Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-18

the -ohoo' year.
O. To convene all the teachers ofhis town
once in four weeks, on Saturday. IN a town
teachers association, TO be conducted by him.
To hold two sessions, Of three hours each, a I
each meeting; time 10 be spent in "institute
work" Or, II any Of the teachers keep Satur-
day as their sabbath, IN lieu thereof, three
evening sessions OF two hours each, may be
held, upon such evenings as shall be most
convenient TO the greatest number oil teachersj
PROVIDED, that no such meeting shall be held
Tor these teachers on any Saturday or Sunday
evening,
Z. TO report 20 the county superint andent
OF the county which includes the town Ia
which he is employed, the condition and pro-
gress OF all the schoO ia his town, the sue
cess or lack of success of each teacher, aud
the reason why /: Is so IN each Case, and the
conditions of all the school-houses aud their
appurtenances.
s. 10 be paid out OF the treasury of the
town in which he is employed
y. II shou be provided that the law and
the executive committee snail entirely ignore
The three things following: (D His place of
residence; (l) His religious belief; (3) HIS
party politics.
ouuA system would cause an adj
ditional expense. but under it, chill
dreD would learn from one hundred
20 five hundred per cent. more in a
given time than they now do; hence
II would DO far the cheaper system
Last falI,upon the sup position that
we were to have two superintendent
districts in this county, an extra
thousand dollars was raised 10 pay
che salary Of the new officer; but this
plan failed and left the extra thous-
and on ban /.
Some seem TO think that this sum
mado the taxes much heavier yet
such can hardly be the case as the
county contains between 80 00e and
80 900 Inhabitants. 80 that tue tax
Tor both superintendents, as it was
supposed, is less than six cents to
each person in the county; and the
payment of The postage on two let
ters, or the price of a six cent cigar
once a year can hardly be felt.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Our normal schools have done
much to improve the condition OF
our common schools. This, from
the nature of the facts relating to
The case, will DO much palmer To be
seen in few years hcnce than now.
Yet some complain, and perhaps
justly, that they have done far less
IA this direction than they should
have done; and hence that should be
abolished. Bat let Us rot think of
abolishlng them at present nor for
a long time to come. The principle
upon which they are based is right.
Ii they are not just what they
should be, let Us do all we can to 80
improve them that they shall soon
become all that we can desire; let
Us send our students there and in
crease their numbers; let US give
these schools our hearty sympathy
aud best wishes for their welfare
and if any are employed in them as
teachers who have not the best OF
talent, and who are not peculiarly
fitted for the vocation of preparing
and fitting teachers for their duties
al such, and III persons can be found
and employed, let Us demand the
dismissal of the incompetent and the
employment of the fully competent.
But before we seek change let ~
first examioe, fully consider and
decide whether any char go is neoes-
sary tor the good of these schools
Aud when we shall have supported
our Normal Schools in this manner
for generation and ten years (thir
ty.fve years., We shall be prepared
~ Judge of their merits. We cannot
piaut a IUresL to-day and next year
Ouild houses out of lumber made fro m
timber in that forest; nor can we 90
this in five years.
The fckieness and Impotence
which renders people unable 70
wait for the development and maIur.
ity of:what they plant, is both a dis
grace and curse to them.
INSTITUTES.
A four weeks Institute was held
in this couHty during August. Two
weeks in Bloomington and two
weeks in Boscobel. Nearly every
teacher who was present man tested
desire 10 improve and q willing
ness to work. Good aud very thor
ough work was done. Only one
teacher was present during the
whole of the Institute; but we hope
TO be able TO make a better report
10 this respect, as we'll as in many
other, next year. At least two OF
the teachers who attended the In
sLitute have said, Il would not take
q hundr ID dollars for what | learned
there" Prof. w ID Parker, assist ed
by Miss Martha A. Terry and w. II
Holford, conducted the Institute
Mr. Parker is one of the very best of
men for this work all the teachers
and their superintendent are very
anxious TO have him come again next
year, in August. For school dis
tricts, the practice OF "changir &
teachers every term" is very irjurl-
GUS to tho schools; ia case we
should have a new conductor each
year tor the same Institute district,
would not the Institute be rendered
of less value than if conducted by
the same person tor a series ofyoars?
A little more than a half day OF
Institute work has been done at each
of my twenty-five examinations
held daring the past school year
As before stated, these seem 10 be- as
necessary and as profitable as any OF
the work done.
CONCLUSION.
On the whole. the condition of the
schools, the qualifications of the
teachers, and The interests manifest
ed in relation TO common school edu
cation, are precepihly improving in
this county. The work has occupi~
ed all my time and whatever ability
possess and feel that have
iabored faithfully to promote the
rause of general education.