Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-02-14
STATE SUPERIN=
TENDENT CARY
A Man of Wide and Varied Ex=
perience in the Educational
Field.
(By a Wisconsin Teacher.)

CdHuiudUc IOl lo-CIOetiou W Tile olllcf
of state superintendent of schools. i.
completing his first term in thai
office. Two years ago he was nomi
mated by the Republican state
convention, defeating L. D. Harvey.
After his election to the office Mr.
Cary early entered into happy rela
tions with the educational forces with
which he was to work. A feeling OF
cooperation was. 5000 manifest which
brought good results without any
loss of dispatch or power. He found
his place on the various boards, OF
which he is, eX-Offici0, a member, and
made his force felt without friction.
His relations with the university
have been frank aGd cordial. and his
supervision of the high schools of the
state, in common with the university,
| has been almost without friction. In
his work with the hoard of regents of
normal schools. Mr.. Cary has stood
for more effective teaching of the
| things in the normal school which are
| to be taught by the students when
they go out into the district or
graded schools, and a revision of
courses of study in normal schools to
| that end is now under way.
Improving Rural Schools.
In undertaking to meet the pro-
Of
has earnestly sought to cooperate
with the various observation-disclosures at
work in this field. He has sought to
establish such an interchange of ideas
between county superintendentS by
correspondence and by means Of
conventions, as might bring all the
forces to bear upon these problems
in a cooperative way. The two years
of bis administration have been
devoted to a careful and conservative
study of the rural schools. He did,
during the time, Whatever he could
TO utilize 10 its fullest extent, the
organization and machinery of the
recognized at once the influence of the
county training school in furnishing
better rural school teachers, and
Immediately gave assistance wherever
he could, toward extending the num-
ber. His results were satisfactory.
and during the period of his first
term the county boards of three
counties provided for county training
schools, This is one more than the
law provides state aid for at the pre-
sent time, and bill lis to be intro
duced providing for more of these
schools. Two other counties un-
doubtedly would have provided for
county training schools this fall if the
law, at the time, had provided for
mere schools.
In the Institute Field
In the institute field Mr.. Cary's
watchword was Some of the Old-time
| thOrOughneSS in some of the old-time
branches" and reports go to show
| that the work planned for the
Institutes was exactly such as helped
the rural school teacher in teaching
in the rural school. He has given,
during the two years of his admins
tration, careful and conservative
study to the country school problem,
and fruits of this work are showing
now in the form of effective legiSla-
tion, which he is trying to have
enacted. Results of Mr.. Cary'S study
are that 1874 districts reported during
the year as having an enrolment of
thirty or less, 2,545 an enrolment of
twenty-five or less, and 1883 an enroll
lmenJ of fifteen or less, and 795 an
enrolment of ten or less. 1t appears,
| further, that the average daily
attendance is but half of the enroll
ment or less. A great many of these
districts are situated conveniently tO
state graded schools or high schools,
! Offering excellent advantages and
employing, as rule, teachers OF
superior qualification.
Consolidation Of Schools.
1t is planned to introduce a bill that
shall provide for certain amount of
additional aid to be paid to such
districts as shall vote to close the
Eschool in the district, and provide
for the payment of transportation to
an adjoining state graded school oI
high school. 1t is believed that d
considerable number of rural schools
can in this way be closed to advan.
tage, at least temporarily. 1t is
planned further to introduce a bill
providing for two inspectors OF
strictly rural schools. 1t is not pre-
sumed that these inspectors need pay
any attention TO the better grade ol
country schools, but give their entire
time and attention to strengthening
aud aiding the weak schools in al
particulars. These inspectors will be
expected to study out in detail the
lines that the state superintendent
has opened up, and to report to hin
the results in all cases of theiI
Investigation. Their duties will be
further, to hold meetings of district
school officers, and teachers, anC
patrons, to urge upon them the neeo
for betteriug the school conditions il