The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-24
CHANGE In NORMALS
ONE OF THE REFORMS TO BE
MADE BY THE PRESENT AID
MINISTRATION
HIGH SCHOOLS RELIED ON
They VIII he Depended ON to Polish
Up the Students Who Desire Class
steal Accomplishments, Keeping
the Normal Schools for the Train
ing of Expert Teachers on spe-
cfal Lines.

AS yet no definite announcement has
been made concerning the assistant
state super1ntendency Of public in
struction, but the indications are that
this office, with the assistant adjutant
generalship and the places under the
labor bureau, will be filled within a.
day or two. A number of candidates
nave been considered for the place
which has during the last six years
been held by Prof. G. w. G. Hyde, and
one or the foremost, unusual as it is,
has been a woman, Miss Fannie 8.
Guptfll, principal Of the Grant school
IN Minneapolis. The disposition of the
appointment has not been definitely
decided yet, and 1t is possible that the
plum may yet fall to Miss Guptills
lot
Prof. George w. Freeman, late pro-
fessor of natural sciences at the state
normal school at Winona, has also
been q candidate for the place and
may yet be appointed, although it is
said he has made an application for
the city superintendency at Hastings,
made vacant by the selection Of Prof
Lewis to be state superintendent.
should he meet with the approval Of
the board there it Is likely that his ap-
pncatlon for the assistant superin-
tendency would be withdrawn as the
Hastings position is in some respects
more desirable.
One thing, however, seems certain
and that is that there are to be marked
changes in the policy of the department
of public instruction.
One source Of considerable objection
TO the normal schools has been that
tney were costly and superf1uous in
strument for teaching practically what
IS taught In the high schools When
the normal school system was insti-
tuted In this state, the high schools
were few and Of comparatively low
grade, but now there are a few of high
schools which are of high rank and
which impart a general education
practically co-equal with that given in
the normal schools, save that the lat
ter add to their course some instruc-
ton in pedagogics and the practice of
teaching. The result has been that the
school boards Of the various districts,
especially city districts, have come to
consider the normal school diploma
as not essential to all, and the grad
suates have now no prestige above the
graduates of any institution of equal
scholarship. This, with the fact that
the graduates Of these schools have
been hocking to the cities instead of
adding by their presence to the grade
OF their rural schools, has been one Of
the chief faults alleged against the
present normal school system, and it Is
indicated In some reliable authorities
that one of the changes to be institut-
ed by the department of public in
struction under. the new superintend-
ent will be the elimination from the
normal school course of the fancy
branches so-called. and the continent
of the normal course to freshening the
prospective teachers familiarity with
the elementary branches and a train
ing in the science and practice of
aching, preparatory to their entrance
into the actual field, leaving the high
schools to give such as desire it the
classical education or lines of study
adapted to special, aims in life outside
-oftthe vocation of teaching. .,g : 49,
Who Is to be assistant adjutant gem
eral has not yet been given out, and
it is intimated that the appointment
will not be made until the governor
has concluded the nominations for his
staff this being one of the staff posi-
tons, as we'll as directly involved in
the administration of state affairs,
which most of the staff positions are
not.
1t seems reasonably certain that one
and perhaps two st. Paul men w II
land places in the state labor bureau,
and, although there is quite we'll de-
fined suspicion around the capitol that
the assistant labor commissionership,
like the commissionership, will go to
Minneapolis man, the prospective APP
pointee being N. P. Olson. Olson is the
editor of the Minneapolis Democrat, a
weekly paper.
Edward Christopherson, of st. Paul,
is said to be practically decided upon
for one of the factory inspectorships,
II 1n ro-
Gently defeated for the state senate in
the Thirty-second district, by T. D.
Sheehan, is a prominent candidate for
another of the places under Commits
sioner McHale.
Misc Mary D. McFadden was appoint
ed official stenographer of the house
by Speaker Dare.
lInHEl q