The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-04-26
RACE ON TEACHERS.


intendents of the State at Minneapolis
last year Supt. Race read a paper on
High Schools and Other Schools in
Their Relation to the Common School
Teachers" which was es follows:
1t is now some eight years since began to
visit rural orscommon schools for the specific
purpose of observing the work of those en-
ployed as teachers. I have often pondered
over the question, How can the common
school teacher be made more efficient: how
can she be better trained and how can
higher qualification be secured? AS county
superintendent of common schools we are
painfully aware of the general ineficiency
of the common school worker Here and
there in our rounds we meet with a bright
well-trained teacher who shows us what
might be in all the schools. The head lines
of this paper tell me must try to show what
relations, if any, exist between the high
schools and other schools and the common
school teacher. City schools and well-organ-
lied graded schools in villages seek and Sc
cure trained. qualified teachers. Common
schools take what is left, trained or untrain-
ed. This is not new. Such condition has
existed for years and will continue to exist
until means are devised to make better the
general condition of the educational problem
of training and preparing the common
school teacher. In Supt. kiehles report to
the state Legislature, 1898, he makes the
statement that 695 high school graduates
were employed as teachers in the common
schools of Minnesota; also that 1882 per-
sons employed had attended high school.
287 were graduates of a normal 1O2 of a
college, Loaf had attended a normal and
395 had attended a college. This still leaves
an army who are without any academic or
professional training Since it has been
shown that normals do so little for common
schools, it becomes a question for the earn
est county superintendent how to secure
teachers from other schools who possess
at least scholarship higher than the curri-
culum of the school to be taught 1t has
been shown in Supt Kiehles report that
over 5000 persons, graduates and under
graduates of high schools are employed as
common school teachers. In the same re-
port is shown we have IL high schools in
Minnesota whose enrolment in 90 reached
nearly 1890 students pursuing the full
course. AS shown above 5000 of these have
gone to labor in the common schools But
are they trained as they ought to be and as
they should be if they desire to teach:
There were employed last year 5000 per-
sons who had but third certificates. Surely
these were without academical training?
Could not greater number of these be per-
suaded to attend high school if a teachers
preparation could be secured by such attend
dnCe? Quite a number of good men and
women believe the summer school will do
been true of Institutes, will be true of sum-
mer schoOls;-the duration is too short
Think of our summer schools taking these
5000 third grade teachers in four weeks and
putting pedagogical polish on them. Let
it be understood here that I, am friend to
the summer school and hail it with open
arms, but I do not regard it as the solver of
this vexed problem. It may be one of the
means. have attempted to show that there
is a close relationship between the state high
schools and the common schools in the mat
ter of teachers. Now shall the relationship
be closed? Shall the common schools expect
more of them in the future: Can course
specially fitting one to teach be placed in
the curriculum of our high schools and be
pursued by those who desire to teach: We
think it can. We think it ought to be- We
think principals of high schools would be
glad to give such instructions to those who
desire to teach. Can this be done without
impairing the general efficiency of our high
schools: We think it can. The teacher OF
to-day is required to do more. to teach more
and be more than was required five years
ago. The average high school girl is bright
enough to do all this without impairing her
health or weakening her general scholarship.