Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-26
State Aid for Public Education and
Eetter Enforcement of Compulsory
School Law Matters to Be Urged by
State Teachers for Reform - Some
Comparisons.
Special to ,Times-Republican.


ner and select circle of the State
Teachers Association, considered and
discussed at length two topics re-
garded as of vital Importance, namely.
SPECIAL state aid a subject partly In
cluded in the other, and "a comparison
Of the educational system of Iowa with
those of New York, Massachusetts,,
Washington and Colorado AS this is
first year discussion of these topics,
the final conclusions must await an
other year.
The comparison OF iowa with other
states centered around a report of a
special committee headed by Superin-
tendent Geo. E. Farrell, of Clinton. in
which the chairman had summarized
and consolidated the main features OF
the educational system in each of the
five states named, divided into theithree
headings: School support and taxa
ton. preparation for teaching, compul-
sorry education and. child labor laws.
Under the first head the committee
report was to the effect that investiga-
Iitton shows Iowa to be behind in state
aid for schools in that no recognition
lis given high schools; and that the
state money aid is of the minimum, as
compared with New York, Massachu-
sets and Washington. AS for county
aid. where such is extended, as In Col
orado and Washington, Iowa Will not
compare. As for district tax the mill
lrate is entirely against us, unless IT
be that the basis of assessment IS dm-
ferent. Teachers salaries are not rosy
for Iowa. In Washington males get
s67.s6 per month, females $53.6S In
Colorado cities males $sS.14: females
s47SS, rural schools, males, S5419; fe-
males. s47.Ss In New York, in cities,
s12s25: rural, $45.41; average, s91.94.
Massachusetts, males, $149.02; females,
s57O7. iowa, males, $4S.62; females,
$500
This seemingly says the report, "at
a much less tax burden to the people.
They seem to have solved the direct
tax problems on the much saner eco
I,nomic basis,--the larger the unit basis
the more nearly eqiaiized is the tax.
That Iowa may profit by these COM
parisons. it would be well that state
lew Of 1 mill for school purposes UP to
and including the high schools be made,
and that county levy OF say mills
be levied.
In regard to the preparation OF
teachers the report showed that Iowa
has one normal school, Massachusetts
has ten, Washington three, Colorado
one and New York sixteen. And SO
with other facilities. The committee
concluded that
"Iowa is not on a par with any OF
the states in the financial aid accorded
teachers in the preparation for the
work. She IS far behind New York and
Massachusetts in opportunities afford
ed. and because of this she is in the
van of these states in the professional
qualifications and attachments OF ner
teachers. AS in Massachusetts, where
fully one-falf the number employed
are normal school graduates, and one
sixth more are college graduates, ana
in New York where no teacher may be
employed in any superintendent city or
town unless a. three-year course grad
nate. or a successful teacher OF three
years' experience. Iowa, now that sne
has taken an advance step in certlncat-
ing her teachers can ill afford to nam
per this progress by combining the OPP
nortunftv for preparation to one state
normal which is practically financially
supported In faculty by the attend
ants"
In regard to child labor and enforced
school attendance, the comparison as
made by the committee was not quite
90 direct Results of the Iowa COM
nu1sory attendance law were reported
az quite satisfactory, in that great
falling off in laxity Of attendance IS
shown by statistical reports. In Mas
sachusetts the compulsion extends TO
all the time school is in session, with
certain regulations. In other states the
child labor laws are older ana more
nearly perfect than In Iowa. In some
states attendance at night school, IS
given high regard.
The committee gave the following as
the final conclusions and recomm enda-
tons:
"That Iowa should accord more state
aid to her public schools, graded and
high. on the plan OF Massachusetts or
New York. That a graduated elastic
course OF study should be adopted for
high schools one, two, three, or four
year course. subject to- the approval Of
the superintendent Of public instruc-
ton.
"That pupils having completed the
grade work in corporations not main
tanning high schools, attendance may
be had at high schools in other or adj
Joining corporations free Of tuition ex-
pense up to the amount of state aid
accorded such high school, and that the
home corporation shall defray the tu-
ition of such attendance beyond this
amount.
"That Iowa. now that she is on par
with the best in certificate legislation,
should afford more recognition to pro-
fessional preparation for the work.
THAT Iowa should establish four adj
ditional normal training centers, hav-
ing for their primary object the train
ing OF our teachers for the common
schools, especially the rural schools
that such normal or training schools
should be maintained in addition schol-
astic work in advance of ninth grade
in other words, that only those having
completed the ninth grade work may
enter, and that third grade certificate