The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-16
THE DIRECTORS MEETING.
Eleventh Annual Convention OF
Their Association.

xecutive committee of the Publ School
Direct rs Association of Schuylkll count,
about seventy school directors met in con-
vention in the high school building this
morning.
Convention was called to order by E. c
Wagner, of Girardville. There was on,
drawback in the meeting and that was tn,
absence of the old-time secretary, Mr.. r
A. Wilder.
Mrs. 5. G. NJ. Hollopeter was granted
the privilege of the q or and distribute
circulars on scientific instruction in school
and colleges on temperance.
Mr., Robert Harris, OF Tsmaqus nomi
mated by d. A. JONES' Esq, of Miners
vile, was elected to serve as secretary III
the association, in the absence of Mr., Wi
der, who was prevented from being in al.
tendance by a severe cold.
Deputy State Superintendent of Publ,
Instruction Houck and ex.County Super
intendent j. A, M. Passmore, now oi
Philadelphia, occupied seats in the conven-
ton.
Mr. c. Wagner not being able to re
main in attendance at the convention ali
day, and the vice president not being
present, David A. Jones, Esq, of Miners
vile, was elected president of the associa-
tion. Mr.. Wagner had filed the position
two years.
Frank P. Spiese, of Tamaqua, read d
paper on Are County Institutes, as now
conducted, OF practical benefit to teachers2
Mr.. Spiese was of the opinion that the
returns for the amount of money expended
on county institutes are not sufficient He
said he felt that local institutes should be
encouraged, but the county gatherings
should be abandoned.
DR., Leckner, of Schuylkill Haven, re.
gretted that any doubt should arise at this
late day as to the value of county institute.
The charge that men are brought as in
structors to the institutes who do not under
stand the wants in the public schools OF
the respective district was without founda-
ton. What are the teachers in the rural
districts going to do if you abolish the
county institute2 Put it to vote of the
teachers and see if they will vote that the
county institute is failure. hope that
no resolution condemning the county in
stitute will be passed by this body to-day
Let them have their county institutes and
let every wide awake city and borough
have their local institutes. AS to Mr..
! Spiese's suggestion that the money which
could be saved by the abolition of the
county institutes could go to a fund for
pensioning old school teachers, Dr.
Leckner said he did not consider school
teacher entitled to a pension any more
han the man who works in the mines.
David A Jones, Esq., thought that the
advancement made in educational circles is
too great to permit the abolshment OF
county institutes. But there has been a
systematic effort to force the arguments OF
hired instructors down the throats Of
teachers and then deprive them of indie
pendence Of opinion. More time should be
given at the institute to hearing from the
teachers what should be done to improvr
our school system. If this is done the cry
against the county institutes will soon die
out. Take the shscklss from the teachers
and give them an opportunity to be heard.
Mr.. Spiese spoke again and said if you
are going to encourage your teachers you
must do it practically. Pensions should be
offered to keep the good teachers within
the ranks. Pensions would induce teacher
to make their profession a life work 1t
would be solidifying the corps of teachers
Teaching in the public schools should be
raised to more exalted standard as a pro-
fession than mere stepping stone to some
other business. Devote more time to the
district institutes. II is good thing for
the teachers of the county to get together
once in while, but there should be a
meeting of the teachers in each district
every week. The tenor of my paper doe
not say that county institutes are not doing
any good, but it does say that such insti-
tutes have drifted into rut that made them
impraclicable.
Thomas Baird spoke for the district and
county institutes Anybody who con
demns the institutes shows that he does not
get into the schools very often. Nothing
would be saved by the adjustment of the
county institutes, because the teachers
would have to be paid for teaching during
the period they are now attending the
institutes. The more frequent you get
your teachers together, the more they
learn.
Anthony O'Donnell, Esq, said he was
not opposed to county Institutes but be was
opposed to the method in which they are
now conducted. 1t would be better if the
County Superintendent could be at liberty
to visit the school rooms more frequently
aud not have all his time taken up by the
institute. County institutes should be held
during vacation time, ANY theory taken
away from this institute this week and
adopted is just as inconsistent as the adopt.
ion of new text books in the middle OF the
school term. 1t is high time that the