Mower County transcript., 1890-07-16
National Educational Association
Twelve Thousand Trainers Of the
Youthful Mind Meet In Con-
n&@ vention at st. Paul.
The Annual Gathering of Americas
Best Talent to Discuss Edu-
cational Questions.
An Interesting Report of Their De-
Nberations for the Transcript
by Supt. @, D. Belden.


nberations for the Transcript
- by Supt. @. D. Belden.
The National Teachers Association
was formed in 1857. For several years.
1t was small body, no: awakening
great enthusiasm. Today it is one of the
notable organizations Of the United
States. The association met this year at
st. Paul, thus honoring Minnesota q
second time with its annual gathering.
1t met in Minneapolis in 1875, The ses-
sions of the association at St. Paul last
week were of especial interest and profit.
There is an inspiration and promise of
good results in the meeting of $4,000
teachers which is hard to estimate justly.
There were present at this meeting many
of the ablest and most noted educators OF
our country. We have hopes that their
wise deliberations will help to solve the
grave educational problems pressing upon
our nation and will tend to improve our
school methods. Constant agitation of
new thoughts and plans usually precede
reform, and no one can read the reports
of the association without feeling con-
vinced that our great educational leaders
are also reformers striving steadily to
introduce school work that shall benefit
and develop the minds of the rising gen
Grafton. The St. Paul meeting. is pro-
nounced by many the best yet held. On
only one similar occasion has there been
so large an attendance. Its discussions
all seemed to tend in the direction of its
avowed purpose, which is ito elevate the
character and advance the interests of
the profession of teaching and to promote
the cause of popular education in the
United States" e,
The National Council of Education,
composed of sixty members from the as
sociation, opened on July 4. The papers
read before this select body and the dis:
cussions attending we're timely and
scholarly. Il seems too late In the CEN
tury to discuss tho propriety of the CO.
education of the sexes, but this subject
was exhaustively treated. The general
feeling of the council was that the
sexes should be educated together in all
schools of general learning, and that the
education in all essential particulars
should be the same in both" A paper
by DR.. E. E. White awakened warm dis
cussion. His subject was ''city school
systems and superintendent" He as.
sumed that boards of education in our
cities are as class incompetent to per-
form their duties. The proposed remedy
was to make the city superintendent an
autocrat with full and independent au-
thority in selection of his teachers and
hold him personally responsible for the
success or failure of the school work.
Vigorous protests were, of course made
to this proposition. We do not think
that the people at large are quite pre-
pared FOR this radical innovation. We
prefer to trust the old way We see no
sure benefit to come from more indie
pendent position of the city superntend.
ents. Other interesting papers and re-
ports were made.
The association proper opened on Tues
day afternoon. A most notable gather
ing was held in Rice Park and the more
than 10000 visitors were given cordial
| welcome to St. Paul and Minnesota.
Short and most acceptable addresses
were made by Governor Merriam. Presi-
dents Northrup and Strong, Presidents
Shepard and Lord, and others. Re-
| sponses were made by President Garfield
and educators from different sections of
the United States. The first regular ses-
| sion was held IN the evening at the
Peoples church, which was crowded.
Meetings were hell in this immense room
every morning and evening; the afternoon
being given to department work in
various localities We can give only the
barest outline of some of the main sub.
jects. Prof. Virgins of Tennessee gave
an interesting address on Forms OF
Discipline and Discipline of Forms.
Wednesdays papers were as follows
Report on psychological and pedagogical
observation by DR.. Brown Of Illinois
The Results of q Special Inquiry on the
Relation ofInstruction to Will Training. y
Examinations as Tests for Promotion, u
by Prof. Maxwell Of Brooklyn. Wednes-
day evenings program was q treat of
good things. After q paper by Miss
Laughlin of ST. Paul on |'The Moral
Value OF. Art Education" and brief dis.
cussion by several ladies, Miss Frances
3. Willard was introduced for the subject
.sThe White Cross Movement in Educa-.
tion. I was 9 grand address, She
emphasized the fact that the teachers
position was one Of the noblest opportu.
mites for women. She spoke eloquently
Of the White Cross movement and al