Everett K. Wilson,<\/a> a teacher and counselor at Pine Mountain Settlement School compiled a questionnaire and sent copies to former Boarding School students. (See “Irene Combs” below for an example of the questionnaire.) Most were graduates, but some did not complete the program. They were asked to provide written reflections on their education at Pine Mountain Settlement School. Some responses were short, while others filled pages with very detailed information regarding the respondents’ successes and failures.<\/p>\nWilson’s survey attempts to look at the outcomes of the various students through their own assessment and critical introspection of themselves and the School they all shared. Thus, the impact of the Pine Mountain Settlement School on the life of the student could be assessed and the results of that assessment could be used to improve instruction and point a way forward for the School curriculum.<\/p>\n
The self-reflections, very much a part of Pine Mountain’s educational self-reflection history, are very revealing in their details. Of the survey results,17 surveys remain in the files at the School. They are reproduced in full in the GALLERY.<\/p>\n
There were several versions of the questionnaire. An example of one of the questionnaires asked the following questions:\u00a0<\/p>\n
“When were you at Pine Mountain?<\/em>
<\/span>What school did you attend before you came?
<\/span>How old were you when you entered?\u00a0 \u00a0 When you left?
<\/span>Did you go to another school after you left Pine Mountain
<\/span>What school, or schools?
<\/span>What are you doing now?
<\/span>Married?\u00a0 \u00a0 Children?
<\/span>Do you live on a farm or in town?
<\/span>Do you think Pine Mountain helped you any?
<\/span>In what way?
<\/span>What, in your estimation, were the faults with Pine Mountain?
<\/span>In which way do you think it could have helped you more?
<\/span>Do you think you should have had more book learning or more industrial work?”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n(See “IRENE COMBS” and “PAUL TOLLIVER” below for other examples.)<\/p>\n
\nGALLERY & CONTENTS:
EDUCATION Alumni Questionnaire Responses 1936<\/h2>\n
JOAN (JOANNA) AYERS <\/strong>(Student 1931-1935, Office Worker 1935-July 1939), Twila, KY<\/b><\/p>\n[ayers_joan_quest_003.jpg]<\/strong> Typewritten list of answers to the questionnaire, February 11, 1937, page 1 of 2. Her present address is at PMSS where she is working as a bookkeeper in the office; she is not married.<\/span><\/p>\nHow has Pine Mountain helped you?\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c… It has developed the spiritual side of me, which I think is the greatest thing it could have done\u2026.It has made of me two persons. One is the plain old mountaineer type, the one that the writer was when she came to Pine Mountain. In this person is still retained the knowledge possessed by a mountaineer, their way of thinking, way of doing things and a great deal of their spirit. The other person is the cultured and educated one with mind broadened by travel and association with a highly cultured people\u2026..”<\/span><\/i>
<\/span><\/p>\nHow could Pine Mountain help you more? “… I am afraid they were too lenient with me. The first year I came here I studied more than I did the last two years put together; but it was because I had been accustomed to it, working to stand head of my class, which I succeeded in doing all through school. But, when I cam and saw no goal (there was a great one, but I was not made to realize it) I began to care less about my progress and studied pitifully little.”<\/em><\/p>\n“… I find the outside world, (perhaps I should say people), for the most part, composed of human flesh bloated with air. I am [prejudiced] and really am no good judge for I have only been away from Pine Mountain one summer, but my experiences have been disgusting and it makes me love the sincereness found in the mountains.”<\/em><\/p>\n[ayers_joan_quest_004.jpg]<\/strong> Continuation of final answer to the questionnaire, page 2 of 2.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t