Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-28
But Superintendent yoelker
Harmonized Warning Ele-
ments at Ida Grove
ORIGIN OF SELF GOVERNMENT
Mr.. Reed, Member of the School
Board, Was Responsible for the In
PRODUCTION of System Which Prov
ed SO Disastrous = Real Story of
Its Inception.

Des MoineS, Dec. 2S.--Paui r. Noel-
ker. superintendent of the Ida Grove
high school, IS one of the first of the
delegates to arrive in Des Moines fol-
the purpose of attending the meeting
OF the State Teachers Association.
Mr.. Noelker followed Superintendent
Shepherd, after the disastrous attempt
to introduce local self-goyernment into
the Ida Grove high school.
He has accomplished what every
body said was impossible, namely, the
OF the school, and has directed the
student energy awakened in the effort
at self-government along other lines.
He has established manual training
in the schools, has gymnasium,
drawing school and other departments.
The department of manual training has
been eminently successful and the pu-
Pills have taken hold OF 1t with intense
enthusiasm and interest.
1t was just about this time year
ago that the Ida Grove school adopted
the saif- government plan. 1t was the
result OF the work and enthusiasm of
q Mr.. Reed, a banker and a member OF
the board of education.
The real story of the inception of
the government plan has never ye;
been told. 1t was brought about On
this way:
a t,1pn1hpr nj
The school board 1t occurred to him
hat he was not extremely we'll in
formed on matters pertaining to edu-
cation. So he decided to read up. He
subscribed for school Journals and
bought about $100 worth Of books on
school management and on education
Among them was book on self
government by Rae, Chicago writer
Mr.. Rae believed that the school chill
dren should be given training In law
making. He also believed II was an
excellent thing for them to have the
training which comes with self
government and self-restraint.
The more he thought about and the
more he read on the subject the more
Impressed Mr.. Reed became with the
idea that self government was good
thing. He consulted with Superintend-
snt Shepherd and with the teachers
They objected strenuously to the pro-
posed plan.
One day Mr.. Reed took the bit in his
teeth. He called meeting at the
erera house. where III addressed the
schoo! children, and without any con-
sultation with the teachers asked them
what they thought of government.
OF course, they said 1t was Il good
hing.
Mr.. Read carried his plan thru and
he board desired to adopt the plan.
superintendent Shepherd resigned and
came to Des Moines to engage in busi-
nsss and one of the women teachers
was made superintendent. The other
teachers, all of whom had disapproved
of the plan, remained, deciding to try
and make the best they could of the
situation.
The result was not happy. The
school children possessed intense child
ish affections and animosities. The
election OF the Judge became matter
Of politics. Punishments became
matter of politics, also.
When the children didn't want to
study, they went into executive ses-
sion. They passed laws in the fore
noon and amended or rescinded them
in the afternoon. 1t IS said that an
ordinary schoolroom during the recess
vas not nolsier than the Ida Grove
schoolroom during the regular school
session.
Things went from bad to worse, I'M
III finally It became an issue and Mr..
Reed and Ids self-goverument plan
were shelved. Then came the election
OF Mr. yoelker and his assumption of
the work before him.
He was one of the frst teachers to
manual training in the
schoolroom and hts work has been sue
cessful.