Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-04-23
Special Report of Schools in Grant
County for 1871.
(RY W. II. HoLPoRD, COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT
INSTITUTES.

SNaDPt DSAhE - tNSo
than | visited last year; but l have
held four institutes of two days each,
one of two weeks, and one of four
weeks. | also appointed another
two days institute, but owing to the
short time it was advertised, too few
teachers were present to justify us
in calling it an institute. These in
sti,utes have greatly benefited every
teacher who has attended them, and
the schools that these teachers are
yet to teach, will thus be greatly i'm.
proved. And | call upon school off
GERS and patrons of schools TO take
notice of the fact that the instruction
given at the institutes and normal
schools causes very marked growth
and development of the teacher in
both mind and mould, and, also, a
physical development (where there
is an improvement in action, gesture,
manners and bearing there is phys.
ical improvmenO.-and that it is to
these Institutes and normal schools
that the improvement in your schools,
to which | call your attention, will
be owing And after observing the
success or lack of success of both
classes of teachers, those who attend
these institutions and those who do
not, if they agree with ms that such
institutions are the source from
which our common schools do and
must receive benefit, | still further
call upon those in terested in schools,
and especially do l call upon school
officers, 10 encourage and even urge
teachers TO attend institutes and nor
nal schools whenever it is possible
for them to do so. By the insti-
tutes held since last spring, dozens of
teachers have been greatly develop
ed and improved, and much be tier
qualified tor the work; hundreds
should have been thus benefited.
EXAMINATIONS
| have examined five hundred and
ninety applicants for certificates
two hundred and fifty last fall (187O),
and three hundred and forty last
spring (l871) Last fall about sixty
per cent. passed for a full certif-
cate, and last spring about sixty-two
per cent. still continue the prac.
tice of teaching, or developing, what
ever is suggested to my questions
and | endeavor to render my ques.
tons suggestive to what the teachers
should study and know, as well as O
test of their ability). This teaching
do, of course, after have received
the answers Of all. | am very conf
dent that this practice is good one,
for even teachers who have not at
tended an Institute or a Normal
School, and who were once noted as
those who do not improve, have i'm
proved during the past year; and
they tell me and others that this
practice is in great measure the
cause of il; but assure all such that
they would have improved far more
had they attended Normal School
or an Institute, or both, and then
had these suggestions in addition
Another reason for my consideri g
this practice good one, is that
teachers are fast becoming anxious
to have it continued. | also notice
with much pleasure that the average
STANDING" OF TEACHERS
is gtadually improving; this show.
that they study, and thus discharge
duty that no teacher should leave
undone.
"LICENsEs"
Last fall, at the request of schoo
officers, | licensed" about forty pei
cent. of those applicants who failed
to obtain full third grade certifi.
cate; and last spring about thirty
two per cent. of such. Very few
school boards have asked it this fall
and | am glad of it, for | shall grant
no licenses to any person who is un.
able to take third grade certificate
while any qualified teacher in the
country is unemployed / think
that here the practice of licensing
has already been continued too long
DIsCoURsEs.
During the year, evening dis
courses have been delivered by the
county perntendent in most OF
the villages in the county, and in
many Of the country districts. |
think that these meetings have bee n
productive Of good, and that ia ma
ny places the public interest in rela-
ton to schools has been improved.
wORK-sALARIEs
This county should be divided into
two superintendent districts, and
tbcn each superintendent could find
more work TO be done than he could
| do. Ifthis cannot be, the county
superintendent should be allowed an
assistant. Had | an assistant /
could keep him busy the year round
as farmer in harvest; and thai, too,
at something that would be benefc-
ial to the schools. | am aware that
this would cost something more than
now, but | feel quite sure that if
both would do their duty, the peo-
pie would be better satified to pay
the salary of the two than they now
are to pay that of one.
| am also aware that some COM
plain that the salary of the county
superintendent adds much to the
taxes, and benefits the schools but
little; yet | feel very confident that
if all such persons will look over the
whole field, note carefully without
prejudice the improvement of our
schools as whole, within the
last ten years, give this system cred
it for all it has done in the matter of
general improvem' mt, and give it
credit for that which is, so TO speak.
even now budded and ready to bios
som for the future improvement on
what we now have, and then count
the cost, they will all say that much
has been done, and that little money
has been used ia doing il. This
county contains nearly 10000 inhab-
itants. Now, if there were ONLY 3S.-
600, tax of three cents to each per
IL