General directions Drawing in grammar grades as determined upon by principal. Oral instruction in physiology and physics. Rhetorical exercises in grammar grades. Declamation and original essays once a month. HIGH SCHOOLS. JUNIOR CLASS. TIME: 1 YEAR Algebra and English analysis throughout the year. Physiology and zoology, first half; philosophy and bookkeeping, second half. Senior year Geometry and history throughout the year. Botany and the Constitution of the United States, first half; chemistry and astronomy, second half. Rhetorical exercises throughout the high-school course. Management Due attention shall be given to physical culture in the public schools. Pupils in all grades shall sit in an erect position, and not communicate with one another. When called upon to recite, they should be required to rise and remain standing until excused. They should be taught to regard it as dishonorable to assist others or receive assistance in their studies, except under the special cognizance and direction of the teacher. Strict order in all movements in the schoolroom, in passing in and out of the building should in all cases be required. Constant employment is the best means of securing good order. Morals and manners Conversational lessons on politeness and rules of deportment in public places and at home. Habits of personal neatness. Music Singing as far as practicable, at the discretion of the teachers, in all grades. 7. Territorial Superintendents of Public Instruction One of the greatest weaknesses of the law of 1854 was that it did not provide for a centralized control of the school system. The county superintendency was established but the superintendent was only very indefinitely responsible to any other authority. The law specified that he was to file an annual report in his office “and may, if convenient, publish it in some newspaper in this Territory." As could readily be predicted that was very ineffective. "53 Very few of the reports were published, and from the difficulty that has been encountered in getting information from the counties, one may assume that if the reports were filed as required by law, the files must have been destroyed, as very few of the reports seem to be in existence. Laws of Washington, 1854, p. 321. Gov. Henry C. McGill seems to have been the first one to recognize the lack of centralized authority and the inefficiency entailed. In his message to the legislative assembly Wednesday, December 5, 1860, he called attention to the matter and recommended the creation of the position of Territorial superintendent. His message was so important that an excerpt merits quotation here: There is no subject in which our citizens feel so deep an interest as in the progress of education, and none which merits to a higher degree the attention of the legislature. Our common-school system, although devised with much care, is, I conceive, susceptible of many improvements, and among the first important, I would suggest the passage of a law providing for the appointment by the legislature of a superintendent or commissioner of public instruction, to be charged with the general supervision of education throughout the Territory. The superintendent, if such a law should prevail, should be a man well qualified in every particular for the position, and should be allowed such compensation as will permit him to devote his entire time to the duties of his office. I am confident that I express the sentiment of our citizens, when I state that there is no object for which they would more cheerfully bear taxation than for the thorough education of their children. By the present law it is made the duty of the county superintendent to visit the schools of his county annually, and to prepare a statement containing abstracts from the district reports, and such other information or suggestions as he may deem important to the cause of education. This statement he is required to file in his office, and, if convenient, to publish in some newspaper of the Territory. I am not aware that these statements are ever published. If not, of what practical use can they be to the cause of education? Governor McGill's recommendation was immediately acted upon favorably by passing a bill, January 30, 1861, establishing the position of Territorial superintendent of common schools. 55 The bill provided that the legislative assembly should elect the official, and included the name of B. C. Lippincott, who therefore had the honor of being the first superintendent of public instruction in Washington. The name of George F. Whitworth was in the original draft of the bill, but an amendment substituted the name of Lippincott. The term of office was for 3 years. No mention is made in the law of salary or other compensa tion. It was specified that he was to collect information regarding the schools and to report annually to the legislature and make recommendations for improvements. The law specified that he was to furnish blanks to the county superintendents. The maximum amount for printing and incidentals was $75 annually. His place of business was not fixed but the law stated that "He may be located in any county in the Territory." That arrangement prevailed throughout the Ter Journal of the House of Representatives of the Territory of Washington, 1860–62, p. 27. ritorial period. Later laws stated that the superintendent must live at some place where there is a post office." Mr. Lippincott lived in Olympia where he was a Methodist minister and principal of the Puget Sound Institute, mentioned in another chapter. 56 Mr. Lippincott was not destined to wield very great influence in the newly created position. In his annual report to the legislative assembly on the next year among other things he criticized the establishment of the university. He believed that the common schools should have precedence over the university. An extended statement of his objec tions is given in another place. His opposition to the university made him unpopular; he was not only relieved of the office but a law was enacted January 15, 1862, abolishing the office of superintendent. 57 Undoubtedly the organization and integration of education was set back a decade by the abolition of the office. After a decade of muddling along with unorganized and sadly dif fused educational activities the legislature recreated the office of Territorial superintendent of public instruction. The bill was passed on November 29, 1871, to become effective on January 1, 1872.58 The superintendent was to be elected by the legislature in joint session for a period of 2 years, instead of 3 as under the previous statute. His salary was fixed at $300 annually which included office rent, stationery, printing, and incidentals. Not a very munificent salary. At the same time the salary of the Governor was $3,000, Justices of the Supreme Court were $2,000. We can see that it was not wholly because of pioneer conditions. The superintendent's main duties were to give teachers' examina tions and issue certificates; prepare blanks for county superintendents, district officers, and teachers; to call a county superintendent's convention; to collect statistics and make an annual report to the legis lature. It was stated that "He shall publish his Territorial report in some leading newspaper of the Territory, with a request that other papers copy." While the law made no specific provision for a salary or expenses the legislative journals show that appropriations were made for expenses. The second incumbent as Territorial superintendent was Nelson Rounds. He was born in Winfield, N.Y., in 1807. He studied at Hamilton College 3 years and at Union College 1 year where he was graduated in 1829. He was successively a Methodist minister, pro Journal of the Council of the Territory of Washington, 1860-62 pp. 139-145. Laws of Washington, 1861-62, secs. 1, 2, p. 29. "Laws of Washington, 1871, pp. 12–30. 65757°-35-9 fessor of ancient languages in a seminary in New York, editor of the Northern Christian Advocate 4 years, president of Willamette University, Salem, Oreg., from 1868-70.59 On his resignation from Willamette he moved to Washington where he was elected superintendent in 1872. He occupied the position until 1874. Dr. Rounds issued the first statistical material on education ever compiled in the Territory. In addition he gave a brief summary of the teachers' institutes that had been held. The great bulk of his report was a dissertation on the value of moral training in the public schools. In 1874 John P. Judson was elected to the position, serving until 1880. His service was among the most important during the Territorial period. He believed that changes should be made in the school code and his method of securing the changes was unique. On July 26, 1876, he convened the Washington Teachers' Institute for the express purpose of formulating a new code. After two separate sessions and interim study and criticism an entire new code was submitted, which was passed by the legislature on October 18, 1877.61 The main features of that important law are indicated in another place. One of the outstanding features was the establishment of the Territorial board of education. In 1880 Jonathan S. Houghton was elected as Territorial superintendent, serving 1 term of 2 years. During his service he traveled. more than 4,000 miles, held 3 Territorial institutes and a number of county institutes. He advocated a higher professional standard for teachers and urged the legislature to support the normal department of the university. He urged the legislature to place the Territorial superintendency upon a better basis. He showed that in 5 years immigration had more than doubled the number of school districts in some of the eastern counties. The appropriations for his office greatly limited its possibilities of service. A quotation from his report will assist in conveying an idea of the conditions: Our population is not yet sufficiently enthusiastic on educational matters, to support a journal in this Territory, devoted wholly to school interests; so for that reason the superintendent should visit a large number of school districts, and talk with the people on this vital subject. The majority of people are willing to do all that is necessary to support our public schools, but, in many instances, they do not know what is really necessary. I have found some individuals who did not seem to understand that blackboards even were really necessary in the schoolroom of today. 62 Report of the Commissioner of Education of the United States, 1873, p. 466. 61 Laws of Washington, 1877-78, p 260. Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1881, p 6. Charles W. Wheeler was superintendent from 1882 to 1884. He had been principal of the Waitsburg schools from 1877 to 1879, when he was elected county superintendent of Walla Walla County, serving until 1882. For some years he was proprietor of the Waitsburg Times, 63 probably during the years that he was Territorial superintendent. At that time the law did not require the incumbent to live at the capi tal or to devote his entire time to the office. The salary of $600 did not warrant limitation of one's time to the office. No outstanding changes were inaugurated during his occupancy of the position. He reported that "there were then fifteen graded schools in the Territory on September 1, 1883", commenting that "This is indeed a creditable showing when we take into consideration that two years ago there were none." He emphasized the importance of professional training and recommended that all teachers be required to attend the institutes. Superintendent Wheeler gave a rather full and commendatory ac count of the university and urged liberal appropriations for its development. He pointed out the needs for libraries and apparatus as well as funds for salaries. He said: * Its classical The library has upwards of 200 volumes a mere beginning course is complete, being the same in substance as that pursued in eastern colleges. Its scientific course omits Greek, but requires more than four years' study of Latin or French, or German, and is more extended than is ordinarily given in colleges on the Pacific coast. Its normal course is such as is usually pursued in normal schools, and its commercial course more than equals the curriculum of the ordinary business college, as 65 R. C. Kerr was appointed superintendent in 1884, serving until 1886. While in office he resided at Port Townsend, where he lived at the time of his appointment. During his term of 2 years, while no striking changes were inaugurated, he collected valuable statistics and issued a very creditable report. He showed that the schools of the Territory were progressing very satisfactorily. During the biennium "the territory has built one hundred eighty-nine (189) school houses, vary ing in value from the graded school house of the city that costs forty thousand dollars ($40,000) down to the humblest school room of the backwoods and prairie that costs only a few hundred dollars." 66 During the same time 267 new districts were formed, and the number of teachers increased from 490 to 1,040. Of the improved quality he wrote: "Gilbert, Frank T. Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia, and Garfield Counties, 1882 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1883, p. 9. "Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1883. p. 14. |