Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-07-01
schools because they are taught by in
efficient teachers in whom they have
but little confidence.

efficient teachers in whom they have
but little confidence.
The person teaching the district
school who was their clasSmate and
who has made no preparation beyond
that district is not qualified to
inspire confidence in larger pupils
An attempt was made to supplement
their failure to meet their require
ment of the common schools by
requiring the high schools to give in
struction in theory and art of teach
ing and in organization, management
and course of study for ungraded
schools. Experience has proved this
expedient to be wholly inadequate to
the necessities of the case and other
existing agency seemed available for
the purpose.
All schools are essentially local
schools. 1t has been long and vigor-
ously urged against the normal schools
but it is no more true of them than it
is of colleges or the university. It is
said that 81 per cent. of those attend
| ing Yale university come from within
a radius of one hundred miles of
New Haven 81 per cent. of those at
tending Harvard come from within
one hundred miles of Boston. At
Columbia the proportion is even
CRATER. The fact seems to be that
even adults and the well to do will
not as rule go far from home to
seek an education.
This proves TO us that institutions
of higher instruction must be taken
to the masses if they are to reach
them at all and that schools for the
professional training must be located
in the midst Of those to be trained it
the common schools are even to be
supplied with competent teachers.
In consideration OF these conditions
the legislature of 1899 provided for
the establishment of training schools
two counties.
The county board of Marathon and
Dunn counties took advantage of the
states proposition that the expense.
of the school should be shared between
state and county and schools were
opened in these counties in September
1899. These schools proved so sue
cussful that the legislature of 1901,
made provision for the establishment
of four such schools. The counties of
Manitowoc, Buffalo, Richland and
Wdupaca established schools under
this act. The legislature of 1908
modified the law of 1901 by providing
for two more training schools under
this act Wood county mas established
this training school.
The law provides that these schools
shall be under the management of a
county training school board consist
ing of the county superintendent of
schools who is ex-otficio secretary of
the board and two other memb bers who
are elected by the county board for a
term Of three years. The state superin-
tendent approves the qualifications of
the teachers and the course of study.
This school opened September /,
with Mr.. Jackson as principal and
Miss Michaels.'as assistant. It has
continued forty weeks with an en-
rOllment of about forty students
which is as many as can properly be
admitted. The year is divided into
four periods Of ten weeks each. All
text books are purchased by the board
and rented to the students at twenty
five cents per month.
It is the purpose of those in charge
of the school to make it correspond
as nearly as possible with it's legal
title, ga training school for teachers. :"
1t is not rival of the village and city
schools in depicting the country
schools OF their larger pupils nor is it
an academy for the education of
pupils from the rural districts. Its
sole mission is to provide a better
class of teachers for the common
school, We feel assured that the
teaching in the district schools will
be on a higher plan for the new teach
ers have done one year of enthusiastic
and devoted training, not only in
academic work, but also along pro-
| fessional lines We have had a
thorough study of the manual of the
course Of study for country schools,
work ia observation and finally actual
teaching in the grades of this city.
| The manner in which the city super
intendent and grade teachers have
lco-operated with us in furnishing
US the opportunity for practice teach
ing, has been a source Of much
satisfaction to US all and have done
much to make the work of the train
| ing school successful.
In the employment of teachers to
| fill positions, the school beard in
other counties have given preference
to the graduates of the training
| schools. No instance is given where
one was unable to find position after
completing the course. The training
school has come to stay and will
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