Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-02-15
AN ARMY OF TEACHERS TO BE HERE
Richmond's Loss is Staunton's Gain.


interesting forecast of the great school
summer. The article tells just how
Staunton came to win the prize and
Richmond to lose it. Few Of our read
ers have any idea how large an assem-
blage the School of Methods is or how
great advantage both material and ed
ucatiOnal may be derived from it's ses
sion in this city.
The Dispatch says: The announce
ment has just been made that the
School of Methods would be held this
year in Stanton, with Mr.. Glass as
conductor Mr.. John H. Bader, SUI
perintendent of the Public Schools of
Staunton, was visitor to the Office of
Public Instruction short time. ago,
bringing with him the papers showing
that the StauntOn Council had just
made ample appropriation to defray
the expenses to be incurred by the
school authorities of the Augusta CAPT
tai in arranging for the great summer
normal of Virginia.
A SPLENDID INSTITUTION.
The Virginia School of Methods is
one of the finest institutions of the
kind in the country. 1t is an honor
and benefaction to any community
of the State to have this school sit in
it's midst.
1t is not known and not hitherto
printed that this great school, COM
posed of scores of teachers and more
than a thousand pupils, would have
come to Richmond the coming sum
mer at the slightest substantial en-
couragement. The State Board of Ed
ucation was exceedingly partial to
have the coming session in Richmond.
Members of the board felt that it would
mean great deal to the scores OF
Richmond teachers to have the best
school of the kind in the South at their
door.
GOOD BUSINESS PROPOSITION.
To make it practicable for the State
Board to decide for Richmond, small
amount of money had to be raised to
defray some incidental and necessary
expenses. The Richmond Council was
asked for an appropriation of a few
hundred dollars for the purpose with
the assurance of having in the hotels
and boarding houses of the city for q
month some fifteen hundred persons,
who pay as they 60. 1t would have
meant good deal to the stores of the
city too, for this host to have come to
Richmond. About 500 of the pupils
are ladies from every part of the Com
monwealth. Many of these, particu.
larly the country sections, would have
bought their dress and notion supplies
for the coming winter while here.
| The Richmond School Board was
even as anxious as the State Board fol
the School Of Methods to come to Rich
mond. At the request of the State
Board Secretary Frank P. Brent went
before the City Board and made q
statement of the wish and purpose OF
the State Board il met halfway by the
city. The local board appointed Ma
jor Capers to 60 before the Council
and ask for a comparatively small ap.
preparation. The sub committee OF
the Council, to which the matter was
referred, reported favorably. But the
Council failed to accept its committee
| report.
STANTON WAS EAGER.
Staunton was eager for the school
An appropriation much larger than
Richmond was even asked for, was made
at once by the Stanton Council. The
State Board then decided in favor OF
that city. 1t is extremely likely, too,
that Staunton will also get the school
for the two summers following the
next.
A brief recital of facts about the
School of Methods is sufficient to give
an idea of the magnitude of this in
stitution for the training OF the teach
ers In the Virginia public schools.
There are about 5000 teachers in the
State schools. Between 200 and 800
of these teachers attend the School of
Methods. They are charged tuition
fee of So each for the month, and pay
their board themselves. Two years
ago eleven States were represented by
the pupils. The school is divided into
two sections. Academic subjects are
taught in one and methods OF teaching
are the other. The very best teachers
in the country are brought into SER
wise. DIR. J. A. G. Chandler, of Rich
mond College, will teach history. Miss
Parrish, of the Woman's College of
Lynchburg, will have charge of the
Department OF Psychology and Peda-
gogy. The other teachers have not
yet been definitely decided upon, but
they will come mainly from outside of
Virginia and largely from the North
and Middle West.