Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-30
THE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION
AGAIN.
Letter from E. H. Ely.

The following is private letter nd
dressed by Mr.. Ely to one of our citizens,
and by him furnished us for publication:
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa,
March 23rd, 1877.
In the matter of necessity for a coun
ty High School in our county to enable
school officers to secure better teachers
Tor the public schools at the same or low
er rates than they now pay, you told me
you intended to write a review of Supt.
Parker's report, which review you woul.
publish at an early date. do not know
just what shape the discussion will as
sumo, but in the Illinois Legislature this
winter, the discussion of the bill estab-
fishing the Northern Ill., Normal School.
which has since become II law, brought
out some facts that are not generally
known, and exhibited some old and well
known facts in an entirely new llght-at
least new to very many interested persons
who have studied the subject not little
lst-W Was the natural law governing
supply and demand operative in the sup
ply of and demand for school teachers?
Decided III the affirmative by the passage
OF the bill.
2nd.--That the supply above referred
to, was abundant in quantity or numbers,
but exceedingly inferior in quality or
merit
3rd- That teachers were better paid
for the character of the services they
rendered than any other class of EN-
ployes
4th Therefore, the object OF the
school should be primarily to correct
these abuses and secure larger returns for
the expenditure of the public monies, and
secondnrily, to erect II pub l. standard of
gu LITIGATION, by which persons propos-
ing to become teachers must he tested he
fore entering upon their duties as teach
ers
lido not krow whether you have read the
law or not, but feel sure you have become
thoroughly well acquainted with the
principles involved in it. Parker's report,
it may be claimed, shows simply that
there were III Buchanan County
several persons who thought themselves
qualified to teach school. and gave as EVIL
dence of that qualification, the productions
which We're published in his report; but
tails to show what his (Parker's) standard
of qualification is, or whether he has any
such standard. Granting that such stand
ard exists in the mind, and crops out in the
conduct of the Co. Supt., is it not true
that it may be too high or too low to
meet the requirements of the public inter
est? Does this standard ever vary? Oh
are its requirements ever modified to suit
special cases Or emergencies
| have no doubt that it can be shown
that the needs of one locality differ from
those of another in the same Stat; tha
this fact renders it necessary to regarc
the Torn hip as the mat of the schoo
system for very many purposes, such a.
course Of study, character of supplies &c
but am equally well satisfied that the
county should be the unit, in which the
standard of qualification for teachers
should be uniform and invariable.
will not bore you with many argu
ments in defence of those two PROPOSE
tons, but allow me to suggest the
supplies required by the township unit
consist of material not usually found
within the boundaries of that Unit, as
the supply of material for the county
unit should be found within the limits OF
that unit. Among the reasons for the
first conclusion, that of necessity is given
as sufficient; for the second, that the
teacher should be an inhahitant of the
county, because of the necessity existing
in the very nature of his relationship tc
the people of his county, for him to be
acquainted with. 1st the vernaculal
language of that people. end with the
political preiudices of that people. 3rt
with their religious prejudices. 4th with
their intellectual needs and requirements
and 5th with the very best means of mod,
flying or promoting each of these inter
ests that is afforded him.
know it is objected to this assump
ton, that foreigner will be able to i'm
prove the condition of the people, to
whom he ministers, by the introduction
of the best type of instruction in these
directions that he obtains in the locality
whence he came In order that this
may be beneficial, it is necessary that
the teacher should come from place SUI
perior in these particulars, to the scene
of his teaching. Our Yankee people Will
not grant the fact of this superiority, ev
en- if it exists in fact This is proven by
the experience of hundreds of music
teachers, German teachers and others
who have received special training fol
their work and, almost universally fGI
Show me successful teacher of the
German language to American children,
who was horn and educated in Germany
There are nom.
cannot get time to fairly outline my
poor notions on this subject, but that is
immaterial. Gods Army will march on
whether l can keep step or not. You
are able to command your own time, aad
/ expect great things from your efforts.
Respectfully Yours, &c,
f. u. ELY.
Tho MaEayfna