Superintendent of Bloomington Schools

Abstract

In her history of the Bloomington schools, Raymond writes with passion and excitement about beginning this new position, but also honestly about the challenges that awaited her. She knew the issues and the local papers highlighted them. The community was concerned about her ability as a woman to lead, there was a desire to employ male teachers, and there were issues over curriculum and the mismanagement of funds by the previous superintendent.

This was the first time in the history of this county that a lady had been invited to hold so responsible a post. Active teaching had been so fascinating a profession to me, it was with many questionings in my own heart, that I accepted the very high compliment paid me by the board, but trusted and hoped that all might be as agreeable as my earlier experiences. As I took my seat only a few days before the opening of the school year, I found myself in the midst of the following conditions: out of the 53 teachers employed there were no male teachers, a change had been made in June regarding discontinuing the McGuffey Reader, book keeping errors, a large debt, a disorganized course of study, and aware that many felt a woman could not handle this job.”¹

Education is to train individual humans to work for the betterment of all others of their community and of the world.

—Sarah Raymond, First Annual Report of Bloomington Schools, 1876–77