Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-25

/
$685. g
Paid out during the year ...............$ 1598 9;
| Balance on hand -. ----.............S 366 4:
/ We recommend that the same rate of tax be
| voted as last year. We have about enough
funds on hand to last until the taxes come
| III.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
/ November 18th 1892.
CALVERT SpENsLEY, President.
| JosEPHUs BAILEY, Y. President
/ RICHARD CARTER, Secretary.
Report of Supt. of schools read as
! follows and ordered filed and pub
| liShed:
To the Honorable, the Board of Supervisors
/ Of Iowa County:
| s. Sec. 46l K. S. of Wisconsin, / respectfully
| submit the following report of the Common
| Schools of Iowa County.
| sCHooLHoUsEs
There are l23 shool-houses in this county,
| exclusive OF the city OF Mineral Point, OF
| which, at the close of the year ending June
| Both, 1892, only III were in good condition, aud
only 43 had special provision for ventilation
! Two new schOolhouses were built, one in
| the town of Pulaski and one in the town of
| MiffIn.
These 123 buildings, with sites, represent a
| total value of S103,74S and will seat and &C.
| comOdate 67S6 pupils, being sufficiently roomy,
as only 1922 pupils attended school last y ear.
! Many of the schools have a very meager
/
| nished with 81 globe. 1t is next to impossible
| to induce some school boards to procure the
most simple and essential apparatus, such as
| maps, globes di ctionarieS, or good black boards
! but on the whole. the schools are better sup
piled and equipped with the needed apparatus
| than ever heretofore, the total value of all
| the apparatus III the county being $48f3 so.
| TEACHERS AND EXAMINATIONS.
During the year ending June Both, The 123
districts employed 80 male teachers and l7y
| female teachers. and paid on the average S46-
! 45 per month for male and $24.55 for female
| teachers. There is slight increase In the
| average wages of district teachers, which is
/ partly due to the present policy of gradually
raising the standard of qualifications, and
thus limiting the number of licensed teachers
| to some 30 or 30 more than are actually needed
! tC supply all the schools. 1t also has whole
| some effect on the schools, as they receive the
| best possible instruction that the county af-
| fordS.
! county are equal III ability to the teachers of
| any or all the surrounding counties, even
| those which have superior educational facili-
| ties in the way of Normal school and q greater
| number of high schools. This Improvement
is due largely to the uniform State examina-
| Pedagogy given in our High schools.
| INSTITUTE AND SUMMER SCHOOL.
| During the past year the teachers institute
| was held in the Spring as change from the
| old plan of holding it in the summer, the adj
| vantage being, that teachers can take their
| training and information there acquired, i'm
| mediatey into their schools and apply 1t
/
about siXty-ive teachers present and atten-
| dance would have been larger but for the bad
/ roads and incement weather.
| Last summer We introduced new feature
| in educational work in the form of a Summer
| School for teachers devoted especially to pro-
| fessonal training and conducted by PROBES
4 SOrS James and Sanford at DOdgeville. The
| good work done by this institution was quite
| apparent in the examination papers of the
| Seventy-fOur teachers who attended. and an
| effort will be made to make the Summer
| permanent educational
system.
| REPORTS.
| The system of teachers reports introduced
| last year is now in full operation, and already
| their influence has been telt in every school
| in the county. Copies of both are here ap-
| pended and marked exhibit IA" and exhibit
| "B" respectively,
| BY means of the report marked exhibit''A'' O
| teacher can completely organize a new school
| in less than half IL day, and this without hav
| ing pupils take needless reviews or turning
| them back" because of an over estimation OF
| their ability, in either case, wasting valuable
| time.
In the short space of time they have been in
| operation they have etfectualy graded nearly
| all the schools IN the county according to the
| Manual OF the Course of Study. as we'll as ena
| bling the Superint end't to follow and compare
the work of any pupil in the county from term
to term, and also that of the teachers.
| TOWN LIBRARIES,
As yet, but three towns out of the fourteen
| III the county have purchased town libraries
namely Pulaski, Linden, and Mineral Point
These up to June Both, 1892 had expended the
| sum OF S565.l4 in the purchase of 644 volumes
OF books. These books cover the whole fell
OF literature. history, fiction, travel, science
| and biography, and are of ineStimable value
to the boys and girls whose homes are with
out a library, and as matter of fact but very
few homes in Iowa county possess libraries
suitable for children of from sevento sixteeI
years of age. THAT period of child's life |:
the golden opportunity for intoxicating q de
sire Tor good literature. AS every bright boy
or girl will read more or less, it is Infinitely
better to have them read good books careful
ly selected than to pore over the shameless
accounts of crime and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the
columns of our daily papers or the trashy love
stories in family story papers.
No town can afford 10 be without such a Ii
brary when 1t cap be obtained at so tritiing
cost. Investigation concerning the system il
lhe above named towns, shows.that the pupils
as rule take deep interest in the books. IL
some cases getting more knowledge and cul
ture from them than they do from their tex
books.
WISCONSIN TEACHERS READING CIRCLE
The Wisconsin Teachers Reading Circle ha
been revived, and a number of teachers have
been enrolled in Iowa county, Its aim is tt
induce teachers in their spare moments tx
take up systematic course of reading-par
professional and part for general culture.
Last years course comprised hite's Ele
ments OF Pedagogy for professional advance
ment, and Myers General History for genera
culture. 1t Is to be hoped that many more
teachers will avail themselves of this oppor
tunity for improvement.
In CONCLUSION.
On the whole, while our schools are not We
perfect, think there has been an advance
along the whole line of educational work anC
that the past year has been well spent.
In order to secure the continued prosperity
of our district schools it is eminently essen
tial that there be an earnest, efficient worker
at he head, and that the same superintendent
should continue in office from term to term
Now. this can only be accomplished by payins
a salary sufficient to induce men OF equal abil
ity with those who act as principals of oul
best high schools to accept the Office and con
tinue in 1t from term to term. If the educa
tional interests of Iowaicounty are worth any
thing they are of equal Importance with the
probate of wills, the recording of deeds, o.
and therefore the person who has en- ire su-
peryiSion OF them ought to receive compenSa
ton somewhat commensul ate with the care
and responsibilities of his position. Not be
, ing a candidate for the Office OF Superintend
ent OF schools for the ensuing term, and hay
ing no interest in the matter other than tha
which every good citizen ought to exhibit. bu
With the benefit of two years experience il
| the said office, in view of the above premises
. do most earnestly recommend and advis,
that the salary OF the county superintendent
be raised from $500 TO Sl.0to per year.
H. w. DIETRICH,
Dated Nov. Ii, 1892. Co. Supt.
The following expense account wa
then read and referred to the commit
the on finance and taxation:
To the Board of Supervisors, Iowa county, wis
GENTLEMEN 81 herewith submit the follow
ing report of the expenses of Iowa county 70
the year ending Oct. 31St, 1892.