32

HOMES FOR THE TEACHERS.

Until the Normal School provides home-teachers, Commis-
sioners must in a portion of the Counties procure qualified
persons from other sections of the State, chiefly from the
graduates of the Baltimore City High Schools or the Normal
Schools of other states.

For these, homes must be provided, and if the teachers be
young women, as the majority certainly will, the home
ought to be convenient to the school. Very little difficulty
-thus far has been experienced. The intelligent teacher is
generally welcome, and considered an acquisition to the
social circle. Commissioners secure boarding places in ad-
vance of the teacher's arrival, and hence no hesitation is felt
by young women to take charge of distant schools.

As this class of non-resident teachers may increase, the
subject of homes for teachers is deemed to be of sufficient
practical importance to have a place in this Report, that the
attention of citizens may be directed to it. In many cases
the women teachers are capable to instruct in music, elemen-
tary drawing and French. Such persons frequently devote
the hours after school to teaching those branches to the chil-
dren of the family in which they board, thus rendering im-
portant service as compensation for board. Young men also
having a knowledge of Latin and Greek, can act as tutors
in the families wheie they reside. These suggestions are
made because I know that in many places teachers are need-
ed of a higher grade than those usually employed in the
Primary Schools, and in this way the increased compensa-
tion can be given which will procure their services. In sev-
eral School reports from other States I have noticed complaints
that citizens object to boarding the teacher. Happily we
meet with no such difficulty. Our people, with characteristic
kindness, and even hospitality, receive the young men and
women who come to teach their children. Citizpns ran in
this way help to make the teachers comfortable and their
profession respected. The good they do will be returned
seven-fold by the increased energy of teachers, and their de-
sire to have a good report among those who have been their
friends.

TEXT BOOKS.

No change has been made in the uniform series of Text
Books nor is any contemplated by the State Board, unless it
be to enlarge the series to be used in the High Schools when
established: The Primary and Grammar School series,
selected with great care, embraces the best manuals of their
kind, prepared in a style of excellence unusual for School
books and furnished at prices unusually cheap as the accom-
panying list will show.