THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OF BOSTON. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1. Constitution and powers of the School Committee. 2. The movement for reform. 3. The superintendent of schools and the appointment of teachers 4. The Public Day Schools: Statistics of age and attendance. 5. The Kindergartens. 6. The Primary Schools and the Grammar Schools. 7. The High Schools. 8. The Latin Schools. 9. The Normal School: statistics of teachers. 10. The Evening Schools. 11. Expenditure. 12. Miscellaneous. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OF BOSTON. 1. CONSTITUTION AND POWERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. The school committee of Boston is composed of twenty-four members, eight of whom are elected each year by the qualified voters of the city, to serve three years. A majority of all the members chosen constitute a quorum. The school committee is a legal corporation for the purpose of holding and administering certain trust funds, but not for other purposes. The duty is imposed by law on the city to raise such sums of money as may be necessary for the support of the schools, which sums are assessed and collected in the same manner as other taxes. The school committee formerly presented annually to the city council, through the mayor, an estimate in detail of the amount of money needed by the schools for the ensuing year, and the council made such appropriations as they saw fit. Thus, in 1898 the committee asked for $2,690,000, and received only $2,470,000. But by an act of the legislature in 1898, the school committee was given power to make appropriations for itself independently of the city council, and the tax was limited to $2.80 for the year 1899, $2.85 for the year 1900, and $2.90 afterwards on $1,000 of the taxable valuation of the city. The title to school property is vested in the city, and lawsuits concerning the same are brought in its name. The school committee have the supervision and direction of the public schools. They may elect or discharge teachers and janitors, fix their compensation and define their duties, but the salaries established at the beginning of the year may not be increased during the year. The school committee have full power to repair school buildings, to provide temporary accommodations for schools, to select, bond, and purchase school sites, and to determine the plans for new buildings, but they might not, according to the old law, expend, or contract to expend, any more money for these purposes than the city council had appropriated therefor, and according to the new law they must expend 25 cents per $1,000 of the taxable valuation of the city on repairs and alterations of school buildings. They have now power to make alterations and repairs independently of the mayor, within whose province their execution was before 1899. The school committee must elect a superintendent of schools and a board of supervisors, consisting of not more than six members, * From the Report of the Commissioner of Education, Washington, or 1895-96, brought up to date as far as possible. define their duties, and fix their compensation. The superintendent and supervisors hold office for two years, but may be removed for cause by the school committee at any time. The superintendent is a member of the board of supervisors, and, when present, presides at their meetings. The votes of the majority of the whole number of members of the school committee are necessary to elect the superintendent, the supervisors, the head masters of the Latin, normal, and high schools, masters of the grammar schools, or directors of special studies. The school committee direct what books shall be used in the public schools, and prescribe the course of studies and exercises to be pursued. It is their duty to purchase, at the expense of the city, the text books and other supplies used in the school from the lowest grade to the end of the high school course; to cause a school census to be taken annually; to cause school registers to be kept; to make annual reports to the secretary of the State Board of Education, and to enforce the compulsory attendance laws. "The public statutes* [of the State of Massachusetts] require every town and city to maintain for at least thirty-two weeks in the year a sufficient number of schools for the instruction of all the children who may legally attend a public school thereinț. It is enacted that such schools shall be taught by teachers of competent ability and good morals, who shall give instruction in orthography, reading, writing, the English language, and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, the history of the United States, physiology and hygiene, including the effect of alcoholic drinks and of stimulants and narcotics on the human system, and good behaviour. Bookkeeping, algebra, geometry, one or more foreign languages, the elements of the natural sciences, kindergarten training, manual training, agriculture, sewing, cooking, vocal music, physical training, civil government, ethics, and such other subjects as the school committee deem expedient, may be taught in the public schools." 2. THE MOVEMENT FOR REFORM. There has been in recent years a strong movement in Boston towards the reform of the school system. A committee of fifteen, who had thoroughly considered the needs of the city, framed a Bill which was presented in 1898 to the Massachusetts Legislation. The chief features are summarised as follows:- "The school board is hereafter to consist of twelve persons. Three are to be elected each year, by the voters, for a three-year term, and one is to be appointed by the mayor for a similar term. This school board is to have general charge of the schools, and is to elect a superintendent of schools and a business agent. It is also to organise a school *From the Educational Review (New York), Dec., 1898. †The lower limit of age at Boston is 3 years. The following is from the Educational Review (New York), March, 1898. |