212 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



and grammar schools." ' The whole of the 

 teachers are elected every year. The committees 

 of the Board on the Normal School and on the 

 High School, the Divisional Committees having 

 charge of the common schools, and the Commit- 

 tee on Nominations, lay before the board a report 

 recommending for reappointment those teachers 

 who have discharged their duties satisfactorily. 



Very much of the efficiency of the Boston 

 schools depends upon the superintendent and 

 supervisors. The following extracts from the 

 regulations of the board will show the duties of 

 the superintendent : 



" He shall devote himself to the study of the 

 public-school system, and keep himself acquainted 

 with the progress of instruction and discipline in 

 other places, in order to suggest appropriate means 

 for the improvement of the public schools in this 

 city, and he shall see that the regulations of the 

 board in regard to these schools are carried into 

 effect, 



" He shall visit each school as often as his 

 other duties will permit, that he may obtain, as 

 far as practicable, a personal knowledge of the 

 condition of all the schools, and be able to sug- 

 gest improvements and remedy defects in their 

 management. He shall advise the teachers on the 

 best method of instruction and discipline, and, to 

 promote this object, he shall hold occasional meet- 

 ings of the teachers ; and he is authorized to dis- 

 miss the grammar-schools one half-day semi-annu- 

 ally, and the primary schools one half-day each 

 quarter, for this purpose." 



The superintendent is consulted by the com- 

 mittee having charge of the building or altering 

 of schools. He is specially required " to suggest 

 such plans as he may consider best for the 

 health and convenience of the teachers and pu- 

 pils, and most economical for the city ; " he has 

 to investigate " the number and condition of the 

 children of the city who are not attending the 

 public schools," and to discover remedies for 

 their non-attendance ; he may be asked by any 

 committee of the board to furnish them with in- 

 formation which they think may assist them in 

 their work ; he determines " the forms of all 

 registers, record-books, blanks, and cards, used in 

 the schools, and is required to see that they are 

 of uniform patterns ; he attends the meetings of 

 the board ; and twice a year he presents an elab- 

 orate report." 2 Among his other duties there is 

 one which, as far as I know, has never been pro- 

 vided for by any English school board : 



" When the weather is very stormy, the super- 



1 Eaton's " Report," p. 189. 

 8 " Regulations," pp. 27-29. 



intendent may suspend the forenoon session of the 

 grammar and primary schools by causing the num- 

 ber ' twenty-two ' to be struck and repeated by the 

 tire-alarm telegraph, at quarter before eight o'clock. 

 When the schools are to be suspended for the after- 

 noon for the same reason, the superintendent shall 

 cause the same signal to be struck and repeated 

 at quarter before twelve o'clock ; and if in ses- 

 sion, the primary schools shall be dismissed at 

 twelve o'clock, and the grammar schools at one 

 o'clock." l 



When I was in Boston the superintendent 

 was Mr. Philbrick, whose name is almost as well 

 known on this side of the Atlantic as on the other 

 to all who are interested in popular education. 

 The most accurate description of his office is to 

 say that he was " Education Minister " to the city 

 of Boston. He has recently resigned. 



The " supervisors " are the Executive Commit- 

 tee of the board, and " as such may be called upon 

 to perform any of the duties of the school com- 

 mittees under the statutes of the Commonwealth, 

 except such * are legislative in their nature. But 

 neither the superintendent nor the supervisors 

 .... have any 'authority over or dire ction of 

 the principals, or other instructors, except as pro- 

 vided by the board in the regulations or other- 

 wise." a 



The supervisors are six in number. They 

 are required to visit and examine the schools " in 

 detail " twice a year, and to record the result of 

 these examinations in books kept in the super- 

 visors' office, and open only to the inspection of 

 the members of the board. The regulations fur- 

 ther provide that — 



" in addition to the examinations in detail, it shall 

 be the duty of the supervisors to visit all the schools 

 in detail, as often as possible, and inquire into the 

 character of the discipline, the methods of instruc- 

 tion, the working of the heating and ventilating 

 apparatus, and generally into all matters pertain- 

 ing to the welfare of the schools and classes, and 

 the moral, mental, and physical condition of the 

 scholars ; and they shall report thereon, with such 

 remarks and suggestions as they may deem expe- 

 dient." 3 ' 



Every year they examine the highest classes 

 in the grammar-schools, and grant to the success- 

 ful pupils certificates which admit them to the 

 high-schools. They also examine the highest 

 classes "in the high-schools, and grant diplomas 



1 " Regulations," p. 37. The school session in the 

 morning is from nine o'clock to twelve, in the after- 

 noon from two o'clock to four. 



= Ibid., p. 29. 



s Ibid., p. 30. 



