Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-01-03
TEACHERS MEETING.

educators attended the SGD annual con
vention of the Wisconsin State Teachers
association, held last week in Milwau
kee, and report that it was by far the
most successful neetingever held by
that association. The enrolment was
upwards of 1900 which is at least l,OOC
more than year ago. The large at
tendance was due to the results of the
efforts of q. ID. Jones, of this city, iu
securing one fare rate, it being the
first time in the history of the associa.
ton that such rate was secured. On
Wednesday morning John +. Lamont,
OF this t,ty, in reporting on 'Compensa-
ton IN Rural Schools" said that this
subcommittee present notion is that
the greatest draw back to the efficiency
of those schools is to be found in the
Indifference of the patrons themselves,
who felt, after the school house had
been built and furnished and {. teacher
engaged, that the school ought to run
itself. In many schools there was no
upper form work, and in many in
stances, in schools numbering about
thirty pupils, there were not more than
one or two pupils over II years of age
Figures received from fifty-four county
superintendent showed average wages
prevailing, in different counties, OF
from S27 to S41 per month with an
average wage in 1854 schools of $685.
The lowest monthly wage was $50. In
graded schools the average wage was
$35.
He felt that one Of the greatest defects
in the rural schools of Wisconsin was to
be found in the utter absence of close
and efficient supervision. He said that
no superintendent could successfully
supervise 200 teachers on a salary of
$500 year. He summed up the situa-
ton by recommending good wages for
good work, and no poor work at any
price.
interviewing D. E. Wells, of this city,
the Milwaukee Sentinel on Thursday
ssid:
Il see that the program for the dis
cussion of the county training school
work provides for a paper on the ex-
tension of the course from one to two
years." said Oliver 4. Wells, of Wausau,
former state superintendent and the
superintendent of the Marathon County
Normal Training school, the first one
to be opened in the state under the law
providing for their establishment "As
soon as the course is extended we will
fail to serve hepurpose for which these
schools were created, the training of
teachers for the rural schools. The
rural schools are the most neglected of
any in the public school system of the
state, as the village ard city schools
take ali the normal school graduates.
The county training school, with its
one year course, offers an opportunity
for the training of teachers to meet
this existing demand for the country
schools, bur do not think that many
of the people whom we are now reach
ing would be able to take a longer
course. There are now seven of these
schools in the state and their success is
leading other counties to favor the
establishment of similar ones | am
opposed to any extension of the course. !"
On Thursday Miss Eva Halliday,
Wausaus Helen Keller, gave dem
onstration before the convention of
what the deaf, dumb and blind learn
and her work was a revelation to near
ly everyone. In the selection of new
officers Chas. +, McLenegan, of Mill
waukee, was chosen president Of the
association for 1866. Karl Mathie, OF
Wausau, was placed on the committee
on amelioration of our spelling.