Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-09-14
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT
Willis<F. Evans, EDITOR and County
Superintendent Of School of
Berkeley County.

by teachers, patrons, boards Of educa
ton, or trustees, relating to the public
school system, but no political discus
sions will be permitted.
BY l.. w. Burns, president West vir
ginia Improvement League.
School improvement in West Vir
ginia depends upon local interest. The
state officers can do something In the
way OF suggesting plans. distributing
literature creating enthusiasm, and
kindred work; the coutny superintend.
ent can do much by ~effecting organi,
cations in his county, e1listing the
help Of leading teachers and citizens.
making appeals to the boys and girls
of his schools, and giving to one
school the plans used by others; but
all this will amount to little if the
pupils, teachers, and patrons of the
county sub-districts have not be-
come so interested hat they have
sent forth the degree-Oar school
building and school grounds must be
beautified. We must have suitable
books to read and good play grounds
must be provided.
Who can create this local interest?
Who is the most important factor in
the work? Undoubtedly, it is the
teacher. What have you done? What
will you do this year?
While much has been done in the
last four years toward Improvement
and identifying grounds, if you will
travel with me through almost any
country in the state you will not
only find many school grounds not
the vacation period you will find
houses with doors and windows open
all the time. This is a shameful con
dition.
Can we hope to have our public
schools on a high plane of social ben
eft when such conditions exist? VIII
pupils who go out from schools with
such surrounding conditions do any
thing to make home environments bet.
ter? When they become yong men
and young women and establish homes
of Their own what will be their idals
if they are to get at least a large part
Of the best they have from the coun-
try public schools where nothing ar
tistic or beautiful was before them?
County superintendent of West Viz
ginia, you are the ones to create SEN
timent among your teachers and the
people of your counties, and in this.
as in, most other problems in regard
to educational progress, so much de-
pends upon you.
while it is true there is needed some
fifty organized agency to arouse local
interest in the local school. to unity
an affective force for good. and to di.
rect its exercises, it is also very true
mat unless we have this agency SO
organized as to bring into harmonious
action all the elements of local inter.
est in the school our efforts will be
largely in vain.
The West Virginia School Improve
ment League should have a small
fund for the purpose of paying the en-
pease of printing and distributing lit
erature for providing blanks whereby
teachers or district secretaries could
report to county superintendent, and
they in turn report to the state Off
ciers of the league concerning work
OF improvement. This fund can be
had by charging a small membership
fee, which could be collected by the
county secretary of the league at the
teachers institute and then sent to
the state secretary. A fee of ten
cents would be sufficient.
In conclusion ] must add that the
work already accomplished by the
league is most encouraging, and had
there been a PLAZA of reporting work
done it would be surprising to many.
Perhaps only n county superintend-
ent has adopted a plan for reporting
work done in his county.
If the hope for which tho West Vir-
ginia School Improvement League was
formulated shall not prove in vain, if
in every school the leagues contem-
plated shall be organized, aad enter
upon the work set for them one can
scarcely conceive Of the magnitude
and value of the results which may
accrue. Old school keeping with their
improved surroundings, OF will yield
place to new ones of more modern
and pleasing architecture. School
rooms, in finishing and furnishing
will become ministers to love of the
beautiful In art and educators ii re-
HnAYaanf yf tHa,,aLt Fo11lEr- - -