The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-02-09
County Board Proceedings
ADJOURNED NOVEMBER SESSION
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[CONTINUED.

! on walls OF sand, and one is just about
as sensible as the other.
Second: The failures in diploma ex-
aminations are mainly due to two things;
| poor text books poorly used, and irregu-
! lar attendance. Thousands of import
| ant facts are not in many Of the old
| books used and many of the statements
made in them are absolutely false, while
SO many of the teachers using them are
unframed and can not properly train
others, even when trying to do their best.
In many of the books used there has
been no Spanish-American war, Cuba
still belongs to Spain, the population of
Chicago is given at about one-half the
actual number, thirty thousand people
still elect representative to congress,
and SO on without number. [ am glad
to say that number of teachers and a
few school boards are working with me
to get new and uniform text books.
Then many of the children are absent
from one third to one-half of the school
year, and yet they and their parents ex-
pect as good results as though they were
present all the time. According to re-
ports of town clerks more than one in
twenty children, between the ages of
seven and fourteen, is attending school
less than four months in year. With
those younger and older the condition is
still worse. Do we uot need a compul-
sorry education law which will make the
appointment of truant officers in the
county obligatory? Is it any wonder
that so few succeed in graduating from
the country schools?
For those who did graduate this year,
exercises were held at the GAINESVILLE
High School. There was a fair attend
| ance and good interest. The program
consisted of vocal and instrumental mus
ic, an address on the "Value of Learn
| ing" by Supt. H. G. Buell.; an address
on Learning and Living" by Prof A.
w. Burr, of Beloit College, and presen-
tation of diplomas by the superintend-
| ent
There were few applications for special
| examinations this year Most teachers
attended the summer institute, or the
summer school at Whitewater, and took
| examinations just after them. The raise
in standards last year to a minimum of
go was cheerfully met by most appli-
cants and recognized as good and nee
essary requirement for them as we'll as
for the schools. People will no longer
be satisfied with past standards for their
teachers, as it is generally recognized
that more thorough preparation is
necessary. Yet, in some cases, in order
to fill small schools, it has been neces-
| sary to grant limited certificates to some
who were not we'll qualified to teach.
! This is condition which ought not to
be. Some way of training teachers ought
| to be provided so as to give better teach
| ing to all our schools.
Wages have slightly increased and
still most of the high school graduates
! are attracted to other professions be-
| cause more remunerative and pleasanter
| and few teachers stay long in the country
| schools Forty-fve teachers, nearly one
| half Of those in my schools, stopped
teaching in 1905; either to 60 to school
themselves or to engage in some other
business. The scarcity of teachers is a
| serious condition, and is constantly be-
coming more difficult to meet. The dol
| lar fee did not keep them out this year,
for our last legislature repealed that
law. [ can suggest but three remedies:
Still higher wages for properly qualified
| teachers, better conditions in country
| schools SO as to make the work more at
| tractive and fewer but larger schools.
The wages are slowly improving, but
| not fast enough to attract many such
| teachers as we need. The same is true
of school buildings and environments.
| The consolidation Of several schools into
one is being agitated considerably There
IS large and constantly increasing num-
| Der Of people who believe that our
schools will be greatly improved in many
places by such consolidation. The State
Graded Schools are step in this direc-
ton, and their good work is making con
| yerts for united and better schools. Two
teachers are being employed again at
Lima this year with good results. Hav-
! ing visited all the schools since Septem-
| Der, and few of them twice, I am pre-
| pared to speak of their work. Most of
| the teachers are interested in their
| schools, and so far as their experience
| and training go, they are giving earnest
effort and thoughtful consideration to
their often difficult conditions and some
very good results are obtained | wish
| might add that all school boards and
| patrons were showing as much interest
and putting forth as much effort to i'm
| nrOVn tho schools Tboro would 10 d,