Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-03
One of the Topics of Most In
terest to the County
superintendent
MEETING THIS WEEK
With State Superintendent Riggs -
Plans to be laid for Improvement of
Educational Work in Lines Especial
ly Related to the Work of supevis
ion--rhe Consolidation Movement.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines May AT the meeting OF
county superintendent of schools WIFE
State Superintendent Riggs, in his of.
flee this week, plans will be laid for I'M
proyement of the educationa work il.
lines especially related TO the work
Of supervision. One of the topics
which the superintendent find interest
ing is that of securing the necessary
legislation to give the state of Iowa
the kind of certificaton of teachers
best adapted to perfect school sys-
item. State teachers associations and
district associations and conventions o.
education of all kinds, have been thor
oughly committed 10 the policy of Sc
curing state uniformity in certificates,
and some progress has been made in
that direction thru the state board
of educ ational examiners. But the bill
which was considered by the legisla-
ture last winter TO provide that the
markings on all examination papers
shall b.. done under the direction OF
the state board OF examiners is re-
garded almost without exception by ed
ucators as the best measure ever pro-
posed for reform in certitication. The
bill failed because it would have ne
cessitated small appropriation. Ii
was shown conclusively that 1t woule
save much more to the taxpayers in
the counties. but 1t was the appropria-
ton feature that made 1t Impossible to
pass, Now the educators purpose be-
ginning at this time a campaign fol-
that or some similar bill, and to begin
now with the legislators to give them
enlightenment on the subject. A sys-
tematic campaign is to be carried on
from now until the legislature acts
with regard to this measure of reform.
The fact that each county Is little
republic within itself in the matte,
of schools is regarded as weakness
of the Iowa system, which marks the
state as little backward.
In this same connection the educat-
ors are takiaa5 Gp IN earnest the work
of effecting consolidation OF the rural
schools so far as possible and where
eve- 1t will result in good to the
schools. This calls for new and better
school houses, and there is now a de-
mard for plans for model school
houses. Superintendent Riggs is hav-
ing prepared booklet on this subject,
to meet a growing demand. No effort
has ever been made TO collect exact
data as to the character OF the school
houses in Iowa. Professor RIGGS was
n,uch Interested the other day On re-
ceiving the report Of the school super
in Nebraska which shows
that at the last report there We're still
In use in that state 464 sod scho,,
houses. and that at one time there
We're 734 in the state. The day Of the
sod school house has not yet passed
There are also 1S2 log school houses
in the state and the report shows tina.
three years ago one made of baled hay
was in use. While Superintendent
Riggs believes the Iowa record would
be better than this he Is determined
there shall be steady Improvement ii; |
The character of Iowa school houses.