The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-24
WOMAN SPART' in
PUBL|CsCH00Ls
Splendid Tribute to Her Fine
Work by Superintendent Vim.
Holmes Davis.
ARE SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS
Able aud Instructive Address
Delivered at Educational
Conference Here.
ARE SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS
Able aud Instructive Address

Mr.. r. c. Stcarncs, secretary OF the
State Board OF Education. has. from
time to time, been editing addresses
mado before the Educational Confer
ence held here last November, with
the view OF publishing such portions
of them as Will be OF striking inter-
est ana Information to the educational
world. Some OF them have already
been published In this paper and 9th
ers may follow later on.
Among the discussions of Education.
al Week ut that meeting none was
moro absorbingly interesting than the
one entitled .Woman's Part in Public
School Educntion," before the Confer
ence OF Division Superintendent of
Schools. Three Of the lady teachers
OF the State had been placed on the
program OF the superintendents con-
ference, but, as 1t happened. only one,
Miss Louise Griggs, Roanoke, Va, had
views In formal way as one of the
regularly appointed ,peakers. Those
who heard Miss Griggs and those who
read an account OF the effect OF her
remarks upon the grave and reverend
seigniors Will realize that she improv-
ed to the utmost this opportunity OF
presenting the Just claims OF her sex.
AL oIlOIR sG1lOl Vs.
other speakers upon this subject were
Superintendent VIM. Holmes Davis,
Danville; Superintendent j. X. Fulton,
of Grayson county, and Superintendent
Lee Britt, Of Nansemond county. 1t
Is q very lust and very distinguished
compliment to them to say that their
papers attracted hardly less attention
than the one that was rendered SO
attractive not only by Its Inherent
IN tfSS ~
tho speaker. In fact, to either one
OF the papers delivered by these gen
tlemcn, as compared with that delly
cred by Miss Griggs. might be APP
piled the words Of Tennyson used by
Superintendent Davis to emphasize one
Of his points:
Like perfect music unto noble words;
And so these twain, upon the skirts
OF Time,
Sit side by side, full-summed in all
their powers,
Dispensing harvest, sowing the to-be.
Self-reverent each and reverencInE
p,st,ne ea' in 1ndlvidual,ties.
But like each other even as those who
love"
Value Of Woman's Work.
All the papers agreed in the cordial
I
1 value OF the work which woman has
accomplished In education Two of the
/, gentlemen, speaking soberly as from
|, conviction, but Influenced to some ex-
tent no doubt by a proper spirit Of
1 callantry, attributed the absorption o.
the educational field by woman entire
~ to her worth: but 1t Is probable
that Miss Griggs came somewhat near
er the real reason when she cnlle'
iiattention to the fact that 1t has beel
| possible to secure talent among womc
at much lower cost than among Nor
Yet it is all the more to woman
credit that it is impossible to den
the fact that her work has been sur
prisingly successful twithstandin
the small average OF salary.
A Labor of Love.
IT is grandly true that hers has bee
really labor Of love- and SO ia
as elementary schools are concerned
a field to which she Is peculiarl:
adapted-an the speakers agreed the
In primary and in part at least OF tn
grammar school work women are bet
ter instructors than men. Miss GrgE
deplored the fact that there are nc
more men in the advanced gramms
land high sNlool work. For thes
n grades she suggested that half m
half would seem to be the proper prs
portion, and 1t is believed th1 hlghe
3 salaries will make the relative nun
her OF male and female teachers
the higher classes about equal and wi
give Virginia system Of schools SUPP
lrior to any she has ever enjoyed.
But we hasten to a consideration
the addresses separately, and In doir
so we cannot do better than quote
length from the remarks of each Of II
speakers.
Subject Divided.
Superintendent William Holmes Dav
divided the subject into three parts:
Woman In the School.
Woman In the Home.
Woman In Society.
He said In part: When first begf
to look over the field I was amnzt
to find that such a large number
women were school officials. Not on
arc there among them officers OF scho
boards, but also two State supcrnte
dents elcvesN city superintendent, 8
county superintendent. half of u
supervising officers OF city system
and principals galore OF high NJ
graded schools. Virginia Is conserv
+ tive, and contents herself with puttl1
a woman into the assistant SUPPORT
tendency Of city system and othe
= as heads of city and town high schoc
and graded schools-in some case
however, because men are not ava
Z, able
:. Coming from ofi1cialdom to the raj
- and file. we find seventy-two per Gel
r. Of the teachers In all grades In CT
1 n IN