The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-19
The Tennessee Teachers' Assoc
citation.

Gu 10 near " SIdtOmS1lL VI the I1dJLeIs
of public interest that came up before |
the Tennessee Teachers Association
at its annual session that was held III
Nashville on the ninth and tenth in
stants.
Governor Brown was expected to
deliver the address Of welcome, but
he telegraphed to the body that he
was unavoidably detained in Pulaski,
and that although he was very desi-
rous of filling his appointment and at
tending the meeting, circumstances
rendered it impossible for him to do
so. By special request of the Presi-
dent, the State Superintendent well
coined the members of the AssOcia-
ton to Nashville.
Wednesday morning the Associa-
ton discussed the propriety of estab-
fishing a journal of education in Ten
nessee, and after several eloquent
speeches, the matter was referred to
committee, whose subsequent re-
port in favor of the journal was adopt
ed. This magazine will be pub
lished in Nashville, and the editors
will act under direction of the Asso-
citation; it will be, as it were, the or
gan of the State Superintendent of
public schools, and it may be expect
ed to contain articles of literary inter.
est from our state and from abroad
In the afternoon of the first days
session State Superintendent Fleming
read a report, and an address on
schools. BY means of reliable sta
tistics he showed that there has been
wonderful improvement in the pub
lie schools of Tennessee in the past
year, and that the present schOol-law
is working as well as could be expect
ed under the circumstances.
DIR. Sears, agent of the Peabody
fund, opened the evening session
with an elaborate account of his long
experience in the management of pub
lie schools. This speech awakened
some lively discussion of subjects con-
nected with education.
After a prayer from the Rev. Mr..
Inman, the second days exercises
were opened by Prof. Starks reading
his paper on Teachers Institutes,
which was fully discussed, and the
committee to whom this matter was
referred reported in favor of the es,
Enlistment of teachers institutes in
every county.
| Doo,loJI,- 4I,o ,~ooet 1roy>Or%o,,
question discussed during the session
was that Of normal schools; and ar
rangements were made for raising six
thousand dollars annually, with which
to establish normal schools in Tennes-
see for the education of her teachers.
The Honorable Mr.. Mallon, of At
lanta, Ga, read paper on the best
method of teaching English compost
ton; after which, discussion arose
on the important question of harmon
izing the public and private schools of
Tennessee. Quite a number of
speeches were made by public and
private school-teachers, and although
the debate was an exciting one, the
conclusion of the matter was appro-
priately compared to a love-feast.
Having learned the regrets of ma
ny teachers at their inability to leave
their schools and attend this meeting,
the Association adopted a resolution
to hold semi-annua1 meeting of four
days, in Knoxville, beginning the
fourteenth of next July; at which
time most of the schools and teachers
will be enjoying vacation.
Committees were appointed to WIS.,
it the schools in Nashville, and an in
vitation was read, asking the men,
bers to attend the Convention of
County Superintendent, held at the
capitol on the eleventh and twelfth
instants, under the direction of State
Superintendent Fleming.
There were several hundred educa-
tors from various parts of the State
in attendance upon this meeting of
the Association, and the county SUI
perintendents were well represented.
1t is also worthy of remark that ma
ny of the most influential citizens of
Nashville attended the meetings of
the Association from first to last, and
cvinced a lively interest in education
al affairs by taking an active part in
the proceedings.
Several distinguished school-men
from other States were present, and
having been invited to seats in the
Association, manifested great pleas
ure at the advancement that has been
made in the cause of education in
Tennessee.
By a series of resolutions the Asso-
citation congratulated the people upon
the prosperous condition OF our pub
lie schools during the past year, and
pledged their hearty support to the
State Superintendent in his efforts
for the cause Of education.
1t is certainly matter of great i'm
portance that the teachers and friends
of education should meet at least once
year, and discuss subjects that tend
to promote the general welfare; and
it should be a matter of pride among
Tennesseeans generally, that this As
ISOLATION, whose very existence was
threatened in the years that imme-
diately succeeded the war, has now
been established upon a sure founda-
ton, and will most probably exert
beneficial influence in educating the
masses of our people.