Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-21
MORE NORMALSN[[D[D
Old Question Of Providing More
Normal Schools Will Come
Up Again.
supt. Barrett Says That More
Training For Teachers
is Needed.
Over 1000 Third Grade certiii-
Gates Issued In Iowa
Every Year.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Sept 21.-One of the mat
ters to come before the next legislature
that will demand considerable atten-
ton is the old and ever new one of pro-
viding more schools for the training OF
teachers. The effort has been made be-
fore to provide for the establishment OF
number of new normal schools in the
state. Failure has always come largely
because of the inherent jealousy of To-
calities that want state institutions.
They all want a normal school, or any
thing that draws from the state treas
ury. and it is known that legislators
have deliberately opposed any new nor
NAL school unless it should be their
town or county that is to be benefited.
Superintendent Barrett is strongly In
favor of the state of Iowa making pro-
visions for training more teachers. The.
work done is all right, but it is mere
drop in the bucket. II do not care
where the new normal school or schools
are located" Professor Barrett said to
the. T-R correspondent NOR have !
any preference as to the manner IN
which the location matter shall be set
tied, but do know that Iowa ought to
be training in more teachers. 1t has
been said that If the state establishes
more normal schools they will infringe
Lon some of the other institutions with
normal courses. This is not true. Why,
1.-THE reports show that all these various
| institutions last year only turned out
something like $500 teachers; yet the
county superintendents Issued third
grade certificates to the number of more
| than 1900, and gave certificates to more
| than $500 who had had no experience IN
Teaching. Not all of those who are
graduated from the normal schools and
colleges giving normal training become
teachers / am informed that the prl-
yate and sectarian schools that give
| normal training have all the students
l they are able to take care of with their
/ present Equipment. New state normal
I scEnols sould not interfere with them in
the least.
.The fact that more than 1000 third
grade certificates are issued every
| year" he continued. "is a pretty good
/ indication that we need more training
4 for teachers. We have not too many
good teachers in Iowa. There are not,
as supposed by some, three or four
teachers for every place. There were
Lust 1906 schools to be filed last year
and the total number OF persons to
whom licenses We're issued was WA.
That is not a large margin, when 1t IS
considered that many would teach only
only one short term and leave Tor oth-
ers. We some times talk Of our 25,00O
or $1,000 teachers. They are not here.
They never have been. Good teachers
are in demand all the time. County
superintendents tell me they are con-
stantly on the lookout for good ieach-
| ers. The trouble is that SO few remain
in the profession long enough 10 be-
come proficient. They are constantly
changing. I believe the statement was
made at one of our national meetings
| that the personnel of the teachers
/ changes every four or five years COM
pletely. Certain 1t is that but very
small number remain in the profession
permanently. Therefore 1t is all the
more important that the state of Iowa
shall give opportunity for every one
who seeks to enter the profession a
chance to secure good preliminary
| training. / have been watching with In
terest the plan which was adopted last
year in Indiana. The legislatures un-
| dertook to fix the salaries of country
teachers to correspond with the grade
| of the certificate and the percentages
| marked in the examination. "A teacher
gets 2A percent of her average mark
| ing per day. If a teacher secured lOO
Emark In the examination she would get
81. so a day for teaching. The effect OF
| this law has been to put proficiency at
n premium among teachers and Incl
dentaliy to raise the average of wages.
| II believe it will have the effect of keep
| ing good teachers in the profession
! longer. In Minnesota the law provides
| that a teacher whose examination IS
marked below certain percent cannot
secure certificate. In Iowa am sat
isfied that a great many are given cer-
tificates when the superiltenuents know
| they are incompetent, but the schools
must be filed with teachers We cer-
| tainly need more normal schools.
The special free train over the North
western for the Chicago and eastern
grain men will be a feature much appre-
ciated by the people living along the
| Northwestern lines. The special train
| will leave Des Moines about $3.50 a. m.
on Friday. At Ames stop of about
| Two hours will be made md the party
of grain men will see the Iowa State
College in full action. Dinner will be
taken at Boone, and stop be made at
| the high bridge. A short stop will be
made at Carroll, and then the train will
90 on to Sioux City. supper will be
served in Sioux City and the entire par
ty will remain over night. 1t Is proba-
BILE that the Sioux City people, with their
characteristic and famous generosity
end unexampled hospitality. will tender
the visitors banquet and show them
the town. Early the next morning the
train will return to Chicago. The train
Will go over the northern route to Tama
or possibly run up to Alton and go over
the Eagle Grove route. Dinner will be
served at Cedar Rapids, and the good
people of the convention town will have
n chance to show that they can out-do
Sioux city in hospitality Members of
the Des Moines Cereal Club will accom-.