Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-01-30
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
County Superintendent of Schools. Mara
thon County, Wisconsin.
4entlemen Of DC COUNTY, Board:


The whole number of children between the
ages of four and twenty in Marathon county
not including the city of Wausau, was, on june
30 1899. IL ,9S5, and l04 of them attended schoo
during toe year. The number between the ages
of seven and thirteen was 5435, and 1888 o.
them attended school, The average monthly
wages paid male teachers was S3S.75, and fe-
male teachers $50 90 Eight new school houses
were built at a cost of 81 .260 81. There was re-
ceived by the school district treasurers. from
all sources, $40 002.S3, and paid out by them fol
all purposes S56.219.1 8. leaving cash balance
in their hands, June &c, 1899, Sl97S3 %. The
cash value of the school houses and sites was
S92 47S co. and of the school apparatus 81 ,63S w
The net assets of the school districts outside OF
the city of Wausau, fgurng the cash on hand
and the value of school property, was s123 s99 90
Two institutes, of two weeks each. were held
during the calendar year of 1899. The institute
at Wausau was a decided success IN every re
spe t. The attendance was large and the work
of a very high order. The Colby institute was
not well attended. but the work of the conduc-
tors was first class in every particular -Four
weeks is, believe, the longest term OF 1nstltu-
tute work ever held IN this county in one year.
II is noteworthy fact that the progressive
teachers of the county are regular in their at
tendance at the Institutes: Two weeks OF STUDY
under the close supervision of such capable
teachers as Prof. j. w. Livingston and Mrs.
Mary D. Bradford Supt Karl Mathle and Prof
w III. Luehr, must be helpful, add the good re-
suits show that the work was effective. There
was received into the in tute fund, during the
calendar year, S2l4 o.. and expended S321.So
There is on hand in the fund, at the present
lime, S194.5S.
have observed that it is the custom of Coun-
ty Su erintendents, when making reports. to
testify TO the ever increaSin& efficiency OF the
common schools which are directly under their
supervision, and they seldom fail to note that
all of the advance has been made since they
took upon themselves the cares of the office.
have some serious doubts about this ever in
creasing efficiency of the common school sys-
tenn OF the state of Wisconsin. If all of the
reports that have been made during the past
five years by superintendent and school
officers are true, we should have reached the
very height of perfection, and be doing more
in the State of Wisconsin than is being done in
any other States in the Union
The fact is that the schools of Wisconsin are
not doing all they should for the youth of the
state There is something wrong when ss2
children in Marathon county between the ages
of ven and thirteen were not in the schools
at all during the year. and when they are there,
they do not receive the fun measure OF benefit
that should come to them. The people are not
wholly at fault We find shat they are re lson-
ably liberal IN providing necessary apparatus
and equipment for the schools even though
they seem to lack interest The grs at trouble
lies in the inefficiency Of the teachers who are
in charge of the schools Too many immature
and inexperienced girls and boys are found
wing to teach. The ability OF bhe teacher de-
cides the effectiveness of the school. really
good teacher, one who has had training Tor the
work has tact. regards her work as a profess
sion and looks upon her contract as business
proposition can do wonders even under the
n1pz ~ nd
hard TO find but once secured are worth much.
IN some way they gel all the children In the
district into the school and keep t5em there.
And what an influence for good they have upon
the lives cf the children who come under their
tuitiop, One term of work under the direction
of a capable, earnest. effective teacher is worth
more to a child than years OF attendance at
school in charge of a slovenly teacher whose
only aim Is 20 kill time until four clock of the
last Friday OF her &C hool month when the wages
which she has not earned viii be paid by the
board Nearly everyone present here today
can look back TO n time IN his lie when &c came
rrGer me influence Of some one teacher who
really did more fo~ him in building a sturdy
character and giving him desire Tor knowl-
ed ge than all the other teachers he ever knew
People sometimes say 10 me that theold pioneer
schools of southern Wisconsin sixty years ago
we're better schools than We have today. They
tell me of the oil log school house with the
omen fireplace and homemade benches, OF the
half dozen books that appl ed two dozen child
rem and OF the boys and girls who there laid the
foundations Of educat ons that afterWard made
them famous I believe il l. largely trne bat
also believe the good came from the fact that
these pioneer schools we're IN charge Of men
and women Of Strongly character. who knew
through experience what equipment a child
should have 20 - ade progress IN life. arid who.
a. teachers. took into the school room that
common sense which enabled then 70 take ad-
vantage Of all circumstances that tended 20
helm them IN their work Of building up The
west In those DAYS the teacher mad the
sch ool and the same thing holds tra@ soday.
the school i good. bad or indifferent 51rt ~
ne teacher is good. bad or indifferent be-
lteye il i the KEY 10 the whole situation II
can furnish the schools OF this county with
older. better prepared teachers can give Jon
better schools and mere rea4 retarn Ter the
money invested
point out 70 yon step Of real progress sierfa.g
TIE wear The action Of Your honorable body
IN -StzfYfsSh1F~ a County Training Scnnoi for
teachers wils think. enable Ms 10 supply the
schools Of she county with fan corps q teach