Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-09
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Governor Shaw Advises the legislature Upon
State of the Commonwealth.
private corporations lessons in economy
at the expense Of labor.
pITf,fTC,4 SCHOOLS

flyiSl4lCN SCE1lJOLS.
The public school system of Iowa has
had many enconiums pronounced upon
1T ana needs nGne from me. To say that
II was never better or that no stale in
the union has ever pursued a wiser
policy. is not equivalent to saying that
ours cannot be improved. A sys
tenn which results in the graduation OF
$50 young ladies from the high
schools OF Iowa the current year ard
only Pa young gentlemen, is weak at
Vital point. These graduaticns are from
town and city schools, for rural dis
ltricts do not generally afford high
school privileges. That town and city
schools are superior - tsin5sa j. rlrel
districts Viii be readily observed as
soon as the policy pursued by each is
compared, AS soon as a girl arrives AT
1.-the age Of II she finds ready employ
Inent al the mistress OF country pub
lie school. If She proves to be proficient
and possessed Of aptness U teach. after
a few terms in some summer school or
perhaps year Of normal training. and
after having attended q few county in
stitntes She may secure a position at
better wages in an intermediate grade
| in town, where her efforts are supple-s
lmented by the supervision OF Il plinci-
pal or a city superintendent of schools
Whose taleists command from $1,000
TO $1,000 per annunl But If she.
lsmakes little or no improvement sna viii
lcontinue in the rural districts. with no
supervfsion other than a county super.
| intendent wtlo. owing TO his varied
duties and extensive field, is necessarily;
unable to examine her work Very often
if eyer. Let this custom be continued
| and the boys will not remain in school
as in former generations until past
/ school age. and SO long as a majority
of the teacher in town and city schools
are women and girls 50 long Will a ma
jority Of the graduates be of the same
SEX. our girls should be educated but
that does not Imply that our boys
should not be. and policy that retires
the latter from school al Il and Is YEARS
!. of age needs amendment
In several COUNTIES of the state the
experiment has been tried Of maiataln-
ing a central township graded school,
4 TO and from which the pupils are con-
veyetf in carriages at public expense.
q Wherever this plan has been adopted
4 the results nave been more satisfac-
a tory The enrolment has bsen here
4 by invariably Increased and the at
itendance has been more regular; bette.
= teachers have been employed. with cor-
4 respondngly improved scholarship. and
4 in addition the expenses have been
4 very considerably reduced This is the
experience also of other states where
4 the practice has beconleaquite general.
/ think this plan should be encouraged
by specific legislation. l am not pre-
Ipared to advise that at present it be
made universal So In this and KIN
bred matters economy is not the syno
: nym for craftsmanship. With a cen
: trail graded school in each TOWNSHIP
Z. ant, with a superintendent of thess
) schools at such salary as Will com
: mand the best talent in the market. L
be selected by board in the SANE
! manner as city superintendents arr
chosen. and the employment OF a corp!
of natured teachers, fair proportion
$ OF whom should be men, would won
l derfuily augment the effectiveness q
$ lour educational system and insure tn
: retention in the schools of our boys a
t Well as our girls.
NORMAL -C'HOOLS.
Iowa possesses one such Institution
=
) This has facilities to reasonably accom-
o modate 600 pupils During the las
: year the attendance has averaged Owe
8 1000 A better class Of students neve
Q eongrega ted. They are not sent 70 tn
State Normal School in the fond hop
I that they may develop into semethini
S AT some tiine, but they come voiuntar
lilly and many OF them at their own ex
: Epense with the settled purpose to max
. men and women of themselves, to TAX
o their places in the battle of life and I
bean, their share of the worlds burdens
y The school is grossly oyercrowded.
: do not believe its capacity ought to b
y materially increased. There IS a linai
i lin number over which an instructor ca
s exercise 4 personal influence. :
Y should be glad 10 see a state normal es
= tablished on each of the great tTun
II railways of Iowa. | think it would b
: better to locate them thus than 10 fol
/ Low geographical divisions. for the rea
II son that distance is not 50 important
y factor as accessibility. | think
Il would be both wise and prudent for I'll
general assembly al this session - i
i cate al least fpur normal schools. 70,
> ty or fifty thousand dollars in propert
& can be secured as a donation With eac
i; school thus located This would equi
an appropriation of 100000. II weul
cost less to mt these schools in opers
4 ton than TO build the equivalent n ae
Y ditions TO the existing plant and
is much more advantageous to the pr
te irons than one gigantic institutio
l. where student Influences are qui
q liable TO overbalance that of teache
= and instructors. Five normal sehoo
r lwin not be an oversupply for low
m Massachusetts has ten; New Vol
: twelve: Pennsylvania thirteen; Wi
~ consin, with a less population thu
is Iowa, already maintains seven; viii
t Minnesota and Missouri each four, ar
as Illinois is building her fifth.
I'd In the absence of some affirmati'
to Legislation locking to the speedy estal
n Ashment Of more normal schools und
ry state control think some encourag
n ment should be extended to private al
i'll denominational colleges that are no
h maintaining or that may elect to mai
&c tain normal department the equiv
g. lent in grade TO that established by L
p state. What Iowa needs is educat
cd teachers.
ea STATE, UNIVERSITY.
n The general assembly will. of cour:
ID carefully examine the report and re
,ss concentrations of the board of regen