a fair estimate of the number of residents over school age who are unable to read English. What and how to do for them is worth consideration by the educational authorities of the town although an adequate training for the children is the best provision possible for their Americanization The enumeration of the school population shows steady in- creases since 1910. In the last five years the actual increase has been larger than that of the preceding decade. The number of children of school age is rising with increasing rapidity undoubt- edly due to the successful growth of the agricultural industry This has significance in planning increases of school plant and equipment. A building meeting the needs of the present will not with the present rate of growth meet the needs of five years hence. The town should avoid this common error of providing space in- adequate for growth The actual registration and average attendance reflect this growth quite accurately. With closer supervision the attendance can be greatly improved. Cases were found of children resident in East Windsor several years and well within the compulsory age limits who had never attended school before the current year. Such cases should be impossible. The law makes it the business of the town school committee to enforce attendance. This duty of the committees does not appear to have been performed The registration at Broad Brook has exceeded the number which can be handled to best advantage in this building and the need of enlargement is immediate. It should provide for the children in the near by one-room schools at Melrose Windsorville and Barber Hill 14 The number of retarded children is far above the common per cent and the number of those accelerated is below the common per cent. By retarded and accelerated are meant those who are behind or ahead of the normal grade for their age. Less than 50 children remain in the grades after reaching 14 years. This in- dicates a rapid loss and a failure to hold children in school after they have once reached the legal age for employment. Failure to hold such children is generally due either to retarded progress with ensuing lack of interest or to unmet needs in the schools CHAPTER iii Educational Resources Located on the east bank of the Connecticut river between Springfield and Hartford East Windsor enjoys access to the edu- cational resources of both. These include a variety of special schools museums libraries and recreational activities A high school is readily accessible from most every section of the town as attendance at so many different schools described else- where attests. The boys and girls can without great effort reach the state trade education shop at South Manchester. A few girls attend the state normal school at New Britain East Windsor has within its borders two libraries, one at the Point and the other at Scantic. The first is much alive and its' librarian is serving the community as far as it will permit her. This library is making a particular effort to reach the children of the Point school This library established in 1875 adopted the state grant in 1909 and has since that time been a free library It has only about 2000 books but is growing quite rapidly. In 1914 there were 317 book-takers representing 200 families among whom there were 4677 book-circulations The books have been well chosen and have been partially classi- fied and catalogued The unfortunate location over a store is somewhat off-set by the well appointed and decorated room and by the fact the library has no rent to pay This library has been open once in two weeks at a time con- venient for the children who are transported on the trolley. A story hour has not been successful This library has an income of nearly $400 derived from a town tax, income from invested funds and from fines. It expends $60 for salaries; nearly $150 for books; nearly $30 for periodicals and for other unclassified items more than $150 The Scantic library organized in 1849 twenty-six years before the library at the Point, was classified and catalogued at a much earlier date although it did not become free and did not adopt the state grant until 1909 15 This library has over 3000 volumes and is growing nearly as fast as the other library. The circulation figures are available and show non-fiction 400 fiction 3450 childrens' 875 total 4725 The number of book-takers was 300 representing 150 families This library has in the past maintained a branch at Windsor- ville and hopes to^ re-establish this service in the near future. Books have been supplied to some of the schools but in no satis- factory amounts. A particular effort has been made to assist the high school pupils who have benefited largely through the kind- ness of those in charge. The library has been made accessible to them on their way to and from school and at other times This library's cash income is derived from the town tax and fines. The state aids with $100 worth of books and the library's cash ex- penditures are largely for books. The local social and literary circle has been an active agent in supporting and using the library. It has been closely associated with the local church Grange number 94 has had a very useful career of 25 years. It has provided lectures and discussions for the public and was largely instrumental in beginning the movements for free text- books and consolidation of school buildings Ellington grange number 46 has a number of members in Wind- sorville and Enfield grange number 151 draws a few from Ware- house Point There are also two Masonic lodges and several other fraternal orders East Windsor's educational resources including' its churches and schools are unusually large although none has been developed to its largest usefulness CHAPTER iv Financial resources — state aids — expenditures — comparison with neigh- boring towns East Windsor's grand list in five years has risen from $1,904,654 to $3,190,501 nearly 68%, a remarkable growth for a community largely agricultural. Property is assessed now at approximately full market value ' The state tax on bank stocks refunded $569.47. The state further paid the town for paupers $545.48 R R indebtedness 200. enumeration 2126.25 high school tuition 1613.71 transportation 581.03 total $5066.47 16 All but $200 of the town deposit fund is loaned to the town, the rest to individuals. It amounts to $4721.98 on which interest amounting to $271.31 was paid the town treasurer. A town school fund of $889.99 returned in interest $44.70. Neither of the in- comes from these funds appears credited to the schools The town's indebtedness on September 15 1915 was $102,803.15 a large sum and one that has increased more than $30,000 in two years. In the face of increasing expenses and a rapidly growing debt the tax rate has been reduced from 16 to 12 mills. One town note of $70,000 is due in a few years and no way of meeting it has been adopted •, The town appears shortsighted in its financial management. Its officials are hampered by the divided interests of the different sec- tions which are so nearly equal in strength that no general policy can be consistently followed Expenditures were for schools $19644.89 high-ways 22542.81 roads and bridges $11735.78 brush 187.40 macadam 8465.19 scraping 266.48 street lights 1887.96 sundry expenses 6391.56 care of poor 4954.52 town officers 2341.42 snow 45.99 interest 4874.55 total $60,805.76 The care of roads is credited with $696.48 from the Hartford and Springfield street railway for its share of a bridge cost The schools are credited with enumeration grant (gross) $2126.25 high school tuition grant 1613.71 " '* transportation grant 581.03 interest town deposit fund 271.31 school " 44.70 total $4637.00 The enumeration grant is swollen by the large number of county home children. The amount of this grant received because of these children should under the law be turned over to the county. But the printed town report, the report to the state and the- county commissioners report to the comptroller do not record such pay- ments 17 The sum of the credits deducted from the total cost of the schools makes their net cost $15,007.89 or 4.78 per cent in mills of the taxable property East Windsor 4.78 Windsor 6.22 South Windsor 6.98 Somers 5.12 Suffield 5.89 This table shows East Windsor behind its neighbors in support- ing its schools generously. The other Windsors appropriate a much larger share of their taxable property to the support of their schools. Either East Windsor spends its moneys so much more advantageously than these towns as to get equally good or better schools at less cost or else it is satisfied with lower standards All the evidence points to the latter The town spent $20.86 per pupil enumerated and $35.27 per pupil in average attendance Paid per pu pil in average attends ince South Windsor $56.46 Suffield 52.85 Windsor 39.51 Windsor Locks 43.02 Ellington 38.03 Somers 44.60 East Windsor's showing in comparison with many of its neigh- bors is not one of which to be proud The town therefore paid out on its roads 45% of the total or $6838.44 more than on its schools. This disparity is apparent in the relative condition of the roads and schools. The first are maintained in good shape and the needs of modern traffic are being met by modern roads and heavier bridges. As will appear elsewhere modern demands upon the schools are not met nor are there plans for meeting them roads and total for total for bridges highways schools 1908 $ 2252.53 $ 6927.42 $12121.75 1909 3313.31 5424.59 12757.55 1910 2717.14 5172.37 14032.62 1911 3420.26 6952.25 13914.19 1912 6657.50 9505.03 14936.88 1913 5551.92 11300.72 15806.16 1914 9290.44 16862.16 36827.79 1915 11735.78 22542.81 19644.89 It appears that the cost of roads and bridges has nearly quin- tupled since 1908 although the total payments for highways have only a little more than trebled. The total payments for schools have increased about 65% but the next payments for schools have doubled. The year 1914 included a considerable capital outlay for enlarging the Warehouse Point building 18 Since 1910 the total payments for highways have quadrupled while payments for schools have only increased about one-third The tendency to greatly increase road payments coupled with the much slower school increase is alarming and doubly so in view of the school conditions portrayed elsewhere in this report Further the roads have little increased in mileage if they have not actually decreased but the schools have increased 25% in reg- istration. Apparently the schools are losing out School expenditures general control ••• $ 120. instruction 12319.77 stationery $ 463.98 tuition 2546.06 textbooks 513.23 teachers' wages 8796.50 operation of school plant 1782.13 fuel water lights 1118.53 wages janitors 663.60 maintenance of plant 2004.43 auxiliary agencies 3488.56 transportation 3348.56 school library 140. total $19714.89 To the acting visitor the town paid $120, This is the only form of control for which the town provides or pays. Whether such control is adequate will appear later. The town does not regard the direction and control of its schools of much importance if the money expended is any index For instruction of its children the town paid $12319.77 more than two-thirds of which was for teachers' wages. The average salary paid to women teachers was $43.41 and to men $89.94. The prin- cipals of the grammar schools receive good salaries but the other salaries are low The teachers in the small schools face the greatest difficulties and are the hardest to obtain and yet are paid the lowest salaries For textbooks and supplementary reading $513.23 were paid, less than a dollar per pupil in average attendance. The paucity of good reading matter noted elsewhere is due to insufficient ex- penditure and to a poor distribution among the schools of the material available. This is a form of aid to the teachers which can ill be curtailed The cost of operating the school plant is low. The teachers are permitted to do the janitor work in a number of schools as a means of increasing their income For transportation the town spent $3348.56 part of which is refunded by the state. This sum is bound to grow with further consolidation of buildings. The town has spent regularly for ap- paratus and libraries a sum of $140 one-half of which is paid by the state 19 The increase of income to the town from a growing grand list has been far more rapid than the increase of expenditures for schools. Supervision teachers' wages apparatus equipment and the plant all require large increases. Upon the plant larger but not sufficient sums have been expended. To place these schools on the basis of largest service to the community a larger tax rate will be needed. These schools represent the community's greatest invest- ment and they are therefore worth a generous support. Some sacrifice for the children has not been distasteful to East Wind- sor's people in the past and it ought not to be so now CHAPTER V • Buildings Neither of the two buildings in district number one is satis- factory. The old academy building housing on the first floor the upper grades and on the second floor until lately the grange is a century old next year. It has not been kept in good condition and hence needs considerable overhauling and re-arranging. Because of the poor conditions at the little white wooden building a little way up the road the remodeling of the old academy to accommo- date both rooms is well worth considering. Pointing up the brick work, new wood-work, better arrangements for lighting, heating and ventilating would make the building desirable and retain for the future the ancient associations which cluster around its walls The desks are of the ancient double type showing the scars of many jack-knives. The bench in front long ago lost its legs in ceaseless battle and now propped upon a soap box makes shift to continue in service. The top of an old organ has parted from its former under-structure and balancing on a box serves as an un- certain and not too useful table. The one chair in the room serves the teacher constantly but the visitor must shift for himself and an uncertain shift he has This room is well equipped with slate boards although they are not well located. The books are few but of excellent choice. No means of flying a flag exists and there was no globe The privies are in poor condition. There is no water supply on the grounds and no means of teaching cleanliness. The play- ground is inadequate The primary building surely needs repairing. Some plaster has fallen from the ceiling and more is cracked and nearing its fall. The school was dirty not merely with temporary dust but with grime long accumulated The privies are filthy and vile. Part of the roof is off the west privy. They need repairing and painting as well as cleaning The entry floor and threshold of the school need attention. The interior walls are neither well painted, paper nor varnished. An old flag is nearly the only attempt at decoration and no means of flying the flag has been provided The slate blackboards are good. The desks are not in good condition neither are they suitable for children of the ages en- 20 rolled. There is no library and no supplementary reading. One poor map aid is the geography work. The window shades are poor and the room is not supplied with good water for drinking or washing The Warehouse Point building situated well back from the road on an ample playground has been recently enlarged by a new brick front with several rooms. It is difficult to see where all the money expended on this building went The walls to the floor were kalsomined a dead white and of course show every mark, every bit of dirt. Paint of a dark cream or brown ought to be put on below the four foot line at least and baseboards provided to prot^t the plaster. The rooms would be pleasanter and there would be less eye-strain with a softer tint on the walls The basements are very dark, dirty and ill smelling. This was especially true of the boys' side and the passages thereto. Some means of lighting is necessary to avoid real danger of a serious nature The school is well equipped and is supplied with more apparatus than was found in most of the other buildings. It needs visitors' chairs, better provision for personal hygiene and a reference library. The front grounds decorated with flowers and shrubs would make the school a decidedly attractive addition to the village The Melrose school has a most undesirable location with the trolley in front and the railroad on one side. Both outbuildings have markings and cuttings The interior walls need refinishing and the whole interior needs a thorough cleaning The blackboards are poor and inadequate. There is no means of flying the flag and there is no water supply on the grounds. There is no means of enforcing personal cleanliness The Broad Brook building is a large brick structure set on the hillside above the street and trolley. It is most unattractive in every way. Ivies on the fences and about the building would greatly improve the appearance. Flowers and shrubs about the street side would also help The exterior wood-work needs painting. The interior is in only fair condition. In one room the plaster is cracked and in need of repair. The whole interior ought to be refinished and made fresh, clean and neat The privies are disgraceful. Lewd cuttings and markings, broken boards and fencing, poor roofing, filthy floors and seats were found here. It appeared that the privies were inadequate in the first place and poorly placed and constructed in the next place. The fences are in need of repairing. The former acting visitor repeatedly criticized these conditions without avail The equipment is not first class. Some desks ought to be re- placed with new of the single adjustable type. More slate boards are needed. Some rooms lack proper maps globes and dictionaries • 21 The school at Windsorville has been heated with difficulty. Storm windows have been supplied and only a few have any venti- lation attachments and those merely 8"x2" apertures. The nat- ural result was a very poorly ventilated room. In May the storm windows had not been removed and the warm foul air resulting from lack of ventilation was dangerous to the health of the chil- dren as well as forbidding of much brain work This room was well equipped with slate boards, good desks, maps, globe and dictionary. The provision for water and its use was poor. The school needs chairs for teacher and visitors The privies were poor, dirty and unsatisfactory. There was a flag but no means of flying it The Barber Hill school gave many signs of neglect. The ex- terior needed painting. The floors were poor. The interior was dirty and had not been thoroughly cleaned for months. The heat- ing and ventilating system was unsatisfactory. There was no flag nor any means of flying it. The privies were in a sad state of filth and disrepair with lewd markings and cuttings in both There was no dictionary, no supplementary reading, no book- case, no chairs, no clock, no satisfactory arrangement for drinking water or washing, no door-mat, no mirror, soap or towels, no bulletin board. Only two maps were available and there was no flag or means of flying one. One pane of glass was broken. The few books in the library had been purchased from the proceeds of an entertainment given by the teacher and children. It is alleged that after an outbreak of a contagious disease here a year ago the books were ordered burnt but by the local health officer's in- structions only the old ones were destroyed The teacher stated that the school visitor had not visited her school up to that date. The acting visitor reports visiting the school in the fall but from then until May no visits were made Verily this school has been neglected The state of the school plant does not indicate a great amount of pride therein by the public. All seven buildings require ex- penditures of considerable sums to become standard schools. This town is well able to maintain them in first rate order with little or no sacrifice by the people An adequate heating and ventilating system with an even dis- tribution of heat or fresh air is not found in any school. It is most needed in the outside schools The schools in districts 2 3 4 5 6 and 9 have been closed in recent years by the school commitee following a wise policy of consolidation. An appropriation for a new building to combine the Barber Hill and Windsorville districts was voted by a town meeting but action was withheld by the selectmen because of strenuous but near-sighted opposition by the people of the former district 22 CHAPTER VI Teachers — training — experience — certification — rating — hindrances Twenty-one teachers including the music supervisor are em- ployed. An analysis of their training is submitted below college graduates 4 partial college training 1 normal school graduates 8 partial normal training 2 summer normal training 2 high school graduates 2 kindergartwi 2 A preference has existed for normal school graduates with a strong second choice for the college trained teacher. There has been no system of distributing the different kinds of training for college graduates appear in the little one-room schools and in the centers. One teacher only of those outside the centers had re- ceived a full normal training and that one was a sojourner only The figures in the report of the school committee to the state board of education giving the number of months experience were so inaccurate (six errors ranging from 9 to 200 months are known) as to make further study worthless. It may be noted that 9 were beginners in their districts but only 2 were beginners in teaching In point of training and experience this corps is a common type. No good reason why a normal training is not a minimum req,uire- ment is advanced. Such a minimum of professional training would be possible and in the long run greatly to the schools' advantage In the report of the secretary of the town school committee for September 1915 it was stated that all teachers held town certificates good until July 1 1916. It was stated that 6 held state certificates also. Upon visitation and investigation the following facts ap- pear 1 Nine teachers held no town or state certificates as re- quired by law 2 None of the nine had ever been examined as required by law 3 Two of the nine were teaching their third year in the town 4 One teacher upon request was promised a certificate in the fall but had not received it The law provides that 1 town school committees shall examine all persons desir- ing to teach in the public schools 2 the town school committee shall give certificates to those with whose moral character and ability to teach they are satisfied 3 no certificate to teach in grades above the third shall be granted to any person who has not passed a satisfactory examination in hygiene 23 4 the certificate of qualification issued by the state board of education shall be accepted by all town school com- mittees in lieu of examination 5 no teacher shall be employed in any school receiving any portion of its support from the public money until he has received a certification of approval in accordance with the law nor shall any teacher be entitled to any wages so far as the same are paid out of any public money ap- propriated to schools unless he possesses such certificate dated prior to the opening of his school The provisions of these acts have not been enforced in this town. The teachers have not been examined and certificates of approval have not been issued. Teachers above the third grade have not passed an examination in hygiene. These teachers have been employed in these schools which receive a portion of their support from the public money. Teachers without certificates have been paid wages to which they were not entitled under the law Certificating the teacher was left some years ago by the com- mittee to the chairman and secretary whose practice it was to accept state certificates and certificates from satisfactory schools of examinations passed in statutory subjects. Were this practice persistently followed it would still be contrary to the law which makes no provision for accepting any certificate or evidence in lieu of an examination other than a state teachers certificate Until such time as East Windsor shall have complied with this law in all its provisions no portion of the public moneys should be paid to the town Greater care in reporting to the state should be exercised by the town school committee The teachers are rated good 16 unsatisfactory 5 The five unsatisfactory ought to have been weeded out early for the nature of their work was all too apparent. Legal visits have not been made to any school and certainly without visitation by those authorized to act the children cannot be protected from worse than' useless training and such teachers eliminated. In one room the wildest disorder obtained. In two others habits of disobedience and idleness and a general disrespect for everything and everybody including the teacher were evident. Such conditions due to in- difference or inability of teachers are deplorable and to the chil- dren injurious to a high degree Some of the sixteen are enthusiastic teachers with high ideals of their duties to the children. They are accomplishing much. Others are doing enough from day to day to keep up with the pro- cession but their minds are on what ought to be done for them rather than on what they can do for the children. Such teachers while not uncommon are unfortunate. They view possible im- provements from selfish angles and therefore generally are ob- stacles which the wheels of progress sooner or later pass over and frequently crush 24 It is unfortunate that the central agency for co-ordinating the work of these teachers has been weak, uncertain and little inclined to action. The usefulness of some teachers could be greatly en- hanced by proper direction and suggestion In conclusion the schools as a whole are seriously hindered by an incompetent minority of the teaching force and by lack of skilled direction CHAPTER Vll Visitation — observation — instruction — management The schools of East Windsor present most unpleasing contrasts. In a few rooms an atmosphere of enterprise, initiative and indus- try is found; in others a humdrum dissatisfied, fault-finding spirit prevails ; in still others a perfunctory performance of the daily tasks takes place A few schools made a creditable record on the tests given; others were failures. In some cases the children were well schooled, and reading was taught with good results; in another the subject was not taught at all until the second or third year The beginners at school were allowed to spend their time in idleness or at best in most unprofitable employment. In one school care is taken to make all the work neat; in the next slovenly habits of workmanship are tolerated. Comments on a few schools are printed below 1 Much initiative and enterprise evident. The pupils have good habits of work and conduct. Sewing is taught once a week by an outsider without pay but no citizenship is taught as required by law. The teacher is organizing the recreation periods to provide all with profitable exercise. Time tables are not clear but are inclusive. The results of the tests were good. No instruction in writing quota- tions had been given 2 Poor housekeeping in a room already needy of repairs provided an unsatisfactory environment. Some children were idle; one was coloring pictures in a ctalog; one was cutting paper into small particles ; a few were with- out work to do. The board work consisted largely of music exercises and songs Reading in this primary school receives 30 minutes a day while arithmetic, language and history or geography re- ceives 60 minutes each. The time table showed recita- tions only The work evidenced a lack of preparation and a lack of the art of teaching most undesirable in primary work The writing was illegible. The oral reading of worthless trash was without fluency or expresison and no training in silent reading had been given. The number work was far behind a reasonable standard of accomplishment. It was a poor school 25 3 The words of the teacher, "I do the best I can but I don't know how. I want someone to show me what to do and how to do it," described the situation in full 4 The noise upon entering the room was deafening. The teacher was attempting to hear a class recite in the front of the room. They talked and conversed paying little heed to the teacher while the children at their seats walked, talked, slapped one another and "made the welkin ring." The children had made no progress and under such control progress except in the wrong direction cannot be expected 5 The teacher taught a difficult language lesson without reference to textbooks or other material. She was thor- oughly prepared. The class responded interestedly and manifestly were making progress. The program was un- balanced in the apportionment of time. The instruction and board work were in marked contrast to that found in many schools It was clear that few" of the teachers understood the courses of study and how to use them. Few knew the ends and purposes to be attained and fewer still the best ways of achieving those ends. Some teachers had not been supplied with copies No attempt has been made to help them systematically. The teachers are introduced to their schools and then left to their own resources. Such management has come to be regarded as danger- ous to the welfare of the children and nearly always it is wasteful of time money and energy. The teachers and the children are entitled to all the help, aid and guidance the town can afiford and the town can afford any that they need No plan books are required and only a few teachers keep them voluntarily. Some sort of daily plan is necessary if a school is to make a steady and sure progress. The writing of such a plan is not laborious and is far from useless. It promotes clear thinking and if carefully examined by an outsider from time to time de- mands a definiteness seldom secured in any other way About the only tests given these schools by the administrative officers are the examinations for entrance to the high school. These are composed of fact questions and are not designed to help and guide future instruction. Comparative tests at irregular in- tervals would well serve the interests of the schools. A few such tests have been given the 6th 7th and 8th grades from time to time. Essays have also been collected from these grades. A former visitor reports these to have been very useful CHAPTER vni A dministration — the law — visitation — registers — discipline — mode of teaching — length of visits — supervision — reading — course of studies — records The administration of the East Windsor schools is in the hands of a committee of nine men who as agents of the state deriving their powers from the state have authority to maintain good 26 schools for not less than thirty-six weeks; to manage the school property of the town and to make repairs ; to examine certificate and employ teachers; to determine the conditions of instruction in each school; to determine the school any given child shall attend; to purchase supplementary reading; to prescribe textbooks subject to the control of the state board of education; to provide evening school instruction; to choose a superintendent and to prescribe his duties; and to provide transportation where reasonable The committee has been organized as required by law. It has elected a chairman and secretary The committee seems to reflect the sentiment of the town very accurately and is therefore representative The actual administration of these schools has been largely in the hands of the acting school visitor, the board . rarely meeting and still more rarely interfering with or legislating upon ordinary school affairs. So true has this been that in January 1916 when the acting school visitor resigned and left town the board was helpless and did not even meet for consideration of school prob- lems until July. It was so far from awake to its duties as an agency of the state that it neglected to appoint an acting school visitor or as a body to take any steps to guarantee the progress of the schools during that period The retiring acting school visitor suggested a local principal as one fit to perform these duties. The chairman consented and the committee was not even consulted. This principal did not begin his visitation until May Under the law the acting visitor must visit all schools at least twice during each term once within four weeks after the opening and again during the four weeks preceding the close. At these visitations the school register library schoolhouse and outbuild- ings must be examined and the studies discipline and mode of teaching and general condition of the school investigated. The law further provides that half a day shall be spent in each school so visited unless otherwise directed No evidence could be found to show that the law regarding visitation of schools has been complied with in recent years. Dur- ing the winter and spring terms no visitation complying with the requirements of the law was made even assuming that the man illegally acting as school visitor had been duly appointed by the committee The former acting visitor recalls visiting the Barber Hill school in the fall term but does not assert that the visit conformed to the requirements of the law The former acting visitor reports that his practice has been to spend three days at the beginning of the year visiting the schools arranging for supplies seeing that the teachers were properly started and adapting the course of studies to local conditions. He reports that thereafter he spent one day or more per week visiting schools generally with a definite purpose and frequently teaching 27 a school to show the teacher how. The salary received was $120 per year. Certainly no more time could be reasonably expected of any man for the salary paid .The condition of the buildings reported elsewhere gave little evidence of examination. The registers were not complete and had been illegally kept. At the Scantic school full days attendance were recorded when the school door had not been opened. It ap- pears therefore that the registers were not examined with care The discipline in a. few schools as noted elsewhere is of the poorest and baffles description. It was so apparent that any in- vestigation would have noted conditions. They demanded imme- diate action but none was forthcoming The mode of teaching varied greatly from school to school. Uniformity does not exist in methods subject matter or in the progress of the children. Some of the teachers did not have the course of studies adopted by the town The legally specified duties of the acting visitor have not been performed The committee meets regularly three times per year and at other times as called by its secretary. It is reported exceedmgly diffi- cult to get a quorum and that a full board meeting is a rarity Common practice apparently is for the secretary to phone mem- bers of the committee concerning possible dates for meetings. If little prospect of a quorum appears no meeting is called. The in- spector requested a meeting of the secretary and of the chairman but was told that it would be impossible to get the committee to- gether before the annual meeting two months later. No notice of that meeting was received and repeated requests since have been unavailing Enthusiasm for good schools is not apparent. Matters of repair, attendance, supervision and adequate supplies have not received proper attention. Returns to the state board of education are in- accurate. Irregular meetings, failure to perform the duties charged to them in the statutes, laxness in appointing a school visitor and neglected buildings are evidences of a lack of interest by the com- mittee East Windsor is one of the two towns in Hartford Cqunty and of the fifteen towns of the state which do not employ a skilled pro- fessional superintendent of schools. The activities of such a man are greatly needed to direct intelligently the work of the teachers and children. A course of studies detailed and specific, standards of accomplishment both qualitative and quantitative in every sub- ject, approved and successful methods uniform in all schools, ac- curate and immediate information upon the physical condition of the whole school plant and upon the educational work of each teacher can all be supplied by such supervision. There is no in- dustry involving several hundred hands, twenty managers in nine scattered plants which would survive without an intelligent skilled directing head. This industry of schooling East Windsor's chil- dren is a vital one to the welfare of the town and state. East Windsor cannot afiford to deprive the children of the benefits de- rived from competent supervision 28 East Windsor a few years ago overwhelmingly voted down the proposition to request the state board of education to appoint a supervising agent. If this aid is refused then an equivalent sub- stitute should be provided for the sake of the children But East Windsor prefers to employ a special supervisor of music — prefers because without such supervisor or with one less teacher the town could take advantage of the law by which the state appoints and pays a supervisor without cost to the town. These agents of the state are required to visit each school twice a month. Supervision of all subjects without expense is refused in order to employ a special supervisor of music at a cost of several hundred dollars East Windsor may also appoint a superintendent of schools fix and pay his salary and prescribe his duties which shall include the legally prescribed duties of the acting school visitor. Such super- intendent must hold a certificate of approval by the state board of education. The state will refund one half of his salary up to a sum not to exceed East Windsor may join ninety-six other towns and obtain skilled supervision without cost or it may employ a superintendent and receive state aid. One or the other it should do without delay In these schools there, was no evidence of supervision in the daily time tables for the order and -apportionment of time to the various subjects appeared without rhyme or reason. Legal sub- jects frequently did not appear. Time tables were seldom posted and rarely followed The limited supply and poor distribution of good supplementary reading evidenced lack of control The course of studies is indefinite and not helpful. It details no methods and certainly the manner of imparting knowledge has much to do with the accomplishment of the subjective aims of education. Here if anywhere adequate and skilled supervision manifests itself The scope of the instruction offered is narrow but a special teacher is provided for music. Is that the subject most worth while in these schools? It costs the town more than any other subject No drawing science sewing agriculture or cooking is sys- tematically taught. These girls every one can be taught the elements of housewifery. They need ability to sew and to cook far more than they need square root and much similar material upon which time is wasted. The boys need some knowledge of the science of agriculture and the other sciences underlying and accom- panying plant production No permanent records of pupils' progress are kept. Such records are desirable in the several schools to avoid wasteful repe- tition and resulting loss of time. They are useful for reference and if properly designed are evidence by which a school's work can be measured A defense of the work of these schools has been attempted through the records of its graduates doing successful work in the 2C neighboring high schools. The work of a select few is no fair basis for approving or disapproving a school system. What does it do for the large majority? The statement has been inferentially made that a comparison of the percentage of East Windsor's pupils sent to high school with the percentages of its neighbors would be very much to East Windsor's advantage. The per cent of the total registration at- tending high school appears below Windsor Locks 16% Spmers 15% East Hartford 14% Suffield 12% Ellington 11% South Windsor 11% East Windsor 8% Windsor 7% The registration figures are for 1914-1915 The high school registration figures for Suffield Windsor Locks and Windsor are for 1914-1915. All other figures are for 1915-1916 and in all cases the latest available. Suffield's figures do not in- clude attendance in high schools other than the Suffield school for they were not available Windsor Locks' unusually good showing is due in a measure to the large elementary parochial school which feeds the high school but lowers the total public school registration East Windsor's showing is not advantageous ^ The East Windsor town school committee has not performed the duties with which it is charged as an agency of the state. There was no evidence to show a live interest in the children and their schooling. On the contrary there was much evidence of indiffer- ence and inertia The new members on the committee have manifested a desire to improve the schools and apparently they will take a live interest in their work CHAPTER ix Summary East Windsor's school population is growing rapidly but its financial resources are growing much faster. The town's expendi- tures for schools have not kept pace with either although the pay- ments for roads have increased faster than for schools The town is essentially agricultural with some manufacturing. Its future lies in the development of its agriculture and toward that direction the schools should be pointed The administration of the schools has been largely in the hands of the acting school visitor, the town school committee taking little active part. With the resignation of that officer and his de- pature from town the committee was so little interested in what became of the schools that it did not even meet for seven months 30 thereafter and the care of the schools was placed "on trial" in the hands of a local principal to whom opposition immediately arose on the other side of the town No such management would be tolerated by a community alive to the importance of its children and their schooling The plant needs concentrating, enlarging and repairing. The equipment and apparatus are not sufficient for the proper inter- pretation of a good course of studies. The course of studies is unsatisfactory from all points of view. The system of recording and reporting is inadequate and inaccurate. The supervision is amateurish and not skillful. It does not co-ordinate the schools nor direct their educational work. It does not conform to the law The schools range from very good to very poor. The average is not high. Whether a school is good or poor is wholly determined by the teacher. She is neither helped nor directed by the con- trolling officers. The progress of the pupils is slow at best and the amount of actual retardation is great. The discipline in some schools is of the worst type. The instruction is good and poor and for neither does the system of control provide. The textbooks are good but are not sufficient in variety. There is little good reading matter. The registers are not legally kept nor are the time tables clear, full or properly adjusted In some parts of the system there is a marked enthusiasm cen- tering about one or two individuals. Indeed almost all the good work in these schools is due to individuals and not at all to the system of which they are part. Such systems mean here and there occasionally rapid progress and high quality of work but for most of the children they mean most of the time poor training. Organization should tend to make good schooling the only possible schooling and should reduce the personal dangers to a minimum. It is democractic to give to each child a training equivalent to the best. A well organized and carefully manipulated system of con- trol is the only agency which can approach such a standard. Such a system has not been provided by East Windsor CHAPTER X Recommendations Employment of a skilled supervisor to direct the educational work of the schools Consolidation of all the schools into two buildings, one at the Point and one at Broad Brook Enlargement and reconstruction of the Broad Brook school to accommodate the increased registration due to consolidation and growth Until such time as 2 and 3 can be carried through the repair of the outside schools Purchase of equipment and apparatus to put each school on a standard basis 31 6 The adoption of a broader more detailed and more definite course of studies 7 Adoption of a normal school training as a sine-qua-non of em- ployment of teachers 8 Development of means for training the teachers in service 9 Purchase of good reading matter for all grades 10 Installation of an adequate heating and ventilating system in all the outside schools 11 Systematic decoration of school grounds 12 Provision of a satisfactory water supply for drinking and washing purposes with mirrors, soap and towels 13 Modern sanitary privies "free from markings and cuttings 14 Public meetings to consider the above 32 APPENDIX EXHIBIT A 1890 1900 1910 1912 1913 1914 1915 Enumeration 750 712 801 885 876 904 996 Registration 697 602 628 599 690 723 734 Ave attendance 390.9 401.3 461.9 461.2 508 535.7 559 Population 1800 2766 1850 2633 1890 2890 1900 3158 1910 3362 33 CO 05 CD 05 ep 00 1—1 00 o Tt< rt* (n. j>. t>J OS 1— t 2 ■^ i i (N 2 i CO t— 1 to 05 CO Tt" Tt< T-l t^ t^ (m" InJ . 05 to ^. to l> CM to O S:5 • o U o X .•--< cti x: oJ •^ CO ^ -4-> a X C o CO 1 o o o ti CO cs 1 "o 1 (V rt >»