Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-21
.G|V[ TEACHERS CREDIT
Superintendent Barrett Finds
Efforts In Helping Them
selves Not Appreciated
REFORMS STARTED
The Movement for lettering the Con-
dtion of Both Teachers and Pupils
Has Become Widespread and Great
Results Are Expected-credit Given
Newspapers over-Drawn.
Special to Times-Republican.

OF campaign conducted systematic
ally along definite lines for nearly three
years, eliminating in formal demand
by the state teachers association last
year for some action, most important
reforms are already being accomplished
in the matter of the rural schools of
Iowa, in their development and bet
ternent, in securing better conditions
for the teachers, and pupils, and In the
improvement of school grounds and
making life pleasanter for the teachers
and the children. State Supt. Barrett
has just held four conferences
with the county superintendents. as
required by law, the purpose being to
have the school men meet together for
conference on the more efficient admin
istration of school laws. All but twelve
of the ninety-nine superintendents at
tended these meetings held in Burling-
ton, Waterloo, Sioux City and Des
Moines. Professor Barrett expresses
himself as highly pleased with the re-
suit of these conferences. He stated
that they have indicated that the Of
ficials trusted with the administration
of the school laws of the state are
alert and active, and that the tendency
to raise the standard, especially in the
rural schools, is quite marked. tho
there is great work yet to be done.
In several ways Is reform being work
ed. For instance. in the matter Of Sc
curing returns of the school popula-
~. -. ~ fNf
the superintendent to secure better
results. The present method of taking
the school census is unsatisfactory and
many of the superintendents favor en-
ployment of one to take the census,
and not leave it to the sllb-directors.
Systematic efforts are being made to
have the teachers in the rural districts
instructed In keeping accurate returns.
In another matter there is a tendency
to reform, and that is in the tenure Of
employment of teachers. Most of the
superintendents favor employment of
teachers for the entire year. Sub-di-
rectors do not like to employ teachers
beyond the time of their own service,
hence there is movement we'll started
to change the time for the beginning of
the term of office Of the school directors
so that they will begin after the spring
terms are ended. The consolidation of
districts, even consolidation Of two or
three districts, is being favored. The
impression had gone out that the edu-
cational department is working for
consolidation only where whole town
ship is made into one district, but the
consultations are being urged in a
smaller way and are greatly favored.
"The subject Of betterment Of the
conditions surrounding the teaching
profession" said Professor Barrett.
has been discussed good deal at all
these meetings. The superintendent
have been asked to secure data in re-
gard to whether or not the levies for
teachers are larger this year than be-
fore. Only few of the superinten-
dents secured this Information, but
those who did secure 1t found that there
had been larger levies this year than
last. From one county 1t is reported
that the increase amounted to over
Sc, 900. A large amount was carried
over from last year in the teachers
fund. The etotal expenditure in the
teachers fund last year was reported
$5,9S1,652, and the amount held over
was $3,149.S02. This should be counted
in connection with the increase OF
teachers fund for this year. The sup
erintendents generally report that In
the rural districts there has been an
increase of from So to $40 month in
the pay of the teachers. The tendency
to increase pay is not confined to any
particular section of the state but ap-
pears to be general in the state. 1t IS
something that, taken in connection
with other things, indicates that the
position of the teacher is gradually be-
coming better in the state of Iowa. Al
each of the association meetings in the
different parts of the state, the sup
erintendents expressed their apprecia-
ton of the helpful efforts OF the news
papers Of the state in encouraging bet
terment of the school conditions"
A somewhat amusing incident oc-
! CURED in connection with the efforts OF
/! the superintendent to give credit to
the help of the newspapers of the state
! in their good work, and yet 1t was
something that caused not little an
noyance to some of the educators.
When the conference was held In Des
Moines, a resolution committee was
named as usual, and when the resolu-
tions were reported, it was found that
especial praise was given to one news
paper published in Des Moines and
credit for the entire movement for bet
| terment Of the conditions in rural
schools, and this newspaper which
did not get in on the chorus until With
in the past six months and which cer-
tainly deserved no more credit than
other newspapers of the state. The
conference adopted the report, but some
of the educators made inquiries as to
why one newspaper among all in the
state should be given credit for work
which was comenced by the teachers
themselves many months ago, and
which is only now bearing fruit. They
found that the chairman of the COM
mittee was Superintendent Gray, OF
Grundy, whose candidacy for superin-
tendent was badly frosted at the state
teachers meeting last winter. They