Biennial report, Public Schools of North Carolina

              Educational Publication, No. 61
A State System of Public
Schools
BIENNIAL REPORT
OF
E. C. BROOKS
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Published bt the
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Raleigh, N. C.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAET I
A State System of Public Schools
PAET II
Statistics for 1920-1921
Statistics for 1921-1922
PART III
Report of the Director of School IIovse Planning
Report of the State Supervisor of High Schools,
1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22
96,14
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
State of North Carolina,
Department of Public Instruction.
Raleigh, N. C.
To His Excellency,
Governor Cameron Morkison,
Raleigh, N. C.
I am submitting to you in accordance with law a report of the adminis-tration
and operation of the State public school system, for the biennial
period including the years 1920-21, and 1921-22.
I have endeavored to include in Part I a rather full description of the
State system of public schools and how they are operated and maintained. In
Part II is presented the statistical report, given in detail by counties and
special charter districts, including the State appropriations and the State
loans.
Respectfully submitted.
State Superintendent Public Instruction.
A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CONTENTS
Page
I. Building a State System of Public Schools 7
II. The State Equalizing Fund 10
III. The County Unit of Administration 13
IV. Planning and Locating School Buildings 17
V. Building Community High Schools 21
VI. Vocational Training in Public High Schools 24
VII. Progress in Higher Education 28
VIII. The Certification of Teachers 30
IX. Progress of the Teachers 32
X. Supervision of Negro Education 34
XI. Illiteracy and Compulsory Attendance 36
XII. Supervision of Instruction .
.
38
PART I
A State System of Public Schools
I
BUILDING A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
In building a system of public schools three factors are absolutely essential:
(1) The purpose, or what is the aim of the promoters; (2) effective organ-ization,
or what machinery is set up in order to make it possible to accom
plish the purpose; and (3) the cost, or how is the revenue derived and ex-pended.
The framers of our Constitution, in providing that every county shall main-tain
at least a six months school term, had unquestionably the aim that the
minimum to be accomplished through a State system of schools is to afford
every child the opportunity of securing at least the instruments of knowl-edge—
that is the skill to read and write and use numbers. And this is about
all that we can expect from a school system conducted for only six months
out of twelve. The reading and writing on an average will barely rise above
that of a third grade child. But the constant use of numbers in daily affairs
will probably cause the skill in the art of using numbers to rise somewhat
higher.
About 30 per cent of the white children of the rural districts have only a
six months term. The remainder of the country districts have as a rule
between seven and eight months, and all of the towns and cities as a rule
have from eight to nine months school term. The average for the State
is over 140 days or seven months. The term for the Negroes is a few days
less.
It is not difficult to conceive that the purpose and ideals of the people
who voluntarily levy taxes on themselves for better schools are higher than
those of our backward counties that reluctantly patronize the minimum term
of 120 days. We find in the former a finer conception of life and the purpose
of living. The people desire better homes and more culture in them. They
choose healthier modes of living and for their children a better physical
growth. They realize the importance of training in the vocations such as
the high school can give. They seek to exalt the amusements of young people
and give direction to their recreation in order to create a better social life.
They believe that intelligence and character are the basis upon which good
citizenship is founded. They have faith in these things and believe that
the school is the agency to cooperate with the home and the church in
realizing their aim. Therefore, they voluntarily levy extra taxes on them-selves
in order that they may secure these benefits for themselves and their
posterity.
Then how is the public school system organized and equipped so as to
accomplish so far as possible the purpose of the people?
The State system of public schools consists as a rule of eleven years or
grades of work based on a school term of at least eight months or 160 days.
A large number run nine months or 180 days. If the school term is 120
171
8 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
days the pupils will accomplish in one year only a part of what children ac-complish
in the schools of 160 and 180 days. Therefore, instead of completing
the elementary school in seven years, pupils require so much longer time that
very few remain in school long enough to pass up into the high school.
The first seven years or grades are usually styled the elementary school
and the last four years or grades are called the high school. For convenience
in administration and instruction, certain city schools are divided into
three parts. The first five or six grades are called the elementary school and
the last six or five grades are divided into two parts and called the junior and
senior high schools. Moreover, in many of our rural districts only two or
three years of high school work are permitted because of the small number
of teacher;^ employed. And these are likewise called junior high schools.
The equipment of the schools will be discussed under the head of "Planning
and Locating School Buildings" and "Building Community High Schools."
The State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction were created by the Constitution to have general supervision of
the system, and to enforce the acts of the General Assembly which is directed
to plan for a "general and uniform system of public schools," and the Supreme
Court interprets this to mean a general and uniform system of public schools
under State supervision, having the county, not the district, as the local
administrative unit. The counties are required to raise, together with what
the State supplies, the necesssary funds to provide the minimum term
of six months. The county commisioners are commanded by the Constitution
to provide the funds, and, if they fail, they are liable to indictment. All
other county school officials, the county board of education, the county su-perintendent
and the district committeemen are created by the General As-sembly,
and either or all of them may be abolished at any time.
The duties of the State and the county officials are prescribed by the Gen-eral
Assembly. There has been much confusion in the minds of many people
as to just what are the duties of each. The school laws, therefore, should
be codified and the duties of each clearly set forth. Such a codification is now
under way and will be presented to the next General Assembly. A detailed
account of the administration of the schools will appear elsewhere in this
report.
But what is the cost of the State public school system and how is it
financed? The General Assembly has enacted that each county must levy
a rate sufficient to provide a six months school term. In May, each county
board of education prepares a budget setting forth the amount needed for ad-ministration,
teachers' salaries, operating expenses and buildings. When the
budget is complete it is submitted to the county commissioners, and if
they approve it the tax is levied at once. If they disapprove it and the
two boards cannot agree the county board of education is directed to bring
a mandamus against the commissioners to compel them to levy taxes suf-ficient
to run the schools six months and the court decides the issue. After
a maximum rate designated by the General Assembly is levied for teachers'
salaries, if the amount derived from the tax authorized to be levied is
insufficient for this purpose, the State Board of Education appropriates from
an equalizing fund an amount to help pay the salaries of teachers for six
months. All other school expenses are borne by the counties.
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 9
In all counties that have provided local taxation to enable a part or all of
the county to extend the term beyond six months, the county boards handle
the finances of each district in the same way as that described above with
this difference—the State gives no assistance except in aiding the counties
to maintain high schools in the rural districts, and the district committee has
some voice in determining the size of the special tax rates. A few special
districts chartered by the General Assembly, such as the city schools, have
exclusive control of the special local tax funds, subject to certain State regu-lations.
The Equalizing Fund, the erection of school buildings, the salaries and the
improvement of teachers are discussed more in detail elsewhere in this report.
A complete financial statement will appear in the statistical report.
The May budget is merely an estimate of the cost. After the schools open
the counties are required to submit a corrected budget to the State Depart-ment
of Education, setting forth the actual salaries of teachers and ths cost
of maintaining the schools. This is prepared in November, and hence called
the November budget. The State Department checks this budget district by
district in order to see that the law is observed as to the number of teachers
and supervisors employed and the salaries paid. Then the Equalizing Fund
is paid on the approved November budget. The total cost of maintaining
the schools for the year 1921-22 was approximately $20,000,000. The exact
cost will be given in detail in the statistical report. At the end of the
school year each county or city system is required to have an audit made
setting forth the revenue and the expenditures on forms provided by the
State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
II
THE STATE EQUALIZING FUND AND COUNTY TAX RATES
It is the duty of the State to make as nearly equal as possible the financial
burden of supporting the public school system in all the counties. This
principle was incorporated in the Constitution which provides for "a general
and uniform" State system of schools. For several years the General As-sembly
has set apart a fund known as the State Equalizing Fund, ^hich has
been expended in equalizing the burden of supporting the minimum con-stitutional
term of six months. But very little assistance has been given
those counties having small per capita wealth, that desire to increase the
school term beyond six months. It is almost as necessary to provide as-sistance
for increasing the term beyond six months as it is to give aid in
maintaining the six months term. But I shall discuss this question somewhat
in detail under the subject "Building County High Schools."
The present method of distributing the State Equalizing Fund is unsatis-factory.
The acts of the General Assembly specify that after the counties
have levied a certain uniform rate, if the amount derived from this rate
in any county is insufficient to maintain the schools for six months, the
remainder may be drawn from the State Equalizing Fund. This would
be a fair basis if the State had such supervision over the valuation of prop-erty
in the several counties as to make it possible to equalize property values.
There are serious differences of opinion among the leaders of the State
on this question. The General Assembly of 1921 inaugurated a greatly im-proved
tax system whereby the State levies no ad valorem tax on property
but derives all of its increase from inheritances, franchises, incomes, etc.
The ad valorem tax on property is left entirely to the counties. Therefore,
there is no impelling reason why the State should enter a county and assess
the valuation of property since it levies no ad valorem tax.
The special session of the General Assembly of 1921 limited the amount
of the Equalizing Fund to $832,250.00, plus any balance from other public
school funds. This was necessary because the progress made by the
counties created a demand for $710,000 more than the State had
set apart for the year 1920-21. After making provision for paying
this amount the General Assembly readjusted the tax rates and fixed a maxi-mum
amount for which the State would be liable. Forty-six counties in
1920-21 received aid from this fund. The General Assembly of 1921 changed
the method of apportioning this fund &nd in 1921-22 sixty-three counties
received aid.
In making provision for the six months school term, the distribution of
the Staft Equalizing Fund has heretofore depended in a large measure upon
the valuation of property in the several counties. Changes in property
values due to natural causes, or to the arbitrary action of public officials,
has caused the amount of the Equalizing Fund appropriated to individual
counties to vary considerably. It is very desirable, therefore, since the State
1101
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 11
levies no ad valorem tax and since it is disposed to leave the determination
of the values of the property of the several counties to the local officials, re-serving
only a supervising relationship to it, that the Equalizing Fund
shall be apportioned on such a basis as to make it impossible for reductions
in property values in a county, except from extraordinary causes, to affect
the amount to be apportioned from the State. In other v^^ords, we should
divorce the State Equalizing Fund so far as possible from the revaluation
of property. This can be done if we will determine, in advance of the levying
of taxes and the opening of schools, the amount of money that shall be
apportioned from the State to the several counties.
If the State Board of Education is authorized to determine the amount
due each county by June 1st of each year and to certify this amount to each
county before the taxes for the year are levied, then the law may require the
county commissioners to levy a tax suflficient to produce the remainder nec-essary.
If this is authorized then no rate will be specified in the law. The
method of determining how much shall be apportioned from the Equalizing
Fund to each county can be worked out by a rule that will be fair and
reasonable. The counties can then know in advance how much to expect from
the State, and the tax rate will be determined by local officials in accordance
with needs. The change in property values may affect the rate levied but
not the amount of funds to be raised.
"We have had great difficulties every year since the schools were reorganized
in 1919 in making the Equalizing Fund meet the needs of the Counties that
really deserved assistance. After the revaluation of 1920, the General Assem-bly
of 1921 fixed a definite rate of 30 cents for each county to levy before it
could draw from the Equalizing Fund. At the same time the counties were
authorized to revise the values of 1920. All but about 30 counties made
considerable reduction in values. None made an increase in values. As a
result, the Equalizing Fund calculated on the basis of a 30 cent rate on
1920 values would have been totally inadequate if no county had levied more
than a 30 cent rate. We advised the counties to levy a rate that would
produce a sum equal to the amount that would be raised by levying 30 cents
on 1920 values. As soon as possible the rule was tested in the courts. The
first case was heard in Nash County. The court held that the rule was fair
and the State Board of Education made it the rule for distributing the
Equalizing Fund for 1921-22, and 1922-23. But it will be necessary for the
General Assembly of 1923 to adopt some other method of distributing this
fund, and a method will be presented to the Generhl Assembly which I
believe will divorce the Equalizing Fund from the revaluation of property
and at the same time relieve State officials of that very irritating problem of
entering a county and assessing its property values. But the State should,
in my judgment, continue to have reasonable supervision of these assess-ments.
But what shall be the size of the State Equalizing Fund? The burden on
the several counties of supporting the schools will be equal if the State
levied one rate sufficient to run all the schools of the State and disbursed
the funds from the State Treasury. Many are advocating today this method
of financing the schools. If the State should levy such a tax it would be a
State tax. But under the Constitution the State is prohibited, so it seems,
12 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
from levying more than 5 cents. Therefore, this method of financing
the schools is impossible. But in determining the size of the Equalizing
Fund that shall be apportioned from the State Treasury we may calculate
what rate on a relatively fair valuation of property would be sufficient to pro-vide
a six months school term in every county of the State. Having that
as our basis, it would be easy to calculate how many counties could not
run their schools six months on this rate. The difference between what
that rate would produce and the amount necessary to run the schools six
months would be the amount of the Equalizing Fund due that county. In this
way the total amount for all the counties can be easily determined, and this
will give us an idea of the size of the Equalizing Fund for 1923-24. If this
policy should be adopted by the General Assembly it is very apparent that the
amount of the Equalizing Fund will be approximately $1,250,000. If it is
made less than this amount the county rates will go up accordingly. If it is
made more than this amount the county rates will go down accordingly
Having determined the amount of the Equalizing Fund, and having adopted
a fair method of distributing it that will divorce the administration of
schools from the question of the revaluation of property, we shall be
able to continue our educational progress with less friction in our dealings
with local officials and better relationship will be effected between county offi-cials
and the State Department of Education.
Ill
THE COUNTY UNIT OF ADMINISTRATION
We are developing a State system of public schools with the county as
the unit of administration. This was the purpose of the framers of the Con-stitution,
and the decisions of the Supreme Court in recent years have so
directed our tendencies that legislation to be successful must be in harmony
with the county unit idea.
The county unit of administration has a distinct advantage over the district
system. It malves it possible for the county board of education to locate
buildings advantageously and economically. High schools may be estab-lished
according to the needs of the whole county, and the per capita cost
of instructing high school pupils may be materially reduced by proper or-ganization.
Large school units will bind small districts together and
encourage cooperation, thereby breaking up the clannishness of the people
that has had a tendency to perpetuate the tribal age. Large community
schools create a more wholesome social life among the young people and
have a tendency to raise the culture level of all the people. In these stronger
schools vocational subjects may be introduced and the teachers of these
subjects may extend their instruction to all the adults of the county. If the
schools are rightly located and organized, better instrucion in health and
hygiene may be carried to the people.
All these distinct advantages may be derived from a county system of
schools intelligently planned and efficiently directed, without increasing the
per capita cost of instruction beyond what it would cost to instruct the same
children in small districts.
For nearly a quarter of a century after our school system began to take
shape there was a tendency for the county to break up into small districts.
A number of such districts were chartered by the General Assembly and
made independent of the county authorities. A still larger number was
authorized to vote special taxes to supplement the county school term.
Only in this way could they have good school facilities a generation ago.
The principals or superintendents of these local tax or special charter schools
being in many instances professionally superior to the county superintendent,
developed their district schools into independent units, while the county as
a whole had a distressingly poor system of schools without unity and with
poor supervision for the most part.
Within the past decade, however, the decisions of our courts and legisla-tive
acts have had a tendency to make the county the unit and bring all the
small local tax or special charter districts under county control. This has
given the county boards of education very broad powers, as a codification of
all the school laws will show. The chief executive school officer of a county
is the superintendent. He likewise has very broad powers, but his duties
are little understood by the average citizen of the State. However, the suc-
[13]
14 Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction
cess of the county system depends more upon the superintendent than upon
all other officials. In the first place he must be a good business manager, or
the county will actually waste much of the public funds. In 1900 we were
spending less than $1,000,000 annually for public education. We are spend-ing
for the year 1922-23 about $20,000,000. If we compare the expenditure of
$10,000 annually per county with $200,000 annually per county, we shall have
some idea of the great change that has taken place within a period of
twenty-two years and of the increased responsibility attached to the office
of county superintendent.
A study of the per capita cost of instructing the children in the several
counties discloses the fact that, as a rule, the more highly trained county
superintendent employs better teachers and secures the instruction of the
pupils at a less per capita cost than does the less skillfully trained superin-tendent
who employs an inferior grade of teachers.
There are a number of well informed people today who in their private
business would secure the best expert advice in the spending of as large
sums of money as the average county superintendent spends today. But
they are unable to see the need of securing the best expert advice in spend-ing
this sum for the education of the children. A poor superintendent can
waste more of the $200,000 to be spent by him in one year than his pre-decessor
twenty years ago had to spend, and the taxpayers as they go about
their daily affairs may not know that their money is being wasted. How
may a competent superintendent practice economy in the expenditure of
public funds?
1. By using good judgment in properly locating school buildings and In
so planning them that they may be of most service to the people. It is well
known that a good business man can secure better results in spending money
for the erection of a business building than can an inefficient man. This is
especially true in the erection of school buildings.
2. By organizing the schools so as to secure the instruction of a larger
number of pupils at a reasonable per capita cost without reducing the ef-ficiency
of the schools. A good superintendent who knows how to organize
his schools and to group his teachers can secure good instruction at a less
per capita cost than can a poor superintendent.
3. By using good judgment in selecting teachers. Superintendents in the
past have spent money unwisely because they have not been skillful in this
respect and they have cost their counties many times the salaries paid
them. A good superintendent who is careful in selecting teachers, in measur-ing
their qualifications, and in the application of the salary schedule may
economize considerably at this point, and at the same time improve the char-acter
of the instruction.
4. By providing professional training and the possibilities for the ad-vancement
of ambitious teachers. The moving teacher is more expensive
than one who remains in the community and grows as the school grows.
Wherever teachers remain only a year and then move on the loss to the
pupils is great and the effect on the community is bad. Many teachers hold-ing
the high certificates and drawing the highest salaries may do inferior
work because they have poor direction from the superintendent's office.
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 15
5. By safe-guarding the school revenues. A number of counties have
gone into debt because no one seemed to know how much of the revenues
belonged to the school fund and how much to the general county fund. We
have a large number of superintendents in the State who are skillful in
keeping the school finances separate from the general county fund and are
able to give substantial aid to county authorities. Being good business
managers, they know what the school funds should be and how to plan the
program for the year.
The business of the average county is becoming too great and too complex
for one man. If he is a good business manager, he cannot give the necessary
attention to the character of the instruction in the school room. As a result,
nineteen counties have seen the wisdom of employing professional assistants,
known as supervisors. They are under the direction of the county suprinten-dent
but they work with the teachers, giving them needed assistance in or-ganizing
classes and instructing children. This is necessary if the grea'est
returns possible are derived from the expenditure of public funds.
A skillful business man, preparing to erect a building costing $200,000,
will employ the best architect obtainable, paying him at least 5 per cent of
the total cost for expert supervision. In addition to this he will employ a
contractor and pay at least 5 per cent for his supervision, and he knows that
such supervision is necessary. The same good business judgment should be
used in spending $200,000 in the education of the children. However, officials
in a few of our counties feel that they are economizing when they employ
a superintendent for $1,200 or $1,500, and allow no office help and no pro-fessional
assistance. People then wonder why the schools are poor. They
would not wonder that a building costing $200,000 was unsafe as well as
unsatisfactory if they knew that in order to save a few thousand dollars,
no architect, no contractor, and not even the owner had any supervision
v/hatever of the construction of the building, but allowed the workmen to
do as they pleased. A well organized county system of schools will demand
a competent county superintendent and a professional assistant who super-vises
the schools during the school term.
The records in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction show
that a well organized system of schools on the county unit plan, having
both a superintendent and a professional assistant, can be maintained at a
lower per capita cost per pupil than can a poorly organized system of schools
on the independent district plan. The six months term is now under the
county unit plan if we omit a few larger cities that operate under a special
charter. But all special tax districts should conform to a general county
plan in order that the whole county may go forward. Wherever we have
good supervision the tendency toward the county unit is very marked. But
wherever it is poor the tendency is always toward the district as the unit
because the superintendent is without sufficient leadership to give assurance
that the district will be improved if it becomes an active part of the county
system. The small local tax districts detached from the county system
are today in many counties a hindrance to the general educational progress.
This is true because they have secured to themselves all the corporate wealth
of the county, and, seeing poor leadership in county affairs they hesitate to
become a part of the county unit. As a result, there are outlying backward
16 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
districts having little taxable wealth that are a charge on the State and the
county. They not only increase the per capita cost of instructing the chil-dren
of the county, but they stand in the way of a better organization of the
schools and the general tendency is for county officials to neglect them. The
defect is not in the district but in the county administration.
The most expensive part of a county school system is an inefficient county
superintendent, and it is tragic to see the children of a county seeking an
education while the administration flounders hopelessly in an attempt to
spend the people's money wisely. The efficiency of the county superintendent,
however, has improved greatly within the past three years. This Improve-ment
is one of the most noticeable features of our educational progress. A
large majority of the counties have very competent men who are rendering
exceptionally fine service. And any action that would tend to reduce the
salary of superintendents below the level of the living of a competent man
would work untold harm, since it would weaken the county administration
and emphasize the importance of the little independent local districts, which
are without proper guidance because their funds are too limited to permit
them to employ expert supervision and the county is unable to give them the
needed supervision.
The city schools have in the past secured the best executives because they
were at liberty to go out into the world and employ the best skill. But
many people have a notion that a county superintendent need not be skillful.
The administrator of a county system requires more skill, as a rule, than
does the administrator of a city school system. A good man in either ca-pacity
will demand a living wage, but a poor man will take the superin-tendency
at any price, and one poor man may waste an amount in one year
that would maintain a good man on a high salary for at least five years.
It will not be difficult to prove this. I am not arguing for higher salaries,
but I am insisting that county boards of education should be encouraged at
all times to secure the best men possible, and having selected them they
should maintain them. The public school fund is increasing at a rapid rate.
The people are demanding better schools. Teachers are improving at a satis-factory
rate, and the one executive that can give the right direction to this
progress is the county superintendent.
IV
PLANNING AND LOCATING SCHOOL BUILDINGS
The counties for the first time in our history are in a fair way to erect
suitable school buildings for all the children. The cities and towns have a
fine enthusiasm for providing better buildings and they have voted bond
Issues amounting to nearly $15,000,000 during the past two years. The
counties are providing large brick buildings with auditoriums for the rural
consolidated schools. This has been made possible through the aid of the
Special Building Fund authorized by the last General Assembly. This fund
amounts to $5,000,000, and is loaned to the counties for a period of twenty
years, the counties repaying one-twentieth of the principal and the accrued
interest annually. The entire building program under construction at this
time is estimated to cost, when completed, about $25,000,000.
The idea of a State loan fund for aiding the counties in erecting school
buildings is not new. In 1903 the General Assembly very wisely set aside
the State Literary Fund, then amounting to about $200,000, to be used as a
loan fund for building school houses. This amount has been increased as
the State has sold its public lands and by legislative appropriation until
today it amounts to $1,028,117.00, which is now loaned at 4 per cent interest
to one hundred counties in the State on a ten-year basis. One-tenth together
with the accrued interest is repaid and reloaned, making about $150,000 an-nually
which the State may loan from this fund. But this has been totally
inadequate. The counties had only one other alternative—local bond issues.
But this required a vote of the people. As a result, the strong wealthy cen-ters
could secure bond issues by levying a reasonably low tax rate, while
the more backward districts, in many instances, if they were in favor of
education, could not secure a bond issue of sufficient size to provide the
necessary buildings without levying a tax rate that would be almost pro-hibitive.
Since the wealthier centers were already bonding themselves, they
were not enthusiastic about assuming additional burdens in order to help
the more backward districts which were little in favor of education anyway.
As a result, the counties had a tendency to break up into district schools
and the rural sections for the most part were being neglected.
The General Assembly of 1921, however, made it possible for the counties
to secure funds to erect buildings in the rural districts and this paved the
way for a county unit system that will make better schools possible for all
the children of the county. This was done, as was said above, by creating
"A Special Building Fund," of five million dollars. The State was authorized
to sell bonds amounting to this sum and loan the proceeds to the counties.
In June following the act of the General Assembly, the State Board of Educa-tion
adopted the following rules governing the loans:
1. The Special Building Fund will be loaned to counties on a pro-rata
basis. That is, each county will be entitled to borrow the same per cent of
2 1171
18 Report of Superintendent of Public Instructiojs"
the Special Building Fund that the school population of the county bears to
the school population of the State.
2. If the entire amount is not borrowed on this basis the remainder will
be loaned to counties in accordance with their needs.
3. Counties may make application at once for loans from this fund on
blanks to be supplied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
4. Counties are at liberty to begin their building program this summer
with the assurance that the loan will be available on January 1, 1922, pro-vided
the bonds are sold. If the bond market next December is not such
that the entire amount is made available and the counties desiring to
secure loans will secure purchasers for the sum needed, this amount will
be loaned to the counties in accordance with Sections 1 and 2, above.
5. No loan shall be approved by the State Department of Education until
the plans for the building and the location of the same and the size of the
district have been recommended by the Director of Schoolhouse Planning.
By June, 1921, applications had been received for the entire $5,000,000.
But the constitutionality of the act was questioned and the State Board of
Education was estopped from making the loans until the courts could pass on
its constitutionality. The decision of the Supreme Court was favorable to
the State and very far-reaching in its effects. The court made it very clear
that the Constitution demands a State system of schools with the county,
not the district, as the local unit of administration.
At the, present time $3,300,000 have been loaned and the remainder will
be §s soon as the bonds are sold. The cost of the buildings aided by these
loans amounts to $9,024,635. The applications far exceeded $5,000,000. Over
$3,000,000 of the amount already loaned have gone into small towns, vil-lages,
and rural districts that could not have secured the necessary funds
otherwise for the erection of suitable buildings. The larger towns were al-ready
financing their own building programs. According to estimates re-ceived
in this office, as was said above, the cost of the building program now
under way will, when completed, amount to about $25,000,000. At least half
of this amount is spent in the rural districts and in the small towns and
villages. But this amount will not be sufficient to complete the necessary
building program and either the State should authorize another bond issue
to be loaned to the counties on similar terms, or the counties under State
supervision should be authorized to issue bonds. Our children cannot be edu-cated
unless school buildings are provided.
The State Department of Education through its Division of Schoolhouse
Planning, has given very careful supervision of the expenditure of public
funds for the erection of school houses. This division, composed of one direc-tor
and one assistant, was organized in 1920 to give school oflBcials special
aid in planning and properly locatng school buildings. The director and his as-sistant
are both kept on the road constantly advising with school oflRcials
and giving them expert assistance. Much money may be wasted in the con-struction
of school buildings, since unwise architects will sometimes plan
buildings with a fancy exterior, but the floor space devoted to class room
work may be less than 50 per cent of the entire floor space of the buildings.
This is the most costly type of structure, and shows a waste of funds.
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 19
Good judgment exercised in planning school buildings may save millions of
dollars of the people's money. Moreover, the size and arrangement of a school
building may promote or hinder the progress of the children and a favorable
location may have great educational influence on the life of the people.
Within the past year the Director of School House Planning and his as-sistant
have visited every county in the State, giving advice to county of-ficials
on the kind of buildings needed, how they should be planned, where
they should be located, and about how much they should cost. The State
lias purchased from architects plans and specifications which are supplied
free of cost to the counties. In this way thousands of dollars are saved
annually while the types of buildings erected not only give the children a
pride in their school but are a distinct ornament to the community.
In the rural districts the buildings are being located, as a rule, on the
improved highways. They are attractive in appearance and are an asset to
the State and the county. In the open country large grounds from six lo twelve
acres are being secured and play-grounds for the small children, for the inter-mediate
grades, and for the high school students are provided. In the
erection of these buildings emphasis is placed on providing suitable rooms
for the teaching of home economics. Emphasis is being laid upon the
teaching of agriculture also. It is mandatory that sections of the school
grounds shall be set apart for a school garden, which is a sort of outdoor
laboratory for the study of growing plants, soil, insects, etc., and the buildings
are so constructed as to encourage the teaching of agriculture.
The old log schoolhouses and the small frame houses heretofore used are
rapidly disappearing and in their places the officials are erecting in the
rural districts modern brick buildings, and the people of the country have an
enthusiasm for education that even the towns and cities did not have ten
years ago. In place of the small poorly lighted, poorly equipped school houses
may be found today eight, twelve or sixteen-room brick buildings with
auditorium, located on the great highways that are now spanning the State.
Here the children of the farm may secure as good instruction as the chil-dren
of the towns receive. Here the patrons may meet either for pleasure
to enjoy an evening entertainment provided by the schools, or to form a
cooperative association that will insure them better returns for their labors.
A school auditorium in the country is one of the best assets of a commu-nity.
It affords an opportunity for the people to meet in large assemblies,
and for the young people to have entertainments and a richer social life.
As a result of this type of building, the school is becoming the community
center, and more people are cooperating today than ever before in the
history of the State. The small district and the small building can no
longer supply the social, intellectual and industrial education that the
people demand and they are realizing it. As our farms increase in resources
the large community institution is a necessity. The small one-room school
sends no pupils as a rule to the high school but drives the people to the
town. The large country community, however, with its adequate building
containing from 300 to 500 pupils, may be so organized that from 100 to
125 pupils can have the advantages of high school education. The hope
of the rural community is this large type of community school. But it
20 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
is impossible for every community to have this type until the funds are
available for the erection of the buildings.
In planning school buildings for our towns and cities our people are
learning that the large school unit makes it possible to organize and
classify the pupils on a more economical basis. The cost of supervision
is reduced. The over-head expenses are less per pupil, and the pupils
may be classified in such a way as to give greater elasticity to the grada-tion
and promotion of pupils. Great economy may be preserved, the health
of the children improved, and the efficiency of the school increased by a
careful planning of school buildings.
BUILDING COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLS
The gro^vth of the large type of community school having adequate build-ings
and grounds has been remarkable within the past three years. It is
giving our country districts as good high school advantages as our towns and
cities possess.
A high school cannot live in a community where the elementary schools
are maintained for only six months. Such elementary schools cannot give suf-ficient
instruction to raise pupils to the high school level and keep them in the
high school long enough to complete a four year course. It requires a school
term of at least eight months for both the elementary and high schools to
maintain a good four year high school. Some of our rural communities are
levying special local tax rates of from seventy-five cents to one dollar on the
hundred dollar valuation, in addition to the county rate, in order to secure
euough funds to provide two months beyond the county six months term. If
these were in a county system and a special tax were levied over the entire
county all the schools could be maintained for eight months with a special
tax considerably lower than some individual country districts are now levying.
If the State deems it necessary to provide an Equalizing Fund to equalize
the burden of supporting a six months term, it should likewise provide an
Equalizing Fund to aid the counties in supporting an eight months term.
The last General Assembly appropriated $100,000 to aid in establishing high
schools in the rural districts. This is really an Equalizing Fund, but it
should be greatly increased.
The high school is the one institution in our rural districts that will give
spirit, culture and solidarity to the people. Without it the people must look
to the towns for a culture that cannot be found in the country. But a high
school is impossible unless the elementary school is strong enough to send
its pupils to the high school, and the small schools, as was said above, do
not give sufficient instruction even to encourage the pupils to pass through
the elementary grades.
The State Department of Education estimates that a good high school de-partment
offering a four-year course should have at least three teachers.
Moreover, it should run at least eight months, and it should have a library
of at least 300 volumes. It should also provide facilities for teaching at least
two sciences. Such a high school should have an average attendance of at
least 45 pupils, in order to justify the expenditure.
But the high school is merely an extension of the elementary school. We
should look upon the two as one school unit. Other states call this unit a
"Union School," and I think we shall have to adopt the same term because
many people look upon our high school program as something separate from
the elementary school.
This Union School can be secured in our rural communities only through
[211
22 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
consolidation, but this does not necessarily mean the abolition at once of all the
elementary schools in a consolidated area. The small schools in many dis-tricts
should not be abolished after the consolidation is made, provided the
buildings are suitable for class room instruction. Here the first three or
four grades may be well taught. But eventually the people will demand that
their children be sent to the central school, when they have had full time
to see the results. This has been the history of consolidation in North Caro-lina.
It is necessary for the State to give substantial aid to this Union School
in order that both elementary and high school instruction may be equal to the
same class of instruction in our city schools.
In 1920 no standard high schools could be found in the rural districts of
eighty-five counties, and thirty counties had no standard high schools what-ever,
although here and there were schools in which high school subjects
were taught. It is easy to see, therefore, that the elementary instruction in
these country districts must have been very poor indeed. It seems to me that
it is impossible to preserve the strength of our rural communities while such
neglect is tolerated. These communities vote taxes and their rates, as a rule,
are as high as and sometimes higher than the rates of the towns and cities.
But the per capita wealth is so small that it is impossible to derive funds
sufficient from the taxes voted to provide a Union School that will afford both
good elementary and high school instruction.
The General Assembly of 1921 sought to correct this defect and appro-priated,
as I said above, $100,000 to be used in aiding the rural districts.
Owing to the shortage in the Equalizing Fund the special session of 1921
authorized the Staf^ Board to cut down all appropriations in order to increase
the size of this fund. Therefore, the State spent only $52,440 in aiding the
establishment of these schools Forty-six schools were aided in forty-three
counties. Every county that did not have a standard high school received
support. As a result, by the end of the school year 1922-23, every county will
have one standard school of the type outlined above, provided the plans are
now carried out by the local officials. This is a tremendous gain, but we
should have in the near future one such school or its equivalent, in every
township in every county in the State, if we would make the rural sections
strong and vigorous and contribute more largely to the progress of the Statfe.
The growth of the high schools within the last few years, owing to con-solidation,
has been unprecedented. As a result of the State appropriation
the number increased in one year from 166 in 1921 to 223 in 1922. With
State appropriation and careful supervision we added 57 standard high
schools to the State and this means also that we strengthened the elementary
schools at the same time. By a continuation of this same appropriation to the
schools aided last year, twenty-five other high schools will be added to the
standard list because the number of pupils passing up into the high school
grades will be sufficient to give the necessary enrollment for three teachers
and a four year curriculum. In other words, we aided about twenty-five
schools last year that will require two years' growth to reach the standard
class.
Eeport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 23
Moreover, the attendance in the high schools has increased just as the
number of Union Schools has increased. The enrollment in the standard
schools in 1921 was 21,000, but in 1922 it was 31,000, or an increase of about
50 per cent. The total enrollment in all schools giving high school instruction,
including both the standard and the non-standard schools, increased from
30,000 in 1921 to about 45,000 in 1922. Again an increase of about 50 per cent.
The number of graduates of the standard schools increased from 4,239 in 1921
to 6,000 in 1922, again almost 50 per cent. But it should be remembered
that this increased enrollment in the high school departments of our union
and city schools would have been impossible if the elementary school de-partments
had not been greatly improved at the same time.
The total number of schools in the State, including both the standard and
the non-standard classes, giving high school instruction, is approximately 600.
About 245 of these will be in the standard class by the end of this year,
leaving 355 located entirely in the rural districts with little hope of becoming
standard schools without State aid. The most of these could be raised to the
standard grade by a little assistance, possibly an average of $700 apiece. This
would mean a total annual appropriation of approximately $250,000. If we
could have 600 standard high schools rightly distributed among the 100
counties we should be able to give adequate instruction both in the elemen-tary
and high school grades for practically all the children of the State. If
we could provide the 600 schools of standard grade we should have approxi-mately
100,000 attending high school. This would be about one-ninth of our
school population. At present only about 5% of our school population is at-tending
high school. It is certainly not too much to ask the State to make
provision for at least 10% of our school population to have the advantage of
high school instruction. If this is provided, we shall then be on a favorable
plane with other progressive States of the Union. Every cultured progressive
community is a distinct asset, and if the State by a liberal appropriation can
change the ignorant backward communities into cultured progressive com-munities
it can change a liability into an asset. It will require a few years
to organize the schools so that they may become standard schools. Therefore,
we could not spend $250,000 wisely for this purpose next year. But our
funds should be increased gradually until State aid to rural high schools
amounts to this sum.
The State Department of Education has one supervisor of high schools who
aids county superintendents in organizing and standardizing these schools.
He likewise superintends the expenditure of the State appropriation. Realiz-ing
that the State is too large for one man to supervise the high schools of a
hundred counties, we asked the assistance of the Departments of Education in
our University, colleges, and normal schools. Eleven of these institutions
responded promptly and representatives from each agreed to undertake the
supervision of the high schools of a given number of counties conveniently
located, and make reports to the State Supervisor of High Schools. This
assistance has been very valuable and has made it possible for the State to
give good supervision of the high schools, and to safe-guard the expenditure
of State funds.
VI
VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS
Our Union Schools will not be complete if we fail to make provisions for
the teaching of agriculture and home economics. A school should do more
than give instruction to children in the class room. It should reach the
community and should carry instruction to the adults as well. It is worth
while for the State to aid in creating a wholesome community life in our
rural districts because as they improve, the wealth and the culture of the
State increase.
The Director of Vocational Education cooperates with the Director of
High Schools in order that in building a good high school we may at the
same time introduce such vocational subjects as will be most beneiicial to the
community. This division has been made possible through an act of Congress
passed in 1917, appropriating funds to North Carolina, as well as to the other
States in the Union, for the encouragement of the teaching of agriculture,
home economics, and trades and industries. The appropriations from the
Federal Government are as follows:
1919-20 $ 67,452
1920-21 81,306
1921-22 98.331
1922-23 110,668
1923-24 123,005
1924-25 147,680
1925-26 172,354
These funds are appropriated on condition that the State spends a like
amount. The total amount spent from State and Federal sources for the
biennial period just closed is as follows:
1920-21 $171,474.31
1921-22 204,104.99
(These figures include appropriations for vocational rehabilitation of per-sons
injured in industries and otherwise.)
The Federal appropriation for vocational education for 1923-24 will be
$123,005, and for 1924-25, $147,680. The State will be required to duplicate
these amounts. But, as our reports show, the combined State and Federal
appropriations do not meet the demands of the people. Hundreds of schools
would introduce at once the subjects of agriculture and home economics if
we could give assistance. Our appropriation from the State for vocational
education should be at least $200,000 annually. This amount alone is needed
in those counties that are threatened by the boll-weevil. The amount spent
in 1921-22 is divided as follows:
124]
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 25
Salary and Expenses of Director ? 4,061.16
Teacher Training 30,441.51
Supervision and Traveling Expenses 16,828.73
Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,808.09
Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,809.09
Home Economics, Teachers 39,187.79
Teachers of Trades and Industries 12,591.76
Vocational Rehabilitation 9,184.95
Total $204,104.99
The following table shows the development of the work in agriculture for
four years:
Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22
Number Schools 21 44 53 65
Number Teachers 21 44 53 68
Number Classes 35 70 97 125
Enrollment 323 721 1,019 1,468
Part Time Classes for Adults
Number Schools 22 • 56
Number Classes 26 bS
Enrollment 644 2,100
It will be observed that during the past year there were 65 public schools
representing 49 counties in which vocational agriculture was taught. In
addition to his class room instruction each boy taking vocational agriculture
was required to apply this instruction in the growing of crops or animals, as
a part of the course, and keep and accurate record of results.
There were approximately 2,000 adult farmers who received instruction,
in addition to the high school students, along the lines that helped them
with the immediate solution of their farm problems. The teacher of agricul-ture
is expected to study his community needs and if the farmers desire
definite instruction, he should organize them into classes and either teach
them himself or secure someone to teach them. As an illustration of the
type of work conducted in part-time classes, in Sampson County twenty-five
farmers met at the school house from time to time to study the best methods
of growing cotton under boll weevil conditions. They secured improved cot-ton
seed, which were distributed among them, and during the fall special
meetings with the assistance of an expert were held in the field for the
purpose of selecting the best types of stalks by careful field selection.
Other groups have studied orchard production, fertilizers, hog raising,
marketing, dairying, etc.
As a typical part-time course in live-stock instruction, W. D. Barbee,
teacher of agriculture and principal of the Seaboard High School, organized
a class of adult farmers to whom he gave a course in hog raising, involving
the care and feeding, and the proper methods of hardening the pork and
marketing. A group of farmers was induced to feed a car load of hogs ac-cording
to instructions, and to market them at the times statistics showed the
price of live hogs was at its highest point. These farmers were carefully
instructed and supervised by Mr. Barbee and specialists from the Extension
Division of the State College and Department of Agriculture. At the
time appointed, the hogs were shipped to the Richmond market and sold
26 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction
for more than 11 cents a pound live weight when dressed porlc was selling
at 10 cents a pound in the community. As a result of this demonstration,
the farmers of this section have become interested in growing hogs for
the market, and because of the fact that it is a peanut and soy bean com-munity,
there is every reason for hog raising to become one of the
most profitable farm enterprises of that section of the State.
The following table shows the development of work in Home Economics
during the past four years:
Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22
Number Schools 3 23 55 53
Number Teachers 4 25 58 55
Number Classes 7 40 80 84
Enrollment 100 814 1,650 1,940
Evening Classes for Adults
Number Schools 20 33 27
Number Classes 20 33 27
Enrollment 323 595 565
In the field of home economics, 80 schools and classes have been con-ducted
for girls and women, dealing with all the immediate problems of
housekeeping and homemaking under the instruction of highly trained
and well supervised teachers. The problems of most interest that have
claimed the attention of these groups are such things as the selection, prepara-tion,
and serving of food, the selection of material and making of suit-able
clothing for the family, care and furnishing of the home, care and
feeding of infants, budgeting the family income, etc. Some extremely in-teresting
classes have been conducted for the mature women of various
communities in such things as millinery, cooking, sewing, home nursing,
etc. The instruction given in this division is extremely practical and has
become so popular that the funds available are not at all suflScient to meet
the demand for this training. There were fewer schools and classes in
1921-22 than in 1920-21 because the better trained teachers required higher
salaries and the funds were not increased.
The following table shows the growth of work in Trade and Industrial
Education during the past four years:
Evening Classes for Adults 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22
Number Classes 5 73 163 180
Number Teachers. 5 50 96 100
Enrollment 128 751 1,511 2,103
Part-Time Classes
Number Teachers 2 4 5
Number Classes 2 4 6
Enrollment 31 153 407
In the trade and industrial field, special attention has been given to
the evening class instruction for employed workers where training related
to their employment was given so that these men could become more effective
workers and thus happier citizens. Twenty-five hundred working men
and women, boys and girls, took advantage of this instruction in the
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2T
evening and part-time classes conducted in cooperation with the State
Board during the year closing June 30, 1922. Work related to the cotton
mill industry, of course, received greatest encouragement for the reason
that it is North Carolina's largest industrial activity. However, there were
a number of classes in such things as paper and pulp manufacturing, car-pentry,
plumbing, blue-print reading, auto mechanics, and other trade
subjects.
These classes are taught in the most convenient and suitable places for
the workers and usually the teacher is a tradesman selected because of
his unusual knowledge of the subject and his leadership among his fellow-workers.
Young people, who have stopped school before completing the school
courses, may have special classes provided for them, and such high school
courses have been organized in several North Carolina cities, thus en-abling
young men and women of ambition to return to school a few
hours each week when they can best be spared from their work. One
young man in Durham was willing to give up $75.00 a month, one-half of
his salary, to go back to school. Classes in retail salesmanship have been
conducted in Asheville and Charlotte with splendid results.
In addition to this, the work in industrial rehabilitation, recently organ-ized,
has enabled the department to get in touch with and aid more than
100 disabled persons scattered throughout the State, who otherwise would
have become dependents and liabilities upon State and society. Numbers-of
these injured civilians have received special training which equipped
them to fill positions suitable to men with their disabilities; in other
cases it only needed the assistance of the department to help the injured
person to secure employment in a position where his disability did not
too seriously handicap him, and others have been helped to secure artificial
appliances which enabled them to earn a living. Twenty of these persons
have been returned to society rehabilitated and are now earning from $25.00
to $100 per month and are happy, self-supporting citizens. The State is
making no investment which will return larger dividends than its invest-ment
in the aiding of these disabled persons.
The following incident taken from the News and Observer of May 6, 1922,
indicates how this department reaches the needy:
Claud R. Cox, of Yadkin County, was orphaned at three years of age.
Soon afterward he contracted septic fever which resulted in ankylosis of"
both knees and left hip. He had reached the age of twenty-six when found
by the Department and was only able to do such jobs around an humble
home as carrying wood and water. He expressed a desire to learn linotype
operation. A place in a printing house in Winston-Salem was secured where
he could learn the trade. At the end of twenty weeks, he was able to-operate
a machine, and was put on the pay roll at $15.00 a week. He
is at present working at his trade in another town at $25.00 per week,,
with good chance of promotion."
VII
PROGRESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Progress made in higher education during the past decade has been re-markable.
The Director of Teacher Training has prepared a bulletin setting
forth the status of higher education for the year 1920-21. This is the first
time that a complete study of our University, colleges and normal schools
for both races has been published. The property valuation of these in-stitutions,
including those supported by the State as well as those supported
by private foundations, is perhaps greater than the casual reader would
suspect. The combined capital invested in buildings, grounds and equipment
reaches a total of $15,418,834. These figures, of course, were secured before
the bond issues authorized by the General Assembly of 1921 had been spent.
The invested funds represent an outlay of $5,528,240. This makes the
total financial resources of these institutions $20,947,074. In the year
1920-21 the current expenditures amounted to $4,375,285. In the same year
€86 professors and instructors were employed and 7,778 students of college
grade were in attendance. The General Assembly of 1921 realized the
necessity of enlarging the State supported institutions and appropriated
$4,120,000 for permanent improvements and $1,282,000 for maintenance.
When the State Department of Education began the reorganization of the
public schools in 1919-20, the higher institutions were requested -to aid this
Department in erecting some standard by which they would be willing to be
judged. In other words, the question to be decided was—what is a standard
college? At once these institutions gave their assistance and they unani-mously
adopted certain standards, making it very easy for the State Depart-ment
of Education to measure the value of the certificates issued on the
basis of college credits. No more patriotic service has been rendered
and no more helpful assistance has been given the State by any group
of educational workers than that given both by those institutions supported
by public funds and those maintained by private or denominational con-tributions.
It has been especially noticeable that harmony and cooperation prevail
among them and that they are working as a unit to promote the educa-tional
progress of North Carolina.
The institutions classified according to the standards adopted by them-selves
are as follows:
I. INSTITUTIONS FOR WHITE PEOPLE:
Group A
—
Four-Year Standard Colleges:
Davidson College
Elon College (since 1915)
Greensboro College for Women (since 1915)
Lenoir College (since 1915)
Meredith College
Guilford College (since 1915)
281
Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2&
North Carolina College for Women
Salem College (since 1915)
Trinity College
University of North Carolina
Wake Forest College
Group B—Fou7'-Year Colleges in Class B, giving three years of Standard
College Work:
Flora Macdonald College
Queens College
St. Genevieve of the Pines
Group C—Colleges giving two years of Standard Work:
Atlantic Christian College (rated A for 1923 on condition)
Belmont Abbey College
Catawba College (in class B for 1923 graduates—conditional)
Carolina College (conditional)
Chowan College (in class B. for graduates of 1923—conditional)
Davenport College (probably in class B for 1923)
Louisburg College
Mitchell College (to be reconsidered for 1923 graduates)
Oxford College (two-year course accepted for 1923)
Peace Institute
St. Mary's School
Weaver College (conditional)
Technical Institutions:
North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (four-year
course). (Recommended for A rating in 1923.)
Teachers' Colleges:
East Carolina Teachers College (four-year course)
Standard Normal Schools:
Asheville Normal School (since 1922)
East Carolina Teachers College (two-year course)
II. INSTITUTIONS FOR COLORED PEOPLE:
Group B—Foiir-Year Institutions in Class B:
Biddle University
Shaw University
Group C—Colleges gimng ttvo years of Standard Work:
Agricultural and Technical College
Livingston College
Group D—Colleges giving one year of Standard Work:
Bennett College (reconsidered for higher rating 1923)
National Trairiing School (reconsidered for higher rating in 1922
>
VIII
THE CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
A successful teacher should possess the following qualifications: (1)
scholarship, or knowledge of the subject matter to be used in school for the
education of the children; (2) professional training, or an understanding of
child nature and how to use the subject matter to the best advantage;
(3) experience, or a certain skill In teaching derived from practice; and
(4) personality, or a mode of expression and a manner of living that
reinforces technical instruction. A teachers' certificate should define to
a certain extent the first three qualifications, namely; scholarship, pro-fessional
training, and experience. A teacher may have all three but still
be a poor instructor because of her personality. It is the duty, therefore,
of the local ofl^cials to determine the actual worth of a teacher and regulate
the salary accordingly.
The State issues two classes of certificates: (1) The Standard, and (2)
the Non-Standard, and the Department of Education has a record of the
scholarship, professional training, and experience of every teacher to whom
a State certificate is issued.
The lowest standard certificate is based on graduation from a standard
high school plus six weeks of professional training. Each year of full
college credits beyond the high school together with a fixed amount of
professional training in the art of teaching and managing pupils and the
principles of education, entitles the teacher to a certificate one grade higher.
In other words, there are four teachers' certificates corresponding to th^
four years of college or normal school work. But the value of the certi-ficate
is affected by professional training and experience. Therefore, th*»
liighest certificate issued is graduation from a standard four-year college
including a certain amount of professional training and experience. More-over,
the plan is broad enough to place in this standard class our good
experienced teachers of long service although they may not be able to
present high school and college credits. Many of these are certificated
in the highest class today. The suggested salary schedule provides $65.00
a month for the lowest standard certificate, and $133.00 for the highest pro-vided
the teacher has had four years of experience. Many counties and
cities supplement this amount. Tlierefore, in many Instances teachers are
paid higher than the suggested salary. The non-standard certificate is
issued to a much lower grade of teachers, those that have not had the
equivalent of a high school education and many who have not even completed
the elementary schools. They are unable, of course, to secure the lowest stand-ard
certificate mentioned above, and are, therefore, classified and certifi-cated
in the non-standard group according to fitness and are paid from
$35.00 to $60.00 a month.
School officials in the future should be prohibited from employing teachers
of non-standard grade whenever it is possible to employ teachers of standard
130]
Keport of Supebintendent of Public Instruction 31
grade. They are not competent to teach and their unfitness hinders the
educational progress of the community they try to serve. Many counties
have already realized this and refuse to employ teachers holding the lowest
grade of certificate.
The certificate represents certain training and experience. The salary
schedule recommended by the State Board of Education suggests a fajr
compensation for each stage of training and experience, and determines
the amount that will be allowed from the Equalizing Fund. It should be
stated here that successful experience is a large factor in determining the
salary of a teacher and should be the guide in fixing salaries. For example:
A college graduate without experience and professional training does not
rate in the salary scale as high as a teacher having one year of college
training and five years of successful experience. It is easy to see, therefore,
that the cost of education in a county depends upon the kind and the num-ber
of teachers employed, and the number of teachers depends upon the
number of pupils in average daily attendance in each district. The State
salary schedule is a guide to county officials in measuring the efficiency
of the teachers. The certification plan has taught patrons how to select
the better prepared teachers and it has encouraged all teachers to im-prove
their standing.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, having its
headquarters in New York, but operating in every State in the Union, says
in its report of 1922:
"North Carolina has given a striking example of what is probably the
clearest, simplest, and wisest policy of applying State funds to public edu-cation."
In speaking of the effects of this system it adds: "This is a
remarkable performance," and "The principles should be precisely the
same in meeting the requirements of the more highly developed situations
in New York, Illinois, and California."
IX
PROGRESS OF THE TEACHERS
The State Department of Education has had remarkable co-operation from
the higher institutions during the past three years. The University and
our colleges and normal schools are working in complete harmony and
the State has never known a finer spirit to prevail among them. They are
placing special emphasis on teacher training and through their assistance
the State Department of Education is able to outline a plan for the im-provement
of teachers that makes it possible for any progressive teacher
to Increase his or her scholarship or professional standing.
The program of teacher training is so outlined that teachers holding
standard certificates attend the higher institutions, while those holding
the non-standard certificates have county summer schools or special training
in our high schools and normal schools. As a result of these appropriations
the teachers have made unprecedented progress during the past three years.
The table below shows how the poor teachers are disappearing, how the
number of better prepared teachers has increased and how fast the teaching
profession is being raised. A State law requiring all teachers to be certifi-cated
was passed in 1917. It was not until 1919, following the close of
the World War, that all could be certificated. The improvement in the
standing of the teachers within three years is significant, and shows with
what remarkable rapidity the number of good teachers will increase when the
State puts a premium on training and length of service.
1919-20 1920-21 1921-22
Number of teachers employed 15,993 17,523 19,540
Number holding standard certificate 7,491 10,141 14,379
Number below standard grade 8,502 7,382 5,161
Number teachers attending summer school from
six to twelve weeks 7,787 10,911 12,500
A study of these figures will disclose the fact that the number of teachers
of standard grade has increased nearly 100% within three years. In
1919-20 this grade of teachers numbered only 7,491, or 46% of the total.
But in 1921-22 the number was 14,379, or 74% of the entire number
employed. Moreover, the number of poorly qualified non-standard teachers
has been reduced from 64% in 1919 to 26%> in 1921-22. We have employed
in 1921-22 almost as many teachers of standard grade as the total number
employed in 1919.
What has caused this remarkable improvement in the personnel of the
teaching profession? It was the promise given the teachers that if they
would improve their efficiency they would be rewarded, and that a differ-ence
would be made between the qualified and the unqualified teachers.
In order to give them the opportunity to improve themselves, the State
provided summer schools to run from six to twelve weeks. The first
year these schools were opened, 7,787 teachers attended the entire term, and
[321
Eeport of SuperintejN'dent of Public Instkuction 33
for the year just closed the number was approximately 12.500. including
those who attended summer schools in other States. Our departments
of education in the colleges have been filled to overflowing, and we have
drawn largely from the normal schools of the adjoining States. In
addition to these, numbers of old and experienced teachers who had left
the profession because they could not teach and live on the income, re-turned
gladly when they realized that at least some premium would be
placed on fitness. This is the distinct advantage of a State system of
certificating teachers over a county system. A county system cannot
maintain one standard for the whole State. But it will have as many
standards as there are counties. Having a number of standards it would
be impossible to determine a fair salary for different grades of teachers.
All of our teacher training institutions should be strengthened. But
our mountain counties have been handicapped because they have not
had the benefits of normal or college trained teachers, to the extent
that other sections of the State have had. They have been too far removed
from the influence of our higher institutions. If these counties are to
progress at a rate equal to that of the more favored counties of the
State, it is absolutely necessary for the State to enlarge the normal schools
at Boone and Cullowhee. These institutions are well located to serve
the mountain counties. But they should be so equipped that their influ-ence
will be considerably greater. This section of our State has been
neglected in the past, and in order to give it a fair chance it will be neces-sary
to double the capacity of each institution. If this is done Boone
and Cullowhee will measure up to the standard of good normal schools.
We can maintain our summer school program if the same appropriation
allowed by the General Assembly of 1921 is continued. As the number
of low grade teachers disappear, the need for county summer schools
will disappear.
X
SUPERVISION OF NEGRO EDUCATION
During the pa^t two years we have had better opportunity to study the
scope and character of the educational opportunities offered the children
of the Negro race. This has been made possible by the act of the General
Assembly of 1921, which created a Division of Negro Education in the
office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the purpose of
giving better supervision of the Negro schools. Before this time these
schools were neglected. Practically all the supervision given was the
rosult of donations from foreign agencies. As a result it was becoming
more and more a tendency for the negroes to look to forces outside the
State for guidance rather than to the State itself. The effect of this
could not be the most wholesome. Both races in the State should look
to our government for direction and such help as may be necossary—not
to agencies outside of the State. If any group of people depend upon
foreign agencies for guidance it will lose its allegiance to the State
itself. For the first time in our history the State has had the opportunity
to study somewhat in detail the nature of our higher institutions, and I
regret to say that here and there spurious institutions of doubtful value
are springing up and living on contributions solicited from many sources.
Some are illegitimate agencies finding it profitable to vilify the people
of our State in order to extract small donations from provincial mission-ary
boards or from pious and well meaning individuals of other States
that may be moved by pathetic stories of neglect. We have had occasion
to expose a few of these frauds during the past year. And I may add
here that they are not confined to the negro race.
Through the Division of Negro Education we have been able to study
more closely the work in the elementary schools and in the normal
schools. It is very necessary for the State to give careful direction to
the education of the negroes if we are to have continued harmony and
prosperity.
The creation of the Division of Negro Education, therefore, was very
opportune. Its annual cost to the State is negligible—only $12,500 for
the year 1921-22. But the fact that the negroes had representation in the
government to whom they could look for guidance gave them a new
loyalty to the State. Their cooperation has been phenomenal. The offi-cials
of the State presenting this division have secured through their
supervision of the rural schools, donations from negroes amounting annually
to approximately $100,000. As a result of this supervision the negroes
complain considerably less. They are more hopeful and they have caught
the spirit of cooperation. Therefore, in practically every county where a
large number of negroes reside they have contributed freely of their funds
to help erect their own school buildings and to maintain their public
schools on a higher plane. These funds are deposited with the county board
of education and are spent as other public funds are spent. The fact that
1341
Report of Superijs'texdent of Public Instruction 35
they have contributed approximately $100,000 annually is in itself an
evidence of their cooperation. Moreover, the leading negroes of the State
are more optimistic than ever before. A greater harmony prevails be-tween
the races, and the relationship existing at this time is said to be
the best to be found in any State in the Union. And this is due in a
large measure to the fine supervision of the members of the division of
Xegro Education.
The salary schedule for the negro teachers is lower than that for the
white teachers. Moreover, only a small per cent of the negro teachers hold the
higher certificates. Therefore, the per capita cost of instructing the
negro children is considerably less than that of instructing the white
children. But the officials in the several counties of the State as a rule,
show a sympathetic attitude toward the education of the negroes. They
are erecting better school buildings for them and giving their teachers
helpful guidance. In our towns and cities the school buildings erected for
the negroes within the past two years are very creditable.
At the present time there are only four standard public high schools
for the negroes. Their children, as a rule, do not remain in school long
enough to complete the elementary grades. Many of our towns and
cities have endeavored to establish standard high schools for them and
give them vocational training that will be helpful to them. But it is an excep-tion
for a negro child to remain in the public schools long enough to
complete a four years standard course. The State is cooperating with the
private schools and the spirit among these institutions is indeed hopeful,
and the officials are cooperating in a fine way with the State.
The Division of Negro Education has supervision of the three Negro
Normal Schools which have been greatly strengthened during the past
two years. But if they are to become real normal schools and are to exercise
the influence over the rising generation of negroes that we might reasonably
expect, it is necessary for the State to enlarge these institutions very
materially and provide somew-hat more liberally for their maintenance.
This Division has supervision also of the Indian Normal School located
at Pembroke. The attitude of the State to the Indians within the past
two years has also been more hopeful. The Indians are proud of their
School and have a pride in the State because of what it is doing. This
school should also be enlarged and better equipped.
XI
ILLITERACY AND COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
The census of 1920 shoAvs that the native white illiteracy has decreased
within the past ten years from 147o to 8.2%, and for both races from
18.5% to 13.1%, By far the larger part of the illiterates remaining today
are adults who did not have the advantage of an education twenty years
ago. The census of 1920 shows the illiteracy of children of school age
between ten and twenty-one years of age, inclusive, and we may see from
these figures how effective the schools have been. In 1920 the illiteracy of
white children between ten and twenty-one years of age in twenty-five
counties was 2% and less; in three counties it was less than 1%; in
thirty-four counties between 2 and 4%; in nineteen counties between
4 and 6%; and in the other twenty-two counties between 6 and 9^^%.
The school system was reorganized beginning with the school year. 1919-20,
the term was lengthened, more teachers were employed, and the com-pulsory
school law was made effective. Since the Federal census was
taken, therefore, we have had two very successful school years, and the
records show that practically 100% of the children of compulsory school
age (between seven and fourteen) were enrolled in school. Therefore, the
illiteracy of the next generation will practically disappear. Our problem
now is to maintain good school standards and teach those who are beyond
school age.
The need of a stricter enforcement of the compulsory attendance law
is very apparent. For example: We found in one county 402 pupils from
14 to 16 years of age now attending school that had not completed the
fourth grade. In other words, boys and girls of high school age have
not been in school long enough to learn to read and write with ease and
use numbers intelligently. These young people are certified for employ-ment
in the mills. Therefore, I believe that children under 16 years of
age who have not completed the elementary school should be required to
attend school until they have completed at least the seven grades of
work as outlined in the elementary school. Our compulsory school law
requires the attendance in school of children between the ages of 7 and 14.
But in our towns and cities and mill villages, continuation or part time
schools can be provided with little additional expense, which would permit-children
between 14 and 16 years of age to attend school a part of the
time. They might work a half day and attend school a half day, or
follow the alternate week plan. This is being tried successfully in North
Carolina, and in most of the States of the Union.
During the scholastic year 1920-21. fifty-two counties organized schools
or classes for adult beginners and had regularly paid teachers, the State
paying one-half the expenses and the counties the other half.
Beginning with the scholastic year 1921-22, the schools for adults were
made a part of the public school system and were financed as other schools
cf the counties were financed. During the biennial period special texts
m
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 37
peculiarly suited to these schools have been prepared and published. Par-haps
the most noticeable piece of work done in the State is to be found
in Buncombe County. I have received letters from mothers, who hereto-fore
had been illiterate, in which they express appreciation for this work
and a joy in the fact that they learned to write to their children.
The illiterate adult population will never learn to read and write in
my judgment unless the State gives special aid. Making these schools
a part of the public school system is not sufficient. This is a peculiar
class that needs special attention. Not only the State and County officials
but our churches, fraternal organizations and women's clubs should co-operate
to eliminate illiteracy from this class of our population.
XII
SUPERVISION OF INSTRUCTION
The State Department of Education maintains a staff of special super-visors
that gives assistance to counties in the organization of the rural
schools, in directing professional courses for teachers, in outlining courses
of study for the elementary and high schools, and in improving the in-struction
in the school room. That the schools are better organized and
the instruction is more effective is proved by the figures which show that
the number of pupils completing the elementary schools has been increasing
at the rate of 50% a year for the past two years. But the demand for
assistance from the State Department is considerably more than we can
give. I wish now to point out a few specific instances where additional
emphasis should be placed.
The State Department of Education should be empowered to give the
cities, towns, and counties more assistance in organizing schools and in
securing more thorough instruction. Few people realize to what extent the
cost of instruction is related to the organization of the school system.
Both the cost and the value of instruction depend in a large measure upon
the organization. A large per cent of the superintendents in our towns and
villages need special assistance at this point for not only is the per capita
cost of instruction reduced by a skilful classification of the children in
the larger school units, but the instruction is greatly improved thereby.
During the past year the State Department of Education has held meetings
with the superintendents and principals and has given so far as possible the
best advice in good organization. The manner in which this advice was
received is evidence that our superintendents are taking advantage of
every opportunity to improve their school system. As a result of these
conferences the superintendents voluntarily cut down the number of super-visors
in city schools and raised the average attendance per teacher
especially in the high school. It is easy to see that these economies reduced
the per capita cost of instructing children and it may be done without
reducing the efficiency of the instruction.
A well trained man who understands good school organization, how
classes should be organized, and promotions encouraged would be of the
greatest value to the State. The younger men going into the profession
need this assistance which would improve materially the instruction in
the schools and would locate places in the system where economies could
be effected.
We should place more emphasis on the teaching of North Carolina history.
The picture of the "Lost Colony" taken by the State Department of Edu-cation
two years ago and exhibited throughout the State has greatly
stimulated not only the study of North Carolina history by adults, but
it has increased the teaching of this subject in the schools. We should give
more time to collecting and arranging courses for our schools in North
[381
Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 39
Carolina history. Every school should have a good map of North Carolina
and the school program should devote some time each week to a study
of North Carolina geography and its resources.
Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to our State
is civics. Our text-books, as a rule, do not give the pupils in schools that
intimate knowledge of our local government that its importance demands.
The State could well afford to provide a supervisor of civics, who could
make a study of county government and hold up to the State the best
standards of good government and the duties of a good citizen. Courses
in civics should be based on our local and State government. Good citizen-ship
is too valuable to be neglected in our schools or left to chance
instruction. It should be made a definite part of our educational program.
If one or two cities or counties should profit by such instruction the value to
the State would be considerably more than the small cost of the supervision.
The State should be constantly holding up fair standards of county and
city government to its citizens and for use in the public schools. Before
young people will become deeply interested in the subject the adults must
take an interest in it. It seems to be nobody's business to hold up standards
of good government. This is an educational problem that can be solved if
we will address ourselves to the task.
Our schools should give more emphasis to the subject of health education,
or as it is usually termed, physical education. Our superintendents are
asking for guidance in the teaching of this subject. Many city schools
have employed directors of physical education. There should be one
supervisor for the State whose duty it should be to help organize this
subject and find a proper place in the school curriculum where it will be
of the greatest value to all the children attending school. A little skillful
guidance would be of the greatest value to the State. The General Assembly
of 1921 made provision for a State Supervisor of Physical Education, but
owing to the great need in increasing the size of the Equalizing Fund this
supervisor was never employed. I believe this appropriation should be
continued and should be applied to this purpose.
Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to the State is
the proper use of the library. "We are encouraging the building of libraries,
and while the sum appropriated is not large our counties, cities and towns
are attempting to build local libraries for the use of the adults and the
pupils in school. But the teachers, as a rule, do not know how to use
the books in school. Some of our best teachers have had instruction along
these lines, but a great majority have no idea how to use the library in
schools. If we are to develop a reading public in the most helpful literature,
it is necessary for the State to give some direction to this work. A good
supervisor of library instruction could raise the culture level by en-couraging
a wise use of books.
Public school music should be required in all the schools of the State.
With the passing of the old time singing master no one has taken his
place in our communities and small towns. Here and there the people them-selves
have tried through community singings to preserve the best music
and retain an appreciation of it. But this cannot be successful in a
40 Eeport of Superintenbent of Public Instruction
large way without some guidance. There is a need for definite support.
People everywhere respond quickly to good music and if they have the
right kind of leadership they will have good music.
In speaking of these special subjects, I am conscious of the fact that the
traditional subjects should not be neglected. Teachers should be directed
in securing the best use of them. But if the schools are rightly organized
the special subjects referred to above will give strength to the traditional
subjects and awaken new interest in the pupils.
We contemplated to carry out the greater part of this program after
the General Assembly of 1921 closed. The appropriations were sufficient.
But when it was discovered that the State Equalizing Fund was totally
inadequate, we voluntarily reduced the appropriations to the State Depart-ment
of Education below the specific amount required by the special
session of the General Assembly of 1921. By doing this we were compelled
to withhold needed assistance. The State Department of Education should
be equipped, therefore prepared, to give assistance at all times, wherever
such assistance will safe-guard public funds, improve the organization
of schools and secure better instruction of the children.