the report card, 167 years later

Last week, while visiting the Cabildo, a New Orleans museum chronicling the history of Louisiana, I chanced across a report card from 1842:

PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- SECOND MUNICIPALITY
Monthly Account of George Leahy from Monday, March 7, to Saturday, April 8, 1842

Credit Marks for Correct Lessons, 67 --duty requires 96
Merit Marks for Correct Conduct, 17 --duty requires 21
Checks for Misconduct,
Absent, 6 days Tardy, times
Remarks:--

The Parent or Guardian is requested to signify that he has examined this account, by signing it below the Teacher's name and returning it.

A few random thoughts.

1. I would love to see a report card coming from a contemporary public school that uses the word "duty" in any context.

2. Do public schools do "merit marks" these days? Mine sure doesn't.

3. As the Washington legislature plans to return education to 1842 funding levels, perhaps we oughtta return to 1842 pedagogy, too. Slates! Primers! Corporal punishment! (Double bonus: no more Dornian pseudo-WASL.)