Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-16
County High School.

f County High School.
EDITOR BuLLETIN:-The total amount
of taxes levied on Buchanan county, FOL
school purposes for the next year, is $50,
64973 This is large sum, and yet
it will be the most cheerfully paid Of any
portion of their taxes, by the people al
large. Every man of intelligence in ouI
county recognizes the paramount impor
lance of sustaining and fostering our
public schools But, as already remarked,
sixty thousand dollars is large sum oil
money, and it is very proper subject OF
inquiry whether this money is now spent
to the best possible advantage. Is not a
salary of thirty five dollars per month alb
solutely thrown away upon an incompe-
tent teachers Nearly so, at the best.
Would it not be money saved to every
district to spend a few dollars toward
making their teachers competent and
thus secure actual benefit from the larger
amounts paid the teacherss hope
shall not offend any portion of our teach
ers by asserting that at least three fourths
of them are more or less incompetent. l
think they will acknowledge this them
selves. 1t is not their fault that they are
so. They are employed to do a special
work that requires ample preparation
for it's successful accomplishment, and are
given no opportunity to make that prep
aration The work must of necessity be
clumsily performed. Our policy in this
respect is just as foolish as that Of the
builder who should entrust his most in
tricate work to his greenest apprentice.
In all other occupations, employers take
good care that their employees are compe-
tent, through thorough preparation, to
perform well the work assigned. More
than this, the employers themselves fur
nish the opportunity and means through
which this preparation is made. That is
the very thing that Buchanan county, as
a great employer of teachers, ought to do,
first of all. Establish County High
School, with normal department, so that
every teacher employed in the county
may have an opportunity to serve a thor
ough apprenticeship, and then require
that apprenticeship to be served as
an absolute prerequisite for employment.
We shall thus secure skilled labor in
place of raw help" and our money will
be used to good advantage. AS it is, our
teachers have no possible way of prepar-
ing themselves for their work; of course
Il large share of the. money paid to them
is practically squandered. Not that this
is the case with all teachers, but with
very large class We shall, as IA county,
sink enough money in this way, next
year, to erect very good building for
county high school, We have been doing
this kind Of business for great many
years past. We have already sunk
enough to keep a tirst-class county high
school, with normal department, in full
blast for thirty years. Shall this suicidal
policy be continued?
The Legislature of our State has placed
the remedy within our grasp, All we
have to do is to go about this work just
as people go about the ordinary business
of life We want teachers who are well
prepared for their work We cannot
have them as long as we refuse them the
opportunity for preparation, Our money
is badly invested when paid to unpre-
cared teachers. ne mHat hare teachers
Of some kind. Is it not the plainest prop
osition in the world, then, that it would
be money saved to us to establish coun-
ty high school and thus furnish teachers
the opportunity to prepare themselves,
so that we may afterwards pay for skilled
labor and not be compelled to squandcr
our money? That is precisely the view
any good mattcr-of fact business man
would take of 1t. Why should we hest
tate to move forward in this work, if as a
financial investment it is going to pay
and pay wells And yet this is only the
sordid view Of the case.
started to say something about the
financial aspect of this high school move
ment, but have touched only on a single
point and my space is already consumed
With your permission, Mr. Editor, l shall
attempt to show. next week, that our
county can establish and support high
school, not only without any increase, but
j. L. LOOMS.