River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-12-19

II will be seen from the above that
there are several towns that still pay an
average of less than $50 per month to
their female teachers, which sum Is en-
ureIy inadequate to meet their various
expenses. Teaching is a profession and
must be- paid accordingly If we expect
our schools TO be taught by experienced
teachers. No one would trust the man
agement of a case in court to n would be
lawyer who had never read a law book
attended a law school, or tried case I'm
court; no church would employ a would
be preacher who had never attended a
literary or n theological school: no par
ent would trust the treatment of his sick
child to a would-be doctor who had
never read a medical book or attended a
medical college; yet we repeatedly en-
trust the intellectual and moral traininp
or siX-year-old child to a would-be
teacher who has no knowledge of the
enid mind, and has barely enough text
book knowledge of the common branches
To get third grade certificate
You naturally ask why the superintend-
emf does not furnish better trained teach.
ers The answer is simple. The salaries
paid In a great many country schools ire
not sufficient to warrant the teachers to
take courses In training schools IL they
could he reasonably sure of getting posi-,
lions at good salrtes, It would be an in
uuceinent Tor them to make special prep
afauon for teaching. Under existing con
duons q large majority of those who
nave attended normal schools are ab-
sorhed by the city schools; especiaIy il
thus true Of the graduates The CRYING
needs OF our country schools are better
trained teachers ana closer supervision
'ne OF our state normal schools Is To-
Gated IN our county and hence one Womb
suppose that a majority of our schools
would De supplied with trained teachers
nut l hnd that only about IS of the l0t
tetCHefS employed In our one Department
SCHOOLS nave attended normal schools on,
colleges, and many Of those have ~
tended but a short time I am fully CON
Nlheed that che large surplus of teachers
winch we have had in most OF ON,
counties IN the past is the principal
cause Tor the low wages paid In MANY
communities the cheapest teachers OH
ldlhabIe are employed, with disastrous
results to the schools. This has ton.
dency TO force out the more experienced
and better qualified teachers who can pei
more remuneTative employment. and
hence the schools are IN many eases sI,Y,-
pied with young and inexDeriepcea
teachers. Acting upon this conviction n
mas been my constant aim TO raise tbe
standard and thus limit the number ~
teachers as nearly as possible TO the
needs of the schools, The result has
been that many Of the more experienced
teachers have gone back into the school
room at increased wages What is still
better, many OF our teachers are now
attending the normals, being convinced
that a res3 souable increase in salar,,
awaits them as a result Of their increas
ed training I am pleased to saw thar
during the past f3n / have placed az least
thirty teachers directly. which is about
twice as many as / have placed In All
of the rest of the time during which I
have been superintendent. This Is as Il