Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-12-22
1. Gain since last year


wyoming $50. a96 Loss " 50 Il
Total gl4o AZ 1916
Being an increase since last year of.....-"".".3H
No of entire districts.
No of joint districts ....... y
No OF school houses l2i
No of children who have attended school G70i,
or 10 per cent. Of the whole number.
Total No of days attendance ,......,......4D Az
Being an average Of 80 days for each scholar
who has attended school or Tn average OF II days
for the whole Number.
No OF DAYS school has been taught Is $50,
averaging 159 daysIfor each school.
No teachers employed 2OS
Showing that 0n{y small portion Of the schools
retained the same teacher Tor both summer and
winter seheols-
Average wages of male teachers, ........-SH 90
Average wages of female teachers ..........Sa5 90
Both being little less than the preceding year.
No. of school houses reported ia so'd con,
dilol, .
No.with outline maps, ...... .,................"l4
No with outhouses in good coB,iit'on. ..ii
No schools with more than one dcpartment,or
Total cash valuation of school houses, $i5 36j
do do do apparatus, .-......... l,u6
Cash paid for services Of male teachers, .iSi
Total amount paid for ali -choo, purposes, 40, iS3
Seventeen public examinations have been held
during tie Sear.at which were mapplicants; lSl,ot
which received certificates, including district
licenses and limited certificates.
OF the 1872 teachers licensed, III were females
and 65 males: III are native born citizens of the
United states, and - were born IN Wisconsin.
Thirty -thres were born in foreign countries; of
which England furnishes 49, Wales 4. Ireland
Prince Edwards leland 3, Canada ), Scotland ,,
and Norway ,.
OF the teachers for the winter schools ~ per
cent were males, aud 81 per cent. females. For
the summer term 10 per cent, were males, and 10
per cent females.
barring the year | have visited all the schools ex-
cept few which were not in scss on at the time
and some twice.
These visits have not been made for the purpose
Of Gult finding, or citiczing, but to cheer and
encuarag the! teachers to ascertain the con
dtion of the schools, method If in truction prog
ress of the scholars in their studies their wants
and difficulties. to render such aid as | WAS able
and offer such suggestions. As Circumstances
seemed to require. At these visits have usually
conducted the exercises and rcciations and eX-
amlned the classe, In as many of the branches as
the time would permit making generally very
busy half day for the schools
1t affords me pleasure to be able to testify TO
the fat hinineSs of our teachers. their progress
both IN edGca onai Qualifications and method of
teaching, and the better general understanding of
Their obligations ana duties. From careful oh.
scrvation of their con'iiton through the agency OF
teachers reports and personal visits, am salts
fed that our schools were better and more
thoroughly taught the last winters term than
ever before. professional pride and desire
"a excel. The effects OF Norninl training and
instule instrnciion,ard demands ofpdblic opinion
are producing n heaihu influence upon our
schools. and supplying us with better qualified
aud more efficient teachers.
The desire on the part OF our teacherst 70 secure
the advantages of every means provided FOR their
improvement may be seen in the fact that over
fifty candidates from this county, besides those
from the city of Mineral Point. have been nOmi-
mated for admission To the State Normal school
atPluttevillc. since the opening of that nstutiOpl
and 81 students Of that school, nearly all residents
of the county, have been licensed 10 teach in The
county during the year.
While these words of commentator are justly
due to large majority OF our teachers, am sorry
To acknowledge there are TOO many exceptions
our Annual Teachers Institute held nt Dodge
VILE commencing Oct. nth was one of the largest
aud mast interesting ever held in the county
Eighty names were enrolled, being nearly all
active teachers i'll the county. The evening scss-
ions were occupied with general discussions the
reading OF essays ty teahcers, prepared for the
occasion, aud lectures by Messcrs Graham and
Gaylord and Rev VIM. Stuigcs. The distinguish
ing feature of ourlnstitutc was the close attention
and daep interest manifested by all throughout
the entire session, and the regret al parting
Gould we have continued two weeks. | am salts
fled it world have been productive of more good
than two weeks spcnti IN any other manner
The people and the teachers OF Dodgcvcc gen
erousiy provided for our entertainment, and did
eyerythingpossinle TO make our stay agreeable and
pleasant According to our usual practice, certih
GATES of membership and attendance were given
| to those present. Could the possession OF such
| a certificate or u reasonable excuse be made a
| legal qualification, the advantage of Institute in
slrHCtiun lulEnt reoCU mat Cl0sS oil teachers VINO
| most need them, bat WHO seldom attend. Teach
crs Institutes have within few years, through the
| encouragement of the law requiring them to be
! held, and partially providing for their support
4 and the Introduction OF more systematic methods
| of conducting them become powerful auXiiiaries
| TO the cause OF education. our best and most
Ccsstul teachers appreciate these opportunities
aud the attendance of many Others l. compelled
by The force Of public opinion. The subject otleah
tug is here discussed in all Its bearings. The opn
ious Of those best qualified to judge, and the eN-
perienCe of those who have devoted their lives 10
the profession, are here submitted for consider
alton. and the hest aud most approved methods
OF Instruction and discipline introduced and cN-
planned But there Is stll large class who fail
to derive any benefit from this means. Some who
are timid aud fear their ignorance may i'll some
! way be exposed; and others not a very numcr-
Gus class, however, who are wholly Indifferent
10 anything beyond the lowest Kind OF license or
permit that will enable them TO spend their
time in a school room and receive n teach
/ erS' pay, aud this not upon their own mcr-
its, unless cheapncss he considered one, but
through The innucHce and urGcut petition OF Il
district board because their school II very back
ward and anybody viii ausW err, Forgetting that
TINS Is Que OF the strongest possible reasons for
not employing such teacher
The Time is rapidly approaching when public
opinion and self interest will wisely discriminate
between those who use every means within
their reach 10 qualify themselves iurihe intelligent
discharge IF their duties ana Those who do net
Ndsh has been said within the past few wears
/ upon the subject OF q compulsory law; and II
viii 1rGhably ho urged upon the attention of opr
Legislature at the coming session. relieytng that
the lite and prosperity OF our nation rests upon
the intelligence of its people and fearing the con-
sequences n SO large portion Of children OF the
State nvglecting school and growing up in ignu-
rance and vice, many ot oar bD~t aud most lntcll-
gcat citizens have come 10 the conclusion that we
+ shall be compelled 10 resort Co compulsory lcLlsh-
ton in order 20 secure proper attendance IN our
common shouts. Others desire by some means 10
secure results expected from the operation OF such
Z = law. without the law itself which IL Is feared
4 would prove unpopular and offensive to many.
Lam Of the opinion that much OF the fear cN-
pressed hv the advocates oil such law arises from
Il msapprcnsion Of facts derived from he reports
OF school officers. The names of only about two
thirds OF the Children Of ne STATE Nctwcen Tie
ages OF four ana twenty are ia auy one year upon
the teachers records and il /, therefore taken for
granted that the remaining onc-thigd are growing
up in ignorance entirely destitute Of common