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Comments and. Outlines 
 
 "Standard Schools 
 
 of Maine 
 
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 state of ^Q\v<zOli>^t^4idjL' 
 Educational DefxirtnienH^^ 
 
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Copies of this document will be sent 
 free on application to 
 
 W. W. STETSON, 
 State Supt. of Public Schools. 
 Augusta, Maine. I 
 
 SEP21 .^0/ 
 
 Di of' a 
 
"sraiulard Schools." 
 
 Ilie following- paragraphs may be 
 found in the editoirial columns of 
 a recent issue of the Boston 
 Herald. The article is so clear in its 
 statements and so discriminating: in its 
 criticisms that the Department has de- 
 cided to issue it in pamphlet form. It 
 is hoped it will be read carefully and 
 tJiat the suggestions found therein will 
 stimulate our people to lake up the 
 matter of establishing one of these 
 schools in each county of the State. 
 
 Hardly a more suggestive brief tract 
 on the improvement of the country 
 common school has been issued any- 
 where than the one entitle<l "Standard 
 Schools." * * * * * jj- Yias only a 
 dozen printed pages of a size that ena- 
 bles it to be inclosed in an ordinary 
 letter envelope. Copies of this and of 
 a similar tract, entitled "The Work of 
 a Decade in the Schools of Maine," 
 can be obtained free upon application 
 to the State superintendent of public 
 schools, Augusta, Me. For the benefit 
 of the many who are interested in this 
 subject, we will describe what is meant 
 
" STANDARD SCHOOLS 
 
 by the "Standard School.' * * * * * 
 The superintendent says that the 
 "ideal school" and the "model school," 
 which have filled so large a place in 
 educational reports, are "both illusive 
 and delusive," conceptions change so 
 rapidly; but he thinks the standard 
 school "has metes and bounds and may 
 have a local habitation." It may, but 
 now the standard school is only, an 
 ideal, it does not yet exist in fact. The 
 superintendent desires to have at least 
 one established in every county; and 
 his little tract is an effort to induce the 
 people to make such schools real and 
 visible. 
 
 This proposal may be regarded as the 
 essential outcome of ten years of work 
 ***** to improve the schools 
 of Maine. In the first place, the actual 
 condition of the schools was plainly 
 set before the people by carefully made, 
 just reports, with illustrations. While 
 defects were not covered up, the good 
 points were fairly presented. Then the 
 local superintendents were called upon 
 to express their opinions, in critical 
 comment on the opinions and criti- 
 cisms of the general superintendent. * 
 * * * * These replies were tabu- 
 lated impersonally with respect to the 
 
> '-^ 
 
 "^^ i^ OF MAINE 
 
 -subject matter and widely distributed 
 in the State. Then followed pamphlets 
 on studies, on methods of teaching-, on 
 designs and plans for schoolhouses and 
 the equipment of schools, on school 
 sites and grounds and decoration and 
 gardens and various other matters. 
 Then came the School Improvement 
 League, county teachers' associations, 
 town teachers' meetings, summer 
 schools, and, lately, educational mass 
 meetings. The school leagues have had 
 a markedly good influence in many 
 ways. There has been a quiet, effec- 
 tive growth of popular interest in the 
 schools, and when, last fall, thirty edu- 
 cational mass meetings were held in 
 different parts of the State, addressed 
 by distinguished gentlemen from other 
 states, the popular interest was sur- 
 prising. Thus within the ten years a 
 changed attitude toward the school 
 work has been brought about, affecting 
 not only teachers, but pupils and the 
 general public, llie State has been 
 aroused and impressed as it never has 
 been before. It has been made ready 
 for favorable consideration of the 
 "standard" school. 
 
 The conception of this kind of school 
 does not relate to city schools nor to 
 
6 "standard schools" 
 
 high schools. It concerns the elemen- 
 tary schools. The first of the govern- 
 ing- conditions is that no community 
 shall be elig-ible to compete for the 
 school if its population exceeds eighty 
 persons who are between 5 and 21 
 years old. But the contemplated 
 school, modest as it is, will cost more 
 money than a small community can 
 readily raise. Hence an ingenious, andi, 
 so far as we know, a unique plan is de- 
 signed. The community should be se- 
 lected for the establishment of the 
 school which furnishes the largest "spe- 
 cial fund," taking into consideration the 
 valuation of its real and personal prop- 
 erty for taxation. The contributions to 
 this fund may be by residents or by 
 others. Secondly, the town should pro- 
 vide the school building "as found in 
 the community where the improvement 
 is to be made," and a lot of at least 
 three acres in extent. Then a donor, or 
 donors, should be secured to contribute 
 as much to this "special fund" as has 
 been raised by general solicitation, 
 provided that the contribution of such 
 donor, or donors, shall not exceed $500. 
 The modest amount of this special 
 fund, not exceeding $1000, is a peculiar 
 feature. The fund is to be kept in 
 
OF MAINE 
 
 bank subject to the order of two trus- 
 tees, one representing the community 
 as such, the other the donor. In other 
 words, if we understand the scheme, it 
 is proposed to secure a small endow- 
 ment for the school, to be used in im- 
 provement or adornment of the build- 
 ing and grounds. 
 
 The lot of at least three acres should 
 be divided into plots for forest trees, 
 fruit trees, vegetable and flower gar- 
 dens, a lawn, playground, walks and 
 drives. It, as well as the schoolhouse, 
 is intended to be used for instruction. 
 The kind of building required, its gen- 
 eral plan, the materials of its construc- 
 tion, its furnishings and decoration 
 are indicated. A small room to serve 
 as a workroom for boys should be at- 
 tached to one of the rear corners of the 
 main building, and a similar room at- 
 tached to the other rear corner as a 
 workroom for girls. The particular 
 qualifications of the teacher to have 
 charge of such a school are set forth, 
 and also the curriculum of studies, in 
 which, besides the common school 
 branches, nature, art, music, drawing, 
 hygiene, labor and civics have place. 
 The methods must be adapted^ to the 
 child taught. TTie fundamental princi- 
 
STANDARD SCHOOLS 
 
 pie of recognizing- the limitations of the 
 child will be kept in mind. The gener- 
 al principle is asserted that "the com- 
 mon school should be the social, liter- 
 ary and art centre of the community." 
 The things which such a school may be 
 expected to accomplish for its pupils 
 are enumerated. * *■ --^ * * 
 
 This "standard school" is about as 
 distinct a dream of an "ideal school" 
 as was ever presented on paper. It 
 may be a feasible ideal. We should be 
 glad to believe that it is, and would be 
 willing to make a reasonable journey 
 to see one in actual operation. * * * 
 Some one may be able one of these 
 days to offer us an opportunity. But 
 we are obliged to say that we do not 
 see much difference between the un- 
 realized "standard" school and the un- 
 realized "ideal" school or "model" 
 school. One thing we miss that would 
 appear to be a proper part of such a 
 presentation, an estimate of the cost of 
 building such a school as is described 
 and of the cost of maintaining it without 
 deterioration. As we remarked in the 
 beginning, the tract is highly sugges- 
 tive and if the schenio is only partially 
 practicable in any one example, it will 
 prove to be a seed of improvement. 
 
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