Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-29
ASSOCIATION WANING
State Teachers Meetings Take
Up Too Many Subjects and
Too Many Interests
GREAT DIVISION IN WORK
Change in the Essential Character of
Association Responsible for De-
creased observation-disclosures Who At
tend Feel They Are Not Receiving
seneft-Gossip of Recent Meeting.
nee hal to Tines-Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
| Des Moines, Dec. 29.-f the educa-
tiomu system of Iowa keeps pace with
the educational thought Of the teach
ers. it is destined soon to undergo most
| remarkable changes, of a revolutionar
character. One Of the speakers before
| the State Teachers Association this
| week put it that in every activity of
human endeavor there is change and
| modification, largely in the direction
| of consolidation and elimination of
useless expense and labor, conforming
| to the unquestioned trend of the times.
save and alone in the one thing more
important than all others. education.
In manufactures, transportation, agri-
culture, business, civil life, we are
adapting ourselves to conditions, but
going on In the old way in the matter
of education.
The teachers association this year
had an attendance of about 1900, the
| largest enrolment on record. The pro-
gram was up to the average. To one
who has had opportunity for observ-
| ing these associations for twenty-five
| years, decided change is noticeable
The character Of the association Is
changing. The meetings are vastly diff
| ferent from what they formerly were.
The personnel of the meetings Is being
transformed. The conspicuous thing
about an association meeting now is
| the attendance and the domination Of
the college and professional element.
The teachers from the country schools
are practically absent, those from
grades are not numerous. There are
principals and superintendent Of the
town and city schools, county superin-
| ten6ents, and then a great many col
lege men. There are not so many of the
school book men conspicuous as in
some other years. At least they are
modest. Most of the large publishing
houses have their agents here to show
books, but the school book men do not
take part in the politics Of the assoc
citation, as once they did.
| The change in the essential character
of the association is responsible for the
decreased attendance and the failure
of the state meetings to attract as many
| of the real teachers as the district
| meetings. The air is distinctly profess
sional. There is not much to help the
| teacher who has many problems be-
| fore her. There is much about tax
alton, about terms, about legislation,
and all the physical incidents of school
work. There isn't much pedagogy, and
less of that deep interest in actual re-
suits in the school work. The papers
and essays are for men who have gone
deep into the science of the thing rath-
er than for the beginners. The result
| is that teachers who attend the state
meetings feel that they gain nothing
that is useful to them in their daily
work.
There Is too much division In the
WORK There are too many "round Ia
bles" and sectional meetings" and
too much effort to divide everything up
for specialization. Teachers have come
to learn that they can get about as
much good out Of reading the news
paper accounts as they can by attend
ing the meetings. They cannot hope to
get more than q very small part Of the
good by trying to attend all meetings.
Then, while educators talk great deal
about education, and what great things
they are going to do to give something
prac tical some Of them come loaded
with dry and dreary essays which they
inflLct upon the association at great
length. For instance, at one of the
meetings the program was delayed
nearly an hour by two very long es-
says on technical matters. Each one
should have been edited aown to one
rdird It's length, ana would have been
infinitely better for the change But
educators seem to be last to learn that
in an address If any kind brevity is es-
sential. A competent editing board
with authority to handle the essays in
advance would go far toward improv-
ing the program.
There should be provision by the
state for publication at state expense
of the full proceedings of the associa-
ton each year. The few who attend
the meetings go but little way to-
ward carrying to the people that which
is good. For instance, one morning
Judge Horace e. Deemer, Of the SUI
prelne court, delivered an admirable adj
dress on the general principles relating
| to the teaching profession, an address
that would do IL 1t was in the hands
| of every teacher Of the state and every
school officer, yet not to exceed 500
heard it. Following him came Presi-
dent MacLean, with a similar terse and
interesting address. but only few
were there.
Unquestionably the best part Of the
entire program was something in
| which, alas, too few of the educators
of the state take any interest what
ever. This was the admirable sermon
by Carroll d. Wright. of Worcester.
Mass, on the labor problem. Mr..
Wright, as everybody knows, was for
many years United States labor COM
missioner and he is now at the head of
Clark university. He started out in
life as a student Of the labor problem,
something of crank, and in his Off
cial position he did much work which
seemed to be prejudiced; but in his
later days he has settled down to
calm and philosophic attitude toward
the labor question. He treated the la
ct