Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-03-15
Educational Campaign.


time for vigorous educational can
paign than the present. Within I'll
last few years we have had a numb,
a OF Important school laws enacted.
These laws can not give the best re
suits for the schools without the NOR
support of the citizenship of the stat,
aud this moral support will not be tb
. most effective without intelligent col
| ceptlon of the principles involved an
1 clear understanding and realization
! OF the present educational conditions
very few school patrons ever atten,
educational associations, read educa
t1onal journals, or study carefully th,
history and science of edrrstion. Com
paratively few educational articles ap-
psar IN the newspapers. The ma jority
OF the parents and other citizens are
absorbed in other subjects. When the
parents and other school patrons en-.
tered the busy school of life the public
schools sank to the subconscious realm.
and the schools of today are Judged
largely as being very similar to what
they were when these persons were pu.
pills or teachers. before they entered
business or a profession many wears
ago. Just as Rip Van Wrinkle took
up his life where he left it twenty years
before. so do many in educational af-
fairs. They intellectually know there
nave been some changes. but they sim.
ply cannot realize the great differ
ences and consequently the new condi
tlons to be met. This is necessarily so.
but they should be born again, educa-
tlonally speaking, to enter the new and
higher educational life.
The only sane thing to do is to awak- |
en- those who have gone to sleep edu-
catienally and to prevent the others |
from going to sleep. In the first place |
teachers themselves should realize the
situation, and have their educational /
horizon greatly enlarged. Their views
should at least be statewide, while
not neglecting their local duties. Each
'chool district is only portion of a
great state system. and if we have a
action to improve every sec.
ion of the state every community will |
,e more rapidly improved than it can
possibly be to work from the narrow
ocal view. Each school district is
much as the different organs, or even
of the body, each abnormal
unction or portion of the human body
ndangers every other section. The :
Vhole body N ust be healthful. Every :
aeans, every organization that can be {
t help in bringing about better edu-
ational condition should be honestly
nd sincerely encouraged.
The newspapers should be interest,"
d in the work. They should be used L
Or educational advancement the same L
8 they are used in the advancement of +
ny other public cause. This is the l.
lost effective way of reaching the L
hole people and the whole people must t
g reached and kept in sympathetic. a
ltelligent touch with educational y
lovements. Each newspaper should 2
ave such local educational news as 8
i'll keep the public mind healtbful Y
Intentionally and prevent educationa, f
agnation. A good article of general e.
terest should be repu blished from y
If educational papers occasionally.-l
he teachers should take our state e.
lucatlonal papers, and read them to Il
eep In touch with the state work. as Ii
ell as to get the professional help Of f,
red. Articles should be written for Ii
le public press of the state and sent a
the newspapers for publication - L!
early all such articles will be publish nj
|, If not at first they will be when the a
lbllc becomes interested in such work. 81
ith an active, united, enthusiastic
aching force and an interested pub
press, the people can be reached and
'pt in touch with these educational
ovements. 1t is our own fault, dear DO
achers, that the unfavorable educa-
,nal conditions exist. Wen have p
ews broader than present self-inter-
t, and little envies and person aIties.
e should be deeply interested in the b'
eat cause of education and encour- u
e 1t in every possible wav.