The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-03
THE VIRGINIA
SUMNER SCHOOL
Great Educational Work Being Done
q by the institution.
ABLE AND EXPERIENCED CORPS
Tho Instructors All the Best That Can
re HAD, and Thorough Inst:uc-
ton Istsiycn in All Branches
OF Liberal Education

1t should be that Virginia has one o. 'tie
greatest summer schools for teachers in
The country. and this is true whether one
considers the numbers in attendance, me
ability and experience Of the faculty. OF
instructors, or the enthusiasm that inspires
the great toronss of ambitious teachers
who attend the sessions of the school lFota
year 10 year There IS nothing that more
strikingfy illustrates the evolution and
progress OF the educational system OF
Virginia since the Civil War than the
Virginia Summer School of Methods,
which is soon TO begin its tweifsh ses-
sion in the city Of Roanoke.
The first schools for the training OF
teachers IN Virginia were held away back
Ii the seventies by DR.. William ii. Ruff
ner, the first Superintendent of Pubic
instruction in this State They were called
teachers institutes and were generally
held by DR.. Ruffner or some experienced
teacher selected by him for this work.
They lasted for only a few days and
were attended by the teachers OF the
county or immediate vicinity. When the
trustees Of the Peabody Education Fund
began TO devote annually some money Tor
the support of these teachers, institutes,
Ii was found advisable to concentrate the
fund on FIVE or six summer schools To-
rated in the various sections Of the state,
s1th able and experienced instructors and
with sessions lasting for four full weeks
A II FAD IL lt1E SlsS1I-A
Soon after the Inauguration Of the sys-
TEN OF summer schools, Superintendent
E. c. Class of Lynchburg. conceived the
idea Of having them graded in sucn a
way that they would afford 10 teachers
who had not enjoyed The benefit OF a
college or a normal education such IN
structiou as would epable them to dis
charge the duties 10 teachers in the public
schools Of the State with the greatest eff
cheney. To do this work thoroughly il was
necessary that one Of these schools should
be the head OF the system. and that the
ablest teachers OF the country should be
engaged 10 give instruction in 1t. The
Department of Public instruction a3-
proved the plan and appointed Mr.. Glass
TO conduct the school that was 10 be the
head Of the system for training the teach
ers of Virginia.
The first session OF the Schooi OF Ne
thcds was held in the city of Lynch
burg in 1855. Subsequent sessions We're
held in Bedford City and Charlottesville,
md last wear the session was held IN
Roanoke This was the first time that
the School of Methods had met in the
Southwest, and the attendance was the
largest and the enthusiasm the greatest IN
the history of the school Nearly seven
hundred teachers were enrolled, many
Of them from distant States
EXTENT OF THE COURSE
To give an idea Of the extent OF the
PGlrSS OF instruction Sillu tJiS s't'ii4' -
the Tea ching faculty, it IS only necos-
sarv 70 enumerate the subjects to De
taught the coming session, and 10 name
the men and women who nave neen Sc
lected 10 do the teaching. The sc2ooi IS
divided into academic Departments anu
the department of methods In me depart
msnt of methods DR.. Emerson VI Kite Tor
tner superintendent of the schools OF en-
rinnati, and author Of series OF text
books in mathematics and the science OF
teaching, will deliver a number OF lee
lures IN pedagogy, field in wAlcn ne IS
without peer IN TINS country. non:
James L. Hughes, inspector OF schools OF
Toronto Canada. who is wcli-knDWn IN
this State as one Of the ablest and most
thoughtful euen in the profession, WE
deliver some Of his famous talks on teach-
ing.
Miss CeIestia S Parrish Of the Ran
dolan-AIacon Woman's College at Lynch
burg, who is easily first among the wo-
men teachers of the South, Will teach
psychology: Miss Margaret AIcCloskey, OF
the State Normal School ait Edinboro,
Penn, viii teach primary methods; Pfo1,
Walter ]. Kenyon. OF the STATE Norma!
School at Lowell. Mass, will teach 1nan-
ual training; Miss Lucy Davis, OF the COL
lege of William and Mary, will have
charge of the model school, and Miss NJ.
Lizzie Harvey, Of Lynchburg, will teach
methods in geography.
ACADEMIC DESD-AtiiAlfI\I
In the academic department Professor
Charles w Kent, of the University of
Virginia. will lecture on English LteTa-
ture: Professor Thomas Walker Page,
CT the University OF California, on general
history and the economic history or the
United States: Professor Julian y. e.
Chandler, of Richmond College, the
political history Of the United States,
and on civil government; Mr.. Winston
Parrish principal of one of the Norfolk
schools, on Latin; Mr.. ]. Luther Sheppe,
principal Of one Of the Roanoke schools,
on arithmetic and physiology; Miss T.
Lillian Peters. Of Lynchourg, gram
mar: Mr.. n. P. Painter, Of Roanoke, on
peu4nanshio; Miss Mamie c. Davis, OF
I.ynchburg on reading and chalk model
ing: Mr. and Mrs. Henry i. Southwick,
of the Boston School of Oratory, on elocu-
lion and studies in Shakespeare; Miss Anna
n Sneed. CT Lynchburg. drawing; Mrs
Ella s Winston, of Norfolk, conversa-
tionaI German, and MI. Curtis Munson,
of Springfield, Mass. music.
Tn addition to the regular lectures there
viii be a course Of weekly lectures on
special topics. Senator John W. Daniel has
consented 10 deliver his famous lecture on
the English-speaking People and Mr.
frank 2. Brent, secretary OF the State
hoard of Education, and graduate in
c.rae,, under the illustriouS Gilde~Sieeve,
of the Johns Hopkins University. will de-
liver a series of lectures on the Rise OF
Fp,c Poetry in Greece, and give read
t:.s from the Doeals OF Homer
II will thus be seen that the School of
Methods undertakes to give thorough in
s.rictions in nearly all the branches OF
liberal education as we'll as TO train teach
ers In the methods OF teaching.
THE CONDUCTOR.
The success Of the school thus far has
been due in no small measure TO the
executive ability of the conductor, Superin-
tendent Glass, and his able and energetic
assistant, Mr Willis a. jenkins. principal
Of the Portsmouth High School, VINO has
been associated with Mr.. Glass in the
conduct OF the school almost from its
foundation.
ar. Glass enjoys the distinction of being
the Oldest superintendent OF schools IN
continuous service in the State He was
first appointed in 1879 and though during
the supremacy Of the Readjuster party
Mr. P Gay Grigsby was appointed super
tntendent of the Lynchhurg schools, Mr.
Class owing to the illness of Mr.. G!igSby.