River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-12-17


OAK Grove ................ 3oW oI.O9
River Falls ........,, 1907 IS. 81
Rock Elm ...........-.... A52 81. 80
Salem " $500 1926
Spring Lake .............. 5000 81. "
Trenton .................... 3l5 A 80
IrlmDelle .................. 1881 o.
Union OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 400 1875
Ellsworth Village . 1855 1853
Maiden Rock Village..... 5000 $500
Spring Valley Village :. $500 $3.50
Prescott City .......... 10000 N.5O
River Falls City.......... 1O7.50 N.25
To the superficial observer the above
would seem to be good salaries, but
when we take into consideration the few
months during which teachers receive
! these salaries and their heavy expenses
in the matter of board, clothing, attend
ance at associations, Institutes, high
schools and normal schools, to prepare
themselves to direct the moral and In
tellectual growth of the children under
their charge, we may readily see that 1t
will take considerable economy to make
both ends meet" to say nothing of laying
something by for the inevitable rainy
day." You are well aware that there are
few occupations that are so wearing on
person as that of teaching. AS our coun-
try school teachers were employed on an
, average only I'll months during the
year, their average income for the year
was only $267.81, or $2.S2 per month on
twelve months basis. Out of this sum
all of their expenses had to be paid AS
1t is, large number Of our teachers must
fall back on their parents for their board
during vacation time. profession that
Is not sef-supporting does not deserve
. the name of a profession and so long as
parents will allow this condition to con-
tinue, just so long will the training of our
children be left to immature and un-
trained teachers. In the light of these
facts can any one wonder why there is
scarcity of teachers? The yearly attend
ance at our teachers examinations has
fallen off about one-half during the last
few years. During the present school year
it has been almost impossible to get
enough teachers to supply our schools.
have been called upon to supply more
than one-half of the country schools with
teachers besides many departments in our
graded schools. I found it necessary to
hold supplementary examination besides
several private examinations, and we are
still short of teachers In many counties
in this state as well as in other states
the shortage is even greater. have had
several requests for teachers from North
Dakota as we'll as from County Superin-
tendents in this state. The salaries being
paid In our rural schools this year will
average nearly $40 per month, during the
months that teachers are employed,
which Is at least encouraging, and I sin
cerely hope it will induce our better train
ed teachers to remain in the profession.
SCHOOL HOUSES, GROUNDS AND
EQUIPMENT.
The Improvement in the material equip
ment of our schools is becoming
quite marked. Four new school houses
were built this year-one in district
No. 6. River Falls, one in district
No, 9, FL Paso. one in district No.
7, Oak Grove and a commodiouS four
room building in the village of Elmwood.
Although the general plan of the one
room buildings Is not materially different
from the ordinary country school house,
yet In the matter of heating, ventilation,
seating and the general appearance of the
school houses, the Improvement is very
marked. Three of the new buildings are
to be heated by furnaces. Several of the
other districts have also put in furnaces
or otherwise improved the means of heat
ing and ventilating their buildings
Teachers. pupils and in some cases
parents made great improvements in the
appearance of their school grounds last
spring. The grounds were cleaned up and
levelled, grass seed was sown and about
500 trees were planted, besides shrubs,
vines, flower seeds, etc. Through the
kindness Of The Youths Companion, so
sets Of fine historical pictures and five
six-foot hunting flags were presented to
provements. 1 hope that district boards
will see that the pictures are properly
framed so the effort may not prove in
vain.
1 am pleased to state that the expendi-
ture of district funds for useless charts
and other complicated devices has prac-
tically ceased and most school boards are
willing to provide the more necessary ar
ticles. Nearly one-third of the districts
now furnish free text books. All of our
schools are equipped with good libraries
and most districts have provided suitable
book cases for the care of the books. A
considerable of the time in our teachers
associations and Institutes is devoted to
the instruction of teachers In the proper
use and care of the school library, and by
the cooperation of the Town Clerks the
County Superintendent and the teachers.
better and more suitable books are being
purchased than formerly. AS result the
school library has become the most i'm
portant and effective aid in the hands of
the teachers. There are now 1870 vol
umes in the different schools besides those
that were purchased this year.
COMMON SCHOOL GRADUATION.
Chapter 1SS, Laws of 1901 provided that
persons of school age, not residing in
free high school district, might attend
any free high school in the state and
have their tuition charged to their respec-
tive towns. This law was amended by
Chapter 329, Laws of 1903, which provides
that, in order to have the tuition a legal
charge upon the town, the pupil must
have completed the Common School
must file evidence from the County Super
intendent to that effect. The purpose of
this is to prevent adrain upon the town
treasury for persons who have not COM
pleted the course of study prescribed for
their respective districts. You will read
ily see. that the attendance at our future
Diploma Examine tions will be greatly in
creased, as the diploma now has finan-
cial as we'll as an educational value and
it will be more important than ever that
examinations be carefully conducted
| The work of the County Sunariutendert