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About APS – History of Akron Public Schools
1847-60
Akron's first "public" schools were established in the fall
of 1847 and were led by Mortimer Leggett. Like all other
superintendents for the next 20 years, he was also a teacher and
principal. He spent the first two years organizing the district.
When Leggett resigned in 1849 because the Board could not afford
to give him a raise, Charles W. Palmer and his wife took over
until 1851. Together, they were paid $600 a year.
Palmer became ill during the 1851-52 school year. Because he was
also in charge of the grammar school, the school had to be
closed all but six weeks the whole year. (The next year, the
grammar school wasn't opened at all because of a lack of money
to operate it!) Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Olmstead took over until
Samuel Cooper was hired for $65/month. He led the district from
1853-56.
The Saturday morning "spectator" school began during this time.
Each Saturday morning, one teacher called her class together for
an hour-and-a-half lesson while other teachers, board members,
townspeople, etc. watched. Afterward, they had lectures and
discussions. All teachers were required to attend. The district
used this "spectator" school until 1860.
Also during this time the Jennings School, the new two-story
brick high school, opened. It held the grammar school, which was
a large room on the first floor, and the high school, which was
also one large room, on the second. Both rooms had a recitation
room attached.
Horace B. Foster was the next superintendent, from October 1856
to spring of 1857. Edwin Olmstead ran the schools just the
spring of 1857.
In case you weren't counting, that makes five superintendents in
10 years. The Board didn't think that was a good way to run a
school district. They decided that in order to attract and keep
the best staff, they were going to have to pay more money. So
the Board paid the next superintendent, Charles T. Pooler,
$1,000 a year. He led the schools from 1857 to 1860.
The early years:
Who taught the students? The primary schools were taught by
young women who were paid $3.50 a week. The Board justified the
hiring of young women teachers because they would be paid less
and were under the supervision of a man (the superintendent).
Back in 1857, the general rule of the Akron Board of Education
was to "employ no teachers in the Akron schools but those of
ripe age, ample experience, successful tact, a fine education
and an ample fund of general knowledge. Besides these, the
teacher must have great goodness and kindness of heart,
indomitable perseverance, good common sense, and last, but not
least, the qualities, in a measure, of a successful military
general." All that, for wages as low as $3.50 a week!
What did the students learn? Surprisingly, a grammar school
student back in 1847 was taught many of the same subjects taught
now – spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography,
history, grammar, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physiology,
chemistry, bookkeeping, etc. Students were also taught natural
philosophy, mental philosophy and astronomy.
Who attended? In 1847, 641 students were enrolled in the
primary schools and 127 in the grammar school. Attendance was a
problem, though. Only about 55% of eligible students attended
the primary schools!
Where did they go to school? Akron Public Schools built two primary
schoolhouses, 25 x 32 feet, at a cost of $370 each, in 1847-48. A dwelling-house
was used as the grammar school before a new grammar/high school was built in
1853. The new brick grammar/high school was 70 x 50 feet and two stories high.
It cost about $9,000 to build and was named "Jennings School."
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