Show N H Salt lake City Schools By Dy SUPERINTENDENT D H CHRISTENSEN I N tint tini sturdy sturl little band bandor bandL L of or pioneers entered ent this fl A i valley alley In 1847 Ili actuated a ath I as asI I th the thy y were ere by hy the sum lAme mo me meI I lives that brought their p j forefathers to lO tho time bleak blenk V at Plymouth Hock flock nok th the y found a veritable des desert ert uirt rt To ro them however It II wac uvas Q a land landof of t an n oasis In II a mu desert They hell had not braved the wilds wid wilt of ot the un nit unknown UI known I tt nor made their way ay across areu the tl trackless plains for tor naught ns as a th they y did dil that they guided by If nn tin unseen hand ro content svere eto h her here re to remain The They t II too ten that th t with wih their advent Into l salt Bait fuk L ko valley Its F foothold west iest t of ot the Hooky Hock moun mountains their and ant inn 1 trust they thoy ore not slow In iii Int In the time limit lint AnI factor rig fri potent In m th Ile PerPetuation of ot modern civilization ton the school 1101 tho lie tl of or thu tl i public OK as II It II li by b t te the will 1 of or 1 the tim p people ople the mow ll lieu hud fallen talen a little hut scarcely lar Purge e enough to b b be seen awn Hn among the sago esgo brush brull that surrounded It rested reared lie Its 11 homely homly forum form f and the new community although with without without out omIt adequate food CO and raiment enjoyed the time luxury of or f a village school This Thin Thil woe wai 11 the time humble ulle beginning bl the he hl germ If IC I you ou please from which our s hi s stern tern ter has hi ha developed l This hll little Ite geni Be n it Is la true wits was planted d In mime Ibl of or the far Car from the running brook but bit i the watchful care carl of ot hit th husbandman hu gave it I tho the conditions that an environ environment f ment i fused and runt It has hal become n a al l mighty oak This hll little hut but hu was wai Wil the Ih I F pioneer of ot western e tern schools and Bul am w I education A provisional government was ws at It once onro formed anti and Ind In HO but two sad and Ild one half nau after th lire first Itt company or am I ri red the tIme Legislative Assembly Al mi 11 au nci aOi Incorporating the time University of ot true State of De Deret Deseret ret now the time Uni Int University I of or Utah and thus thu made early carl ii provision for tel higher hl her education As time roll role on the school law wai a u i frequently fruent modifIed mol ed to suit the growing I nt and Increased In until I I the thE present school chol system the just JI t I pride of ot our au WM ws WI evolved For Iora I a 1 school system le 2 i after null all Al tn rim II ft a t sen of ol the word an organic twins being and uni l Its It c 1 most mOlt substantial and ant de i Is tF but a n natural evolution in Iii systems aa as Q In I t are Rr followed by of or recon and history hl tory shows that th those se e have not always been bean b n conducive to the of ot communities In Its It I onward movement our school schol system entered Us its Is present era ern In UW 1 V when the free treo chool law commonly 3 i designated i 4 tho the new nw school law In was t pawed Passed d White While this thie enabled us to real WIS I 1 Ize In n Its iA 1 the dream lm ot of Hore if MAnn I It did nl mark the he advent ot of i I the first free freo schools In our state al us usi i i I I some districts had lied previously availed themselves of uC time the local option provi provision don sion Ilon of at former laws 11 anti and limit had hll established e free schools Tho The enactment of ot this law did Cee however bring the free school within the tho reach of ot every child In iii tho the state although tho the tuition lund had formerly In iii most monet cases case been boen ben merely nominal Put Hut In our present ent discussion this law la concerns us S most roost In Us its ts operation on On the lbs schools of or Salt tal Luke liike City In hi addi addition ion tion lon to Ci tine the then lien existing country ills diet It Il established e by means of ot con cun districts to tn be le known ns aim lS cities of ot thu tho first and Hll limo tho w secant cond of or which there thore mime are 11 four In the time state namely Salt Sal Lake City Cl it Ogden Logan Lorfn ami Provo tine the first frt named being the lie only one OlO or ol the first claw class cOIS Here Her then thel one stroke of ot time the legisla legislature ture tUtO Converted Suit Salt Sni Lake City Into a I Ingle school district t with wih boundaries to those thOMe of ot the olty ity Ily Where previously 22 2 school dis districts presided over by ly ns os many hoards ouch each onh consisting of ot three members ivete to be found was brought 1 Into existence e n a single school board with wih a 1 of only ton term mem members hers bers hes In other oilier words worle In the tIme commenda commendable ble II work of ot n mu single decapitated 0 and re reP roo P laad aced them with wih only amity 10 thus line Ils simplify nn time the machinery mini at al the same prune giving to tl It added a power lower A school superintendent elected by II the time voters and vested vented este with hut but power In tin the tt selection and ammil recommendation of ot teachers to tho the vat var various r ious lous school hoards of ot time the city cly and oun Ity I was WR replaced l with on one OM appoint by hy byth bythe th the b board of ot equalisation paid a n liberal salary aIA and amid clothed with wili all necessary authority to t effect B t reorganization along tho time now no lines Inel One had power pOlor tu lu the other to require anti and suggest of or his While thi th enforcement hil policy hll this move tended toward a centralization lion tion tun of power the stop step WH was tin rum n time has Inns verified one In advance In the tight of ot this thu experience are ar we too Uc when we te ni rt that a union of ot time the l of ot the tIme several counties countes specially the time more mere populous ones Oles would bring to them many mal of at the tho Mine IW benefits though In a smaller With this change came IAme new possibilities ties and anti our omit community true tre to Its Ils reputation was not nt slow to avail Itself of them The Fhe transition however was wal attended by h many lun culles some me of ot which were not easy casy to surmount The statute creating time the school dis district district or of Salt Lake City CI provide that thal The Time public school system Item therein shall shul be b controlled by the th board of ot education lien tion lon The he meager meatter compensation al allowed 11 lowed lowet Jow 11 has hae precluded office omel from membership while the time time of your year Cr when nhen the election electon Is II held broil has kept the hoard board entirely free fl from the tho baneful In Influence fluence of ot partisan As s mi a course conae lon t men ot of more than ordinary busi busl business ness flees anti and professional sagacity haw have hawn b been n chosen choson This has lies given 11 en to time the yam nl lous ioui boards a real strength In tim their con that h li s made the efficient antI and ions po I ai I Ue ble be and It has hu Insured to tho the schools school p I w 1 j 1 1 I 7 I 1 I VLA t lf y A e D H CHRISTENSEN Superintendent of at tIme the Salt Lake City Schools y ai at nt all ni times n a policy poley essentially broad broadminded broadminded minded and liberal but yet conserva conservative live tive The Time first board had hod new nw and Ind somewhat complicated Irl conditions to meet macel but ut It 1 proved Itself equal to the tho emergency There Thoro has at nt nil all ni times been a 1 healthy public sentiment The Time citizens of ot community feel a n deep Interest In thu tine welfare of the tho public schools and tills sentiment finds substantial expression whenever occasion demands As one ono of ot tho the many tany Instances we need but call cal at attention Ily to tho tim overwhelming majority vote veto tenton nt at n a special election held hell during durIn tho time vast last n year when It Il seemed for tor a awhile 1 awhile while that It would become necessary to close chase clOe the time schools early carl on account ot or ora ofa a n lack of ot sufficient funda fun A The Tho voto ol of t the time taxpayers on that day MY gave unmistakable evidence cl ence not nol only of or unqualified confidence In the tho financial policy plc of oC n a school board that so 10 Justly justy merited such approval but hut It also alo showed that limit tha would much time the citizens of or Salt Sal Lake prefer to bear the burden of ot nn arm nn extra tax rather than to permit their children to be e deprived of ot the benefits derived from n a course courso of ot n a full lul 1 year And Ant how cheerfully In Inthe Inthe inthe the early ar nineties did they thoy empower the board to Impose a bonded Indebted nets fleas of ot million dollars on this district In order or er that adequate might bo be provided In Inn modern buildings tot for the tho pupils Several causes cooperated when tine the was first effected to tomake make the tho attendance reach a 0 point far tar beyond the seating capacity of tIme the belonging to tho he city cl The Time first and foremost was tho the sudden and happy termination of ot a a condition of and turmoil that had for tor years with an nn adverse Influence on tho the public wih The Time removal of this condition drew drow from tho the schools hundreds s of ot children that had not previously been enrolled In Ii 1 the public schools school I To meet the emergency It ns necessary to lo call cal Into service a n greatly Increased Sd teaching force orce an to Improvise additional school schoolrooms schoolroom rooms room A over 01 the tho entire entre city And nt nl this very r time a n demand lemand demant from froni the tho whole state came for tor more moro teachers and better teachers Tho Tine new now school bmW luw provided beter now opportunities and the county school districts like hike Salt Sl Lake vero ere O not slow elov flo to avail a al themselves of at these Although the public schools of at tur cur state from the very ery time that the little log school house In was IS constructed had ever striven under the most untoward conditions to fulfill the purpose of ot their existence to become the means menns of the tho universal education tj I 1 IU i 14 be bo said with wih r truth luth that ns as u a 1 reward and result of or ortho tho time struggles mind and Ind persistent t efforts of or those thOM most Interested In him educational af nt affairs fairs airs a I new now era om dawned In 1890 BeaU lelU and anul commodious structures sprang up UI as ns if I by magic on omm 01 every side until Ul now In nearly every district In the time state stute the best beal and ant costliest building Is tho the school house In many cases a it 1 heavy henvy handed bonded bond cd Indebtedness was as necessary but bil i that was IS but a ii I light obstacle The he means found Its IH justification In the tho end cad to be attained Increased revenues mind more string stringent stringent ent ont examinations paved tho the way for tal better betor teachers In fact not only the advantage but tho the absolute necessity of ot normal raining mining for or nn an extended extend ell period of ot time tro sas n Normal schools were called caled upon uron to furnish more moro teachers anti and In lii responds they thoy irne endeavored not nol only to Increase the tho quantity but lut also alth to add to the quality Our State Normal school graduated In lii 1889 1859 fifteen freen In the Ihl thrpo years cars normal course In 1900 there thero were normal graduates nile OlO ono one hundred have havo asked I to be bl graduated ed el this tinis year A four tour years normal course Including practical vorK mar 11 im vl year nr Under expert us ns 11 rim vided and anti Improved facilities were added a led Tho Time adoption of or the 11 system throughout tho time state In iii qualified students better batter beler for tor time the pro pre preparatory department of tine the normal school anti and furnished n a largo large number for tur It I notwithstanding time the fact that en on entrance trance requirements had become much touch more moore exacting Tho Tim normal school be ho rame Caine well patronized and time tho college collego department grew In popularity Not until recent yeara yer havo pupils In many western been graded an as anIn lS asin In our eastern custer centers of ot learning How However Howver ever ver In the Inter later eighties western wO tern schools yielded to the subtle influence of or time tho educational wave Ie It I was then them that the most progressive districts be bi began bigun I IrI gun gan rI to discard the time method of classify classifyIng Ing lag pupils according to render reader realer amid to Insist on In a 1 successful completion of lf if work worle specified l for tor a Q particular lar mr period before n a I pupil could coull bo be bl promoted Into an nn advanced class cuss It t isad noted Ito too that thal neither the reader ford other oilier text book hook could coUll be le mlle the time basis of ot a classification that would oven ean olon to lo n a limited extent give satisfaction then tion Different sets seta of or readers very ma irma ton both In quantity and nature of at subject matter mater and those ot or any given Iv en n set net differ essentially In their scope For these and Ind others pedagogical cal cut In their nature mature there thero was practically l emIly cally unanimity of opinion among local educators In favor of a n graded system based upon a n quantity of ot work meas macas measured by b a n fixed element of tune time This I of ot course commended nt at onto the time grad graded I ed II now nov In vogue regime throughout the States Stales and In fact In iii most niost I civilized countries the time only emily Important difference between America and other othor countries being bing the time time required for tor forthe forthe the tho completion of ot the tine common school course Tho The graded system provides that pu pupils lulls pils may mi In conformity to law enter school at itt lt the tire age a e of ot six sI and by regu hut attendance finish the tho grades fl tit nl time the age ngo Igl of ot fourteen at lt which time they thoy will wi be qualifier qualified by age Igo and previous preparation to begin the work ot of the High Wih School which commonly covers n a 1 period of ot four tour years In our best high schools By D this time the student has hI the age of ot eighteen and Is ready for tor the tho college course courso of four tour I moro more years providing his hll health mind ambition will wi carry him hll through this last period of ot preparatory school life I Co Thus an nn orderly anti systematic course of ot procedure rewards s tho the student nt ot the tho ago age of ot with wih hi iii H s bacca baccalaureate baccalaureate laureate degree legree and ani ho Is presumably ready to taco faco tho time stern realities of life le This I repeat the economic value of or time the graded system Is tho time one strong fea ten feature lure ture that thOl commends commenda It I at It present to universal favor favorA A notable and Important Innovation took tool place at tho time beginning ot of the time year when free tree text books were ore furnished ll to all al pupils pu ls Since then time the poor 1001 boy has hal hr practically every op enjoyed by iris his more moro fortun fortunate mite ate companion anti and altho the tho result has tas ns made modo Itself manifest In his progress Under former conditions time the advancement of ot every tor ever class closs was to an arm extent ox tent checked by b those hate that were vero without the tho necea ary hooks books and materials |