The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-06-29
HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS
PROF. WHITFIELD WRITES OF THE
SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.
Tells Of the Weak Points in the Sys-
TEN and Gives Pointers for Their
Betterment Cooperation
Urged.

l - 1U1s liz ~. WulUuCIu SbdUG Su-
perintendent of education, has is
sued the following address to the
people of Mississippi:
To the people of Mississippi: In
taking leave of the office of state
superintendent, which ! have held
for nearly nine years, / wish to
express to the people my most
grateful appreciation for the sup
port they have given me In the
work. The many letters 1 have
received from people of all voca-
tions, living in every part of the
state, touches me more deeply
than / can express.
When | look over the work of
the past ten years, | can see where
a great many things could have
been better done, but | can con-
scientloulsy say that | have done
the best | could.
/ want to make one last appeal
to the people of the state for their
children. We are living in fast
age, thence are following events
in fast succession. To meet
the constantly increasing com
plexity of our life, our faculties
for the training of our children
should be made better constantly.
We cannot afford to measure
the needs of the present with the
standards of the past. Our child
ren will not have to compete
with the ghosts of the past, but
with the flesh and blood of this
pulsing twentieth century life.
The time has come when we can
not afford to have any less higher
standard of preparation and
work than any other people have.
Our boys and girls are richly en-
dowed and can do US as great
things as the children anywhere
can do, but this is an age of prep
aration for work.
The work of the state cannot be
in advance of the schools of the
state; education is the great
twentieth century force; those
people who do not provide educa-
tion will occupy subordinate
positions in the complex life in
which they live. Terms, attend
ance, houses, public sentiment are
necessary factors of good schools,
but the greatest of all essential
elements are teachers. Splendid
houses, costly equipment, and all
other mechanical aids, are good,
but without a living, growing,
trained teacher they become as
sounding brass and tinkling GYM
bal.
Here is our weakest point. We
do not provide for the proper
training of our teachers. Our
teachers recognize their defcien-
cies and are clamoring for better
preparation for their great work.
The teacher must be trained, in
fact, our best teachers have been
trained, but at what great ex-
pense. During the years in which
ithis preparation has been gotten
through experience, how many
children have been dwarfed in
mind and body?
The civilized world has, decided
that the highest economy and the
best results are attained by the
establishment of schools for the
training of teachers. We are
about the last of civilized sections
Ito have normal schools.
| was in hope that | might see
this, our greatest educational end,
attained before my work closed.
Let me, as my last suggestion,
appeal to che people to establish
a training school where the teach
ers of their children can get ready
for their great work.
| / shall carry to my new field,
inspiration, gathered from contact
with those who have been my
| helpers in my present work. /
will no longer be leader, but |
shall give my energies and endow-
ments as a private. | will be
ready to answer every call |
shall not cease to be interested in
every movement affecting the vel
| fare of the common schools.
Again thanking you for the
many kindnesses / have received
from you, remain,
Your servant,
H. Z. WHITFIELD.