;iC^ WHAT Every Teacher OUGHT TO KNOW. BY A TEACHER. ROCi/eSTER, N. Y. : O H J 1886 A. P.'O H A F> I N. ^^^ Edueatioi^al (laz<^tt(^. NEWSY, PROGRESSIVE, PRACTICAL. — CONTAINS Opinions of Eminent Thinkers, Contributed Articles from Able Educators, Department Work adapted to the different grades of Schools, Editorials, Discussion of Current Topics EDUCATIONAL NEWS, KINDERGARTEN, CHOICE LITKRATTURK, KTC. PRICE, $1.00 A YEAR. SINGLE COPIES, 10 Cts. ALVIN P. CHAPIN, Editor. Woi-th. T-wice its Cost to any Teactier. Educational Gazette Publishing Go., Publishers, ROCHESTER, N. Y. Send Stamp for Sample Copy. Subscribe at once. If you wish the latest and best thoughts on teaching, subscribe for the Educational Gazette. It is the teachers' help, not only to better methods, but to better salaries. WHAT EVERY TEACHER OUGHT TO KNOW, BY A TEACHER ^ n 27 1886^^) ROCHESTER, N. Y. : A. F". C H A P I N. 18S6 i '^^ \ Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1886, by A. P. CHAB^I-Nv-- .. ., In the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C. ^tl...- 5r WHAT VERY Teacher OUGHT TO KNOW. TEACHERS' LICENSES. No person can legally contract to teach in the public schools, or collect his pay, without a license. There are five kinds of licenses : 1. A Normal School diploma. 2. A State certificate, good for life. 3. A limited license, granted by the State Super- intendent. 4. A certificate granted by a County Commis- sioner, 5. A certificate granted by a Board of Education. Hoii) are licenses obtained? I. There are three grades of Normal School diplomas granted on completion of either the Ele- mentary English, the Higher English or the (Clas- sical course of study. These courses require two, three and four 3^ears work, respectively. In order to enter a Normal School candidates must be at least sixteen years of age and must pass a credit- able examination in the common English branches. Students may enter advanced if they can pass the required examinations, but the last year's work of either course must be done in the school. 2. State certificates are granted by the State Superintendent only upon examination. These ex- aminations are generally conducted by the institute faculty. 3. Temporary licenses may be (but seldom are) granted by the State Superintendent. They are limited to a school commissioner district or school district, and are not given for a longer period than six months. 4. _ Many cities regulate their own examinations and grant their own licenses. The examinations are usually conducted by the superintendent and the licenses are signed by him and the officers of the school board. 5. School commissioners grant three grades of licenses, based upon the mental qualifications and moral standing of the cajididates, and their experi- ence, if any, in teachihg. Most commissioners examine all applicants who apply at the proper times and places as publicly announced by the commis- sioners. Note. — All teachers in New York must be exam- ined regarding the effects of stimulants and nar- cotics. On what grounds can a teacher s license be annulled 2 Normal school diplomas and State certificates may be annulled by the commissioner only on the ground of immoral character. Other licenses may be annulled for either immor- ality or deficiency in learning or ability to teach. What relief has the teacher 2 He may appeal to the State Superintendent, whose decision is final. THE TEACHER'S AUTHORITY. During the established school hours the teacher's authority over the conduct of the pupils present in school is absolute. This authority does not extend beyond the school buildings and grounds. Punishments must not be cruel and should not be unnecessarily severe. It is better to be too lenient than too severe. Corporal punishment may be used, but should be only as a last resort. Obedience and order must be secured and main- tained, but it should be done with the least amount of physical force possible. It is better to develop a love for school work by making it attractive than to arouse the ire of the pupils by needless rules and commands. The teacher can compel the study of only one subject, and that is physiology, with special refer- ence to the effects of stimulants and narcotics. The parent or guardian may select from the studies belonging to the child's class or grade those which he wishes his child to pursue. THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. In New York the State Department has uniformly denied the right of a teacher or any school officer to insist on attendance at religious exercises during legal school hours. Such exercises may be held before nine in the morning, and attendance made optional, but must not be held between nine and four, if objection is made by patrons of the school. TEACHER'S RIGHT AND AUTHORITY. The old maxim of English law is as applicable to the schoolmaster as to any other person who is in the lawful possession of a house. It is true that the school officers, as such, have certain rights in the school-house, but the law will not allow even them to interfere with the teacher while he keeps strictly within the line of his duty. Having been legally put in possession, he can hold it for the pur- poses and the time agreed upon ; and no parent, not even the Governor of the State, nor the Presi- dent of the United States has any right to enter it and disturb him in the lawful performance of his duties. If persons do enter, he should order them out ; and if they do not go on being requested to do so he may use such force as is necessary to eject them. And if he finds that he is unable to put them out himself, he may call on others to assist him ; and if no more force is employed than is ac- tually necessary to remove the intruder, the law will justify the teacher's act and the acts of those who assisted him. THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THE ANNUAL SCHOOL MEETING. "An annual school meeting of each school dis- trict shall be held the last Tuesday of August of each year, and unless the hour and the place thereof shall have been fixed by a vote of a previous district meeting, the same shall be held in the school-house at seven o'clock in the evening." Laws of 1883. The election of officers in certain school dis- tricts, containing 300 or more children of school age, shall be held on the Wednesday next following the last Tuesday in August in each year, between the hours of twelve o'clock, mid-day, and four o'clock in the afternoon. The school year expires on the twentieth day of August. " The trustees of each school district shall, be- tween the last Tuesday of August and the first Tuesday of September in each year, make and di- rect to the School Commissioner, a report in writ- ing, dated on the twentieth day of August of the year in which it is made, and shall sign and certify it, and deliver it to the clerk of the town in which the school district is situated." Laws of 1883. " The annual meeting of the Board of Edu- cation of every union free school district, sball be held on the first Tuesday of September in each year." Laws of 1883. SPECIAL SCHOOL MEETINGS. Trustees may call a special meeting at any time. The notice shall state the object of the meeting and be served on each voter at least five days before the date of the meeting. The chairman may vote on all questions involving a tax levy. Trustees of a Union free school should be elected by ballot between the hours of 12 m. and 4 p. m. of the next day after the annual school meeting. VOTERS AT SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETINGS. By the laws of 1881, there are three classes of persons who may vote, as follows : I. " Every person (male or female) who is a resi- dent of the district, of the age of twenty-one years, entitled to hold lands in this State, who either owns or hires real estate in the district liable to taxation for school purposes." II. " Every citizen of the United States (male or female) above the age of twenty-one years, who is a resident of the district, and who owns any personal property assessed on the last preceding assessment roll of the town, exceeding fifty dollars in value, ex- clusive of such as is exempt from execution." III. " Every citizen of the United States (male or female) who is above the age of twenty-one years, who is a resident of the district, and who has lO permanently residing with him, or her, a child or children of school age, some one or more of whom shall have attended the school of the district for a period of at least eight weeks within the year pre- ceding the time at which the vote is offered." Attorney General Russell, at the solicitation of Supt. W. B. Ruggles, for his opinion, says, under date of May 28, 1883: " It will be observed that the statute uses the term "him, or her," evidently for the purpose of giving the particular party with whom the child resides the right to vote, and was not intended to confer such right of voting upon both the husband and the wife the legal residence of the child would be with the hus- band, and he alone would by reason of such resi- dence be entitled to vote at the school meeting held in the district in which he resides." TRUSTEES. A district may have one or three trustees, and may change from one to three or from three to one by a two-thirds vote. Neither a school commissioner nor a supervisor can hold the office of school trustee. A trustee cannot hold the office of collector, clerk or librarian. TI A trustee may tender his resignation in writing to the supervisor. If the district does not fill the vacancy within thirty days the supervisor may appoint. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction may remove a trustee for neglect of duties. The trustee is custodian of the district property. The trustee alone has power to decide what text- books shall be used. The trustee only has the legal right to expel a pupil. Trustees have no right to purchase globes, maps or other school apparatus unless authorized by the vote of a district meeting. Trustees may levy a tax for the balance of teach- ers' wages if the public money has been expended. Trustees have sole power to hire teachers and cannot be restricted in this matter by a district vote. A sole trustee cannot hire a teacher for a term of school which does not begin before the close of his term of office. A trustee cannot legally employ himself or his wife, his brother or sister, his parents or grandpar- ents, his children or grand children, or the husband or wife of a brother or sister, child or grandchild. 12 Three trustees and Boards of Education may hire for one year but not longer. Any person who shall willfully disturb any public school or school meeting shall forfeit twenty-five dollars. All States make provision for furnishing text- books to children if their parents are too poor to buy them. RECENT DECISIONS OF SUPERINTENDENT JAMES E. MORRISON ON QUESTIONS OF SCHOOL LAW. Hon. James E. Morrison, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has recently rendered the fol- lowing decisions in answer to in(piiries respecting the points involved : I. In a letter, dated January 31, 1883, Supt. Rug- gles wrote : "I think that you have gogd right, if authorized by the trustees, to discipline the schol- ars for using tobacco in the school, for irregular attendance, for bad conduct, or for refusing to make good, damag'es done to school property. The sus- pension of a pupil from the school should be the act of the trustees." In the same letter he said : " It has been held by this department, that a teacher's 13 authority over pupils ceases after the close of the school and when they retire from the school grounds. It seems a natural inference that the teacher has a right to control pupils on the school premises in any reasonable requirement I am of the opinion that a teacher has the right to forbid the use of tobacco by pupils on the school grounds. 2. The teacher, in the absence of regulations pre- scribed by the trustees, has the same power of pun- ishment as the parent. But this right must be exer- cised with the same discretion and limitations that would be expected of a kind and judicious parent. 3. The law does not contemplate that pupil teachers shall be employed in any of the schools of this State ; but it does not prohibit one pupil from instructing another. If any school is too large to be instructed by the teacher, the trustees should provide an additional teacher. Pupils might, per- haps, be allowed to instruct other pupils, in case they are properly qualified ; but this should not be allowed as a substitute for an adequate teaching force, 4. Children visiting or boarding in the district, but whose homes are elsewhere, should draw public money in the district containing their permanent residence. In regard to the enumeration of chil- dren of school age, in the employment of persons 14 residing permanently in districts other than where the parents or guardians of such children reside, it is impossible to lay. down a rule with the requisite pre- cision to meet all cases. Each individual case must necessarily rest upon the p»articular circum- stances attending it. In a general way, however, it may be said that if the child of school age is ac- tually in a particular district, composing a part of the family of an employer who resides permanency or temporarily in such district, and such employ- ment is in good faith and constitutes the principal cause of such child being a part of said family, and is not a mere convenience incident to another prin- cipal matter, namely, the attendance at school, then such chilci should be enumerated in that district, and not in the other district where his parents or guardians may reside. If the employment is not real and substantial, and is only a pretense or cover to secure from tuition, then the child should not be enumerated in that district. Whether a case be- longs to the one or the other of these two classes, is for the trustees to determine, after fairly consider- ing the facts and circumstances bearing upon the points above suggested. 5. ,The law requiries the closing of all schools outside incorporated cities during the holding of a teacher's institute in the county. In case trustees refuse to close a school for such institute, it will IS work a forfeiture of the public money depending upon the attendance of pupils during the time of the institute, and the time cannot be counted as part of the twenty-eight weeks required by law. In closing the schools during the time of an institute, the law has no other object than to enable teachers to attend such institute. If teachers were not to attend the institute, the law would not only be of no use, but would be injurious. It is, therefore, plainly the intent of the law that teachers shall at- tend the county institutes, and it is their duty so to do. 6. The blanks for recording the attainments of pupils were inserted in the register for the purpose of providing the means of classification and grad- ing at the beginning of a new term, and especially in those cases \vhere a new teacher is employed each successive term. It is difficult to see in what respect such records are more burdensome or less useful in rural schools than elsewhere, and in many cases they will evidently be of more value in rural districts. They are required by the Superintendent under section 53, title VII., chap. 555, laws of 1864, which provides that teachers shall enter in the blank books furnished " any other facts and In such form as the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall require." i6 INSTITUTE FACULTY. The following gentlemen constitute the Institute Faculty of New York State : John H. French, LL. D., Rochester, N. Y. ; James Johonnot, Princeton, N. J.; Henry R. San- ford, A. M., Middletown, N. Y.; Samuel H. Albro, A. M., Fredonia, N. Y. These instructors are appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. They re- ceive an annual salary of ^2,500 and their traveling expenses. STATE SUPERINTENDENT. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected by joint ballot of both houses of the Legis- lature. The term of office is three years and the salary is ^5,000 per year. The Superintendent ap- points a deputy, whose salary is $3,500. March loth, 1886, Andrew S. Draper, of Albany, was elected to this office. April 7th he assumed its duties. TEACHER'S INSTITUTES. After the 20th day of August, 1885, all schools in school districts and parts of districts, not included within the boundaries of an incorporated city, shall be closed during the time a Teacher's Institute shall be in session in the same county in which such 17 schools are situated, and. in the apportionment of public school money, the schools thus closing in any school term shall be allowed the same average pupil attendance during such time as was the average during that part of the term when the schoOl^was not thus closed, and any school continuing its sessions in violation of the above provision shall not be allowed any public money based upon average pupil attendance during the days the school was thus kept in session. NORMAL SCHOOLS. There are nine Normal Schools in the State of New York, located as follows : Albany, Albany Co. Fredonia, Chautauqua Co. Brockport, Monroe Co. Geneseo, Livingston Co. Buffalo, Erie Co. New Paltz, Ulster Co. Cortland, Cortland Co. Oswego, Oswego Co. Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co. The following named gentlemen are the princi- pals of these schools : Albany, E. P. Waterbury ; Brockport, C. D. Mc- Lean ; Buffalo, H. B. Buckham ; Cortland, J. H. Hoose ; Fredonia, F. B. Palmer; Geneseo, W. J. Milne ; New Paltz, Eugene Bouton ; Oswego, E. A. Sheldon ; Potsdam, E. H. Cook. The usual salary of a New York State Normal School principal is ^2,500. i8 BOARD OF REGENTS. Henry R. Pierson, LL. D., Chancellor of the Tlnimrdt'if Albany. David B. Hill, Governor, 1 Ed. F. Jones, Lieutenant- Oomrnor, ttt ^ • a ^ ' ' VAic-cwcic>.. Albany. Frederick Cook, Secretary of State, i And. S. Draper, Supt. P. Instruction, J Arranged in the order of their appointment : Lorenzo Burrows, 1858 Albion. Elias W. Leavenworth, LL. D., 1861. . . . .Syracuse. J. Carson Brevoort, LL. D., 1861 Brooklyn. George W. Curtis, LL. D., 1864 West New Brighton. Francis Kernan, LL. D. , 1870 Utica. John L. Lewis, 1871 Penn Tan. Henry R. Tierson, LL. D., 1872 Albany. Martin I. Townsend, LL. D., 1873 Troy. Rev. Anson J. Upson, D. D., LL. D., 1874 Auburn. William L. Bostwick, 1876. Ithaca. Chauncey M. Depew, 1877 ]Ve>o York. Charles E. Fitch, 1877 Rochester. Rev. Orris H. Warren, D. D., 1877 Syracuse. Leslie W. Russell, LL. D., 1878 Canton. Whitelaw Reid, 1878 .New York. William H. Watson, M. D., 1881 Utica. Henry E. Turner, 1881 Loiomlle. St. Clair McKelway, 1883 Albany. WiLLARD A. Cobb, 1886 LochporL David Murray, LL. D., Secretary Albany. Daniel J. Pratt, Ph. D., Assistant Secretary Albany. 19 The Legislature appropriates annually $40,000 to be apportioned among the Academies by the Re- gents. Of this sum $12,000 is derived from the income of the literature fund, and $28,000 is de- rived from the United States deposit fund. It is divided among the Academies reporting to the Board, on the basis of the attendance of scholars pursuing academiic studies. The Regents are elected for life by joint ballot of both houses of the Tegislature. Thev serve with- out salary. The Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Inspector of Teacher's Classes are appointed by the Board of Regents and receive liberal salaries. BOOKS AND APPARATUS. One of the most useful and renumerative species of aid rendered by the State to the academies has been the money contributed for the purchase of books and apparatus. The plan has been for the State to duplicate any money raised outside of the regular income of the academies for the purchase of books for the library or philosophical apparatus. When the appropriation of $3,000 was first made it 20 was sufficient to meet every such application in full. As the amount applied for increased so as to exceed the sum appropriated, the amount to be paid to any one academy was limited to ^2.50. Subsequently this limit was further reduced to $150. And finally as the appropriation became still more largely de- ficient, rules have been framed for giving the pref- erence (i) to academies which have never had an appropriation, and (2)- to those which have not received anything in ten years. With all these pre- cautions the appropriation is still entirely inade- quate. It is a matter greatly to be desired that this appropriation be increased to at least $5,000 or ,^6,000. EXAMINATIONS. For the purpose of a more equitable distribution of this fund the Board established in 1865 a system of examinations. This system was at first confined to four subjects, viz. : arithmetic, geography, Eng- lish grammar and spelling. Scholars were required to have passed in these subjects before they could be counted in the apportionment of the literature fund. The examinations are conducted in writing on questions sent out from the Regent's office. The 21 plan commended itself to the teachers of the acade- mies, and became widely recognized as not only a successful m.easure for determining the apportion- ment of the literature fund, but an irnportaht stand- ard of scholarship. The success of the examina- tions in elementary subjects led to its extension, in 1878, to the usual advanced subjects in the academic curriculum. The examinations have been held in academies during the past academic year. As a result of the examinations, the Board issues three grades of certificates : 1. The Pi-eliininary Certificate. — For arithmetic, geography, English grammar, spelling and reading. 2. The Intermediate Certificate. — For the prelim^ inary certificate, together with algebra, American history, physical geography, physiology and rhet- oric, or in the classical course v/ith Latin through Csesar's commentaries, algebra and American his- tory. 3. The Academic Diploma. — For the two preced- ing certificates, together with plain geometry and eight additional subjects. TEACHERS' CLASS. The candidates must have attained the age, jf males, of eighteen, and if females, of sixteen years. 22 They must have passed the Regents' preliminary examination in Arithmetic, English Grammar, Geog- raphy and Spelling. They must subscribe to the following declaration : We, the subscribers, hereby declare that our object in asking admission to the Teachers' Class of ... . High School, is to prepare ourselves for teaching in the public schools of this State, and that it is our intention to become teachers. The trustees, principal and school commissioner must be satisfied that the candidates have the moral character, talents and aptness necessary to success in teaching. The nTimber of candidates is limited to twenty- five. MISCELLANEOUS. A teacher's license should be annulled for intem- perance. 410, 506. (Code of 1879.) All pupils in all schools supported by public money, or under State control, shall be instructed in physiology and hygiene, with special refer- ence to the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants and narcotics upon the human system. And no 23 certificate to teach shall be granted to any person who has not passed a satisfactory examination in said studies. Laws of 1884. ^The ownership of real estate by a wife, in her own name, does not make her husband a voter in the district, even though he paid taxes on the property, or paid the purchase money therefor. 561. (Code of 1879.) A NEW SERIES OF SPEAKERS. PRACTICAL, FRESH AND IN EVERY RESPECT ATTRACTIVE. By Prof. J. H. GILMORE, Azitko}' of " The Chautauqtia Text-Book of English Literature^'' " The English Language and its Early Liter atzire^'' dfc.^ ^r'c. Published by SCR AN TOM, WETMORE & CO., Rochester, N. Y. GILMORE'S PRIMARY SPEAKER. Pp. 117. i6mo. Price, 50 cents. Designed for children between the ages of five and ten, and pronounced by teachers and parents, "• just what we wanted." GILMORE'S INTERMEDIATE SPEAKER. Pp. 167. i6mo. Price, 75.cents. Designed for Pupils between the ages of ten and fifteen, and like the Primarj' Speaker, which has proved so attractive and successful, a veritable Speaker — not a volunie of elegant extracts. GILMORE'S ACADEMIC SPEAKER. Pp.342. Price, $1.25. This volume which completes the series, is designed for pupils between the ages of fifteen and twenty. The idea of Prof. Gilmore has been to prepare a collection of speakable pieces 'Oii'sx are fresh, bright and taking. THE TEACHER'S PRACTICAL POCKET RECORD. Price, 25 cents. Prepared by W. D. Kerr. The cheapest and simplest record in the market. TOWNSEND'S QUESTIONS IN GEOGRAPHY. Price, 20 cents. Adapted to any systematic course of study or standard text-book on the subject. TOWNSEND'S ARITHMETICAL EXAMPLES. New Graded Series. Designed for practical every day use in Public and Private Schools : Primary Price, 15 cents. Intermediate " 20 Grammar School " 35 TOPICAL STUDIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY. Bv Prof. J. G. ALLEN — in press. Any of the above sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the Publishers. SCRANTOM, WETMORE & COMPANY, ROCHKSTTER, N, Y. HEADQUARTERS FOR School Supplies - - OF ALL KINDS. - - We are prepared to furnish, at reasonable rates, School Furniture, Globes, Maps, Reading and Writ- ing Charts, Anatomical and Physiological Charts, Blackboard Slating, Crayons — white and colored, Erasers, Dissected Maps, Dictionaries, Teachers' Records, Composition and Spelling Blanks, Tablets, etc., etc., etc. We also keep the leading pedagogical books of the day. If you want anything in the above line, please write or call on us. A. p. CHAPIN, 58 West Main Street. ROCHESTER, N. Y. 021 490 327 EDUCATIONAL GAZETTE Teagher's Agengy The success which has attended our teacher's bureau has exceeded our own expectations. Dur- ing the past year we have filled some of the best positions open to the profession. The work has not been confined to any particular grade of teachers or special locality. Our field of service covers the United States and Canada and all grades of teachers from the district school to the university. Our facilities for helping teachers are the very best. Wide-awake teachers who wish to better their condition should join our bureau. Two dollars pays for registration and for the Educational Gazette one year. There is no further charge until a position is secured, and then only five per cent, of first years' salary. We do not wish the drones to register as we cannot recommend such. Now is the time to register. The spring cam- paign will soon open. Send stamp for application form. Address, A. P. CHAPIN, Rochester, N. Y.