Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-06-09
FINE CONDITIONS
NORMAL COLLEGE
At Las Vegas--Best
Year in Its His
tory.
HAD LARGEST ATTENDANCE
Prospects for Coming Year
Bright --- Professor Vert
Tells Interesting Story.

Tells Interesting Story.
President Edmund j. Vert, of the
Normal University at Las Vegas was
in Santa Fe yesterday attending the
quarterly meeting of the Territorial
Board of Education, of which he is a
member, President Vert says that the
academic year just closed was the
most successful in the history Of the
Normal. The total enrolment was
24S, representing twenty different
counties. OF these counties seven
were represented in the Normal for
the first time in the history Of the In.
stitution. The graduating class this
year numbered 10, or nearly rs per
cent more than the largest that had
previously been graduated Eleven OF
this number graduated from the pro-
fessional courses, and most of these
have secured good positions as teach
ers for next year.
President Vert said that there is
steady demand for two classes Of
teachers in New Mexico, for which
there is an insufficient supply. One is
teachers in the grades who have good
Normal training and can speak Eng
lish, and the other Is male principals
Of small town schools. To meet the
former demand the Normal University
will not in the future graduate per-
son from any of it's professional
courses who has not sufficient know.
ledge of Spanish to meet the needs
of the schools. The Spanish-speaking
people Of New Mexico want their
children taught English and prefer
teachers whose native language is
English, but since many Of their child
rem do not on entering the public
school know word Of English, 1t Is
important that teachers should know
enough Spanish to start them in their
school work The need for teachers
thus qualified Is not limited to GER
tain rural districts. but extends to
every important city and town in the
Territory.
The supply Of sufficient number of
young men to act as principals in small
towns presents different problem.
Last year. said President Vert, Il
had applications from four different
school boards for principals, and In
every case, after searching the Terri
tory thoroughly, l was obliged to go
east for them. Within the last week
I have received requests from two
school boards to recommend compe-
tent principals for their schools, One
of there positions pays SIS a month
for eight months, and the other the
same salary per month for nine
months. Though these schools are to
open in September at the present
time | am at an utter loss to know
from what quarter these men are to
come. The natural inference would be
that when school boards pay sufficient
salaries they will have no trouble In
finding competent principals, yet the
fact is that If they paid 5000 month
they could not at present be supplied
from New Mexico. A diligent search
of the Territory discloses the fact that
a sufficient number of men to fill these
positions can not be had within her
borders at any price"
The summer session movement OF
the Normal University has no parallel
in New Mexico. It was popular from
the beginning, and the session for the
current year, which opens June 18TH
has every promise of surprising either
of its two predecessors. Last year the
enrolment was 65 teachers, represent
ing fifteen different counties, but the
indications now are that the registra-
ton this year will exceed this figure
Regarding the outlook, DR. Vert said:
mot only has the Normal University
become better known the past three
years by virtue of the summer session,
but this year our bulletin has reached
nearly five times as many people, and
the number Of branches offered Is
much greater than ever before. Some
idea of the range of the instruction we
offer can be gained when | say that
thirty-three recitatlons will occur
daily throughout the eight weeks. OF
these, twenty-three will be In the COM
mon and high school branches, and
ten in strictly professional branches,
covering the greater part Of the the
ory and art of teaching. Psychology,
general method, special method In the
common branches, and observation In
the training school constitutes the
chief lines of work of technical char
acter. One Of the features will be
classes Of children under the instruc-
tion of our critic teachers who will IL
lustrate by actual class room work the
best modern primary methods. All
branches required for any grade OF
country certificates in the Territory
will also be offered. In many branches
there will be two recitatlons day,
thus enabling students to complete
sixteen weeks work in the eight
weeks. Textbooks will be rented to
students at merely nominal fee, tui
ton will be free, and every opportunity
will be afforded for profitable, thor
ough and systematic work"
---------------'s --'---~--