Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-03-07
Teachers of ohio.

Shall we have State Normal School in
Ohio? One in fact as well as in name One
furnished with all the appliances of mod
ern art and invention? One representing
in its organization our entire national
system of education? One that shall echo
from its halls, the consentaneous voice of
the professfon9 One to which the young
teacher may resort for that preparation,
which experience alone can give? One
that shall represent the true science of edu-
cation and the true art of teaching, as de-
veloped by study and practice? One that
shall be an honor to our State and bless
ing to our country? Or shall we allow
the sacred interests and duties that clus-
ter about the teachers professionalism
which none have a more direct bearing
upon the national welfare, and the hap
piness and prosperity of our people-to
drift away into incompetent hands; into
mere catch-penny concerns, normal class
es, normal departments, and private Nor
nal Schools, so called, none of which,
from the very nature of things, can do
the work efficiently? Shall we, say,
suffer these sacred interests, that so much
concern our children and the world, to
become the mere badinage of quacks and
charlatans? 1t is for us to say.
Your. attention is called to a memorial,
now in circulation, to the present Legis-
lature, for the establishment of a first
class Normal School, in some central part
of the State.
have taken the field in the interest of
such a School, and of that class of educa-
tional literature which will most likely
effect onr purposes; among which are the
Ohio Educational Monthly, the Neao England
Journal Of Education, the Educational Week
ly of Chicago, and others, all represent
ing the best educational talent in the
country.
1 hope to visit your county, in order to
confer with you on these subjects, and, if
possible, to awaken greater interest in
them.
The following will show the deep inter-
est some of the leading educational men
in the State take in these matters:
To the Teachers of Ohio, and all others aUhona
it may concern:
ing, we have known Prof. John Ogden
many years, and have entire confidence
III his honesty, integrity, and jealous de-
Yotion to the cause of Education. He is
an excellent teacher and an impressive
lecturer. He has spent half lifetime in
| the study and practice of educational
| philosophy, as applied to Normal Schools.
Perhaps no man in the State is better pre-
| pared to speak on these subjects than he.
He is now at the head of the Ohio Central
Normal School, private institution that
reflects the true principles and methods of
a thorough professional Normal School.
/ We heartily approve of his projects to Sc
a Board of Institute Managers, such as
are contemplated in 'FThe Memorial to the
Legislature, - that shall be an honor to
our State and an inestimable agency in
the work of Normal Instruction.
We earnestly commend him and his en-
teFprise, both public and private, to all
! friends of educational progress in Ohio.
HON. j. J. BURNS,
State Com'nr Common Schools, o.
Hon. THos. w. HARVEY,
Ex-State Com'nr Common Schools, o.
R.W. STEVENSON,
Sup't of Education, Columbus, o.
GEORGE TWIss,
| Agent Metric Bureau, Columbus, o.
| Editors of county newspapers, and 9TH
ers, are requested to insert this notice, to-
gether with the Memorial in other
ways, to give as wide circulation to them
as possible.
JOHN OGDEN,
Principal Ohio Central Normal School,
Worthington, Ohio.
MEMORIAL.
To the Honorable, the Genea7,l Assembly of
the State Of Ohio:
GENTLEMEN: Believing that Normal
Schools, for the professional training of
! Teachers, are an acknowledged necessity
in any well regulated system of educa-
ton, your MemOrialists beg leave to rep
resent:
1. That Ohio has fallen far behind
most other States in her provisions for
such training, thereby incurring their
just reproach, and imperiling her high
standing, educatiOnally.
2. That at least twO-fifths of her chill
dren, now attending public schools, are
in the hands of persons (many of them
mere boys and girls) who have never Civ
en- serious thought to the science of ed
ucation as related to other sciences, or to
the art of teaching as related to the actual
management of schools.
/ 8. That we believe the money now
paid for Institute WOrk-amOunting, as it
does, to nearly $40 900 per annum-wOuld
be more prOtitably expended in the en-
ployment, by the State, of regular Board
of Institute Managers, of unquestioned
ability, whose duty it should be to visit
all the counties in the State, at least once
q year, to systematic and unity the in
struction in these misunderstanding
) with their own hands.
4. And that, in addition to this, first
class State Normal School should be es-
tablished at some central point in the
State, being thoroughly equipped, with
all the educational appliances of the age
representing, in its departmental Organi
zation, all the grades of school, contem
plated in our national system; employing
in its appoin tments the best educationa
} talent in the State; thus constituting
f seat of professional learning, where teach
: ers from all parts of the country may re
sort, and enjoy the Best Opportunities
: not only for studying educational scienc
: and systems, but for practic ing, under
9 circumstances the most favorable, tn
Best Methods of organizing, teaching AM
managing schools of the various grades
5 therefore, your MemOrialists respectful
e Iy ask that such legislative action be tax
= en- by your honorable body, as shall Sc
: cure the immediate appointment of sucE
u a Board of Institute Commissioners; ant
e further, that such steps be taken as shal
# secure the establishment, at no distan
a day, of such Normal School as contem
plated in the foregoing, one that shall re
= fleet honor and renown upon our Stat
- and Nation. All of which is respectful
r submitted.