Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-12-19
LAS VEGAS NORMAL SCHOOL
INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT VERT

President u. J. Vert. OF the Las Va
gas Normal School. Is In the city. an,
THIS morning gave The Citizen a plea
ant call He kindly gives the folio y
ing interview IN regard 90 recent al
eyed trouble IN that excellent school
/ IN which II was charged that tn,
board OF regents was doing injustice
TO certain Mexican students
The children affected by the organ
ization of the department In question
are not members OF the normal I'll
academic department, but belong q
the school OF practice, which consists
OF children in the first eight grades
OF public school work. This school
was created by tue board OF regents "a
AFFORD the stu lent teachers in the nor.
NAL proper opportunity TO receive
training in actual teaching before
graduating. The pupils affected by
the establishmont OF the ungraded
room, when admitted. we're known To
be lar below grade In some branches.
particularly IN those In which ia.
guage Is prominent. The original In.
tention was 10 organize the ungraded
room. as had been done the last two
years as soon as there was sufiic.
lent number to warrant such action.
This course was pursued by the board
1 regents under the conviction that Il
would be unjust To grade boys is and
20 years old with children and S. "
was the opinion of the board that to
nrOHn than ufI.
'onged would be equivalent TO depriv.
ing them OF attendance a; the normal
The ungraded department was organ.
lied To enable these children TO re.
main IN schools, and 90 give them ar
opportunity TO devote their time es.
pecially 10 the elementary language
studies. namely. reading. writing
spelling and language lessons This
was the way the matter had been man
aged for two years. ard we had no
lntimation II would not be satisfactory
this year Accordingly a teacher es
pecia.ly qualified by reason OF expert.
ence In teaching and her knowledge
OF the Spanish language was employed
to take charge OF this department
When, however, the board OF re
gents discovered that its course was
not satisfactory, they promptly re
scinded their former action. being glad
To save the $3.50 II would have cost 20
maintain the separate department.
This course was recommended by me
and the children were returned to
the grades to which they were orig.
inally assigned. This was in accord.
ance with the request of the parents
and was entirely satisfactory to ali
concerned"
What do YOU think about calling
school"
I place no importance In a name
The important thing Is that the school
should do thorough work and should
supply the needs which Il was origin.
ally Intended To meet IL il does this
you may call Il Little Brown School
House on the Hin. II you choose. Cur
school is doing no line of work that
Is not being done in all full fiedgel
and thorough going normal schools
throughout the United States. Our
aim is to offer thorough instruction In
the academic branches. and TO give
course of professional training second
To no normal school In the west We
place great stress on a thorough know.
ledge of the branches to be taught.
and In managing school We make
no attempt 20 ape colleges and univer-
sites, believing that higher academic
work should be left to those institu.
lions. There is still in New Mexico a
large field OF work untouched. ana
which legitimately belongs TO the nor.
nal schools. refer 10 the hundreds
OF country ana small town schools
whose teachers need thorough
course in the elementary branches
and training In teaching and manag
ing classes. This we regard as our
province, and one which we are max
ing every effort TO cover. Call the in
stitution what ecu choose. II we are
only furnished with the means 20
raise the standard of education in the
great system OF common schools In
New Mexico. To these we hold out
the helping hand"