Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-03-01
Institute Conductors.

A resolution adopted by the County
Superintendent convention at The
Plankinton house in this city recently
has caused no end of comment among
the educators of Wisconsin. The res
olution in question has been embodied
in circular sent out by State Super
intendent l.. ID. Harvey, and is to the
effect that no more applications vii
be received for the positions of insti
tute conductors; that great annoyance
has been caused the county superin
tendents by reason of the large mum.
Der Of applications received by them
and that they were tired of making
excuses to applicants. Educators who
have been serving as institute conduc.
tors say the purpose Of the resolution
has been misunderstood and that it is
in no wise intended as arefection up
on them.
There are two kinds of institute con-
ductors in Wisconsin, one being
known as State Institute conductors,
who are connected with the different
Normal schools, one at each. These,
however, are unable to accomplish all
the work that has to be done during
the summer vacation, and others are
appointed to assist them. In speak
ing OF his work a State Institute con.
ductor said to representative of The
Sentinel yesterday:
Every summer, during the months
OF July and August, institutes are
held in nearly every county in the
state. Tie men TO carry on this work
are selected by State Superintendent
d. Harvey and the Institute commit
tee of the State Board of Normal Re-
gents, consisting of Gustav Wolaeger
of Milwaukee and Mr.. Beach of White
water There are two classes of in
stitute conductors known as the State
Institute conductors, Of whom one Is
connected with each Of the Normal
schools in the state and the others are
selected from the lists of city super
intendents, city principals, Normal
school teachers, teachers in the public
schools, professors in the state uni
versitiy and any one else whom the
committee sees fit to place on the in
stitute list.
"As far as possible the institute
committee consults the county super
intendents as to the persons who are
to be sent to conduct Institutes in
their counties, and no person can do
institute work in this state unless he
holds a certificate issued by the lnsti-
tute committee Of the Board Of Re-
gents.
sThat pressure is sometimes brought
to bear on county superintendent to
request the state perintendent to
appoint certain persons to do institute
work in certain counties there is no
doubt, but this is the exception rather
than the rule, and the resolution in
troduced by Mr. Grifiiths and adopted
by the County Superintendent con
vention was regarded as a means of
enabling county superintendent to
Shut off certain undesirable applicants
from institute work, and not as re-
Election upon the regular institute
conductors.
1T would be regarded a matter
Of professional indelicacy on the part
Of any regular institute conductor to
bring any pressure 10 bear on any
county perintendent for an appoint
ment to do institute work re-wcen
the institute conductors and the coun-
" superintendent there is the most
cordial relation. There are, however,
4 large number Of persons who are
constantly trying to crowd themselves
forward TO obtain Job for the sum-
mer and thus be able to earn a little
pocket money. and it was at this class
of people that the resolution was
aimed. Last year there were over
one hundred institute conductors APP
pointed. Nearly every county in the
state has an institute during the
summer vacation, with an average Of
two conductors in each county. The
institutes are usually held al the
county seats; regular school is or
gained among the teachers While
the institutes as rule are held dur
ing the summer, the state institute
conductors, who are teachers in the
Normal schools, are subject to the or
derS Of the state superintendent and
may be sent out To conduct an nsti-
tute at any time, whenever a county
superintendent sends in a request
that an institute be held in his coun-
ty Milwaukee sentinel