The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-30
Have Been DesuItOry and
Unsatisfactory.
LETTERS FROM JOYNER
County Boards of Education Request
ed to Appoint New School Com
mitteemen at an Early Session
so as TO Permit These 10
Select Teachers.


of County Boards of Education two
important communications relative to
county institutes and summer schools.
The first is in regard to the reorgani-
zation of the institute and summer
school work, under the new law. 1t
is the aim of Mr.. Joyner to make
these institutions in the educational
system which he has inaugurated sys-
tematic and progressive. He is en-
deavoring to give definiteness and di-
rection to the work, and more incen-
tive to the teachers so that greater
benefits may be derived from attend
ance.
The second letter is regarding the
appointment of new school committee
men by the new County Boards of
Education, and requesting that these
be made in time for the election of
teachers in such counties as will hold
institutes and summer schools this
year, q number of them especially in
the western counties, beginning in
July.
summary of the letter relating to
institutes and summer schools under
the new law is as follows:
81 beg to call your attention to the
substitute for section &c of the Public
School Law adopted by the General
Assembly of 1905. This is the section
relating to county Institutes and
schools for teachers.
MY observation of the county in
stitute work and my conferences with
county superintendent and teachers
in regard to it convince me that this
work has been desultory and unSatis-
factory. In most instances the term
has been too short. There has been
no systematic or uniform plan of work.
There has been no progressive and
continuous development in the work.
Year after year they have been con-
Quoted by different teachers in diff
ferent ways in different counties, often
by men and women without experience
or special fitness for such work. These
institutes should be a combination of
an institute and q summer school, af-
fOrding the teachers an opportunity
to increase their knowledge of the
subjects taught and to learn by prac-
teal talks and object lessons better
ways of teaching them. They should
continue not less than two weeks nor
more than a month. l am satisfied
that a properly conducted county in
stitute is at present the only practical
means of reaching and helping tho
majority of the poorly paid rural pub
lie school-teachers. Such an institute
is a necessity in every county at least
once in two years. A biennial insti-
tute and school of this sort conducted
for a longer term by teachers trained
for the work will be much more in
teresting and profitable than the an
nual institutes as heretofore held.
Under the old law the appointment
of the conductors of county institutes
and summer schools was placed in the
hands of the State Superintendent, but,
on account of the uncertainty as t.
the funds to be appropriated for this
purpose by County Boards of Educa-
ton each year and as to the number
of county institutes to be held and the
time of holding these, the State Super
intendent was unable to organize this
work upon q business basis and TO Sc.
cure for it 81 corps of trained teach
erS. l recommended that the law be
changed so as to make the appropria-
ton of not less than $500 and not more
than $3.50 once in two years by each
county mandatory, in order that a def
mite sum of money might be available
for this purpose each year sufficient
to enable me to employ q number OF
trained, efficient teachers to give theil
entire time, thought and attention to
this work.
'"The General Assembly amended my
recommendation by changing the word
shall to may" This, of course,
leaves the appropriation of not less
than $500 nor more than $3.50 for a
biennial county institute and summer
school discretionary with the County
Board of Education, and leaves me in
uncertainty about the funds available
for this purpose each year and the
number of county Institutes Ii, how
ever, a sufficient number of County
Boards of Education will make this
appropriation allowed by law at the
April meeting and will notify me al
once, / can still successfully execute
my plan for reorganizing and making
more effective the institute work. II
one-haf or even one-third of the
counties of the State would make this
appropriation for institute work this
year, and one-half or one-third o.
them would make the appropriation
next year, l could employ a number
of trained teachers for all their time
for this work, sending q strong man
to each county in the State to spend
at least a month in educational work.
He could devote two or three weeks
to effective work with the teachers
and at least one week to township
meetings and campaign work for edu-
cation with the county uperintendent
in all parts of the county. No argu-
ment is necessary to convince you of
trained corps of institute conductors
in stimulating, encouraging and inn
proving the public school teachers, in
helping the county superintendent in
all departments of his work and III
cultivating public sentiment and
arousing enthusiasm for public educa-
ton throughout the entire county.
II beg to urge you to cooperate
with me in this plan for enlarging.
strengthening and improving your
county institute work, for helping your
county superintendent and teachers
and for carrying on an effective cam
paign for public education in your
county by making the appropriation
allowed by the new law for a teach
ers' institute and school. l suggest
that in addition to the two hundred
dollars, the appropriation for the coun-
ty institute and school should be suffi-
cient to cover the board of the insti-
tute conductor and incidental expenses.
] Kindly notify me of the action of