River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-12-24
TEACHERS WAGES

$50 and SAL 10
Sal and Sac S 2S
$40 and SsI 3 as
over $50 month 10 ~
AVERAGE WAGES PAID
Male Females
In all schools $500 $44 .6s
Excluding four high schools 5I.5S 40. SO
In rural schools only 4a.27 40. 40
As there were only eleven male teachers
employed in the rural schools and four OF these
were inexperienced, decrease is shown IN
first report to give the average wages of female
teachers above forty dollars in the rural schools
cERr1F1cAr1oN OF TEACHERS
Teachers examinations were held in the
spring as follows: River Falls, Uoint with st.
Crox County, March and 10; Plum City,
and 81; Ellsworth iis March as-a6. The sum
mer examination was held at Ellsworth, Aug. so.
At the spring series there were sixty-siX
applicants, nine of whom were males, and
at the summer examination there were eighty
six applicants, nine of whom were males Five
first grades, four second grades and six third
grades were granted to male teachers. Seven
first grades, twenty-six second grades and
seventy three third grades were granted to
female teachers, total OF one hundred twenty
Owing to the fact that large number wrote
at the spring series who had made no special
preparation for the. examination, over halt
Of the applicants failed: but only five out of
eighty-six failed to receive certificates at the
August examination. All but four OF the
anDliCaQtS
the institute or Normal summer school and
three of these had attended the Normal during
the entire year. The conscientious super
intendent finds the certification OF teachers
one of his most arduous and trying duties.
He can't please everybody and do justice by
either the teachers or schools. -
must estimate the probable number OF avail
able teachers and while it is essential that
he hold the standards sufficiently high to insure
efficient service believe it is not tor the best
interests of the schools to make them so high
that it is necessary to import large number
of teachers from other counties. failure
doesn't mean so much to an imported teacher
as it does to a resident of the county. Last
year we were obliged to send to other countles
for few teachers. This year our supply was
in excess of the demand and we still nave three
or four available teachers tho these will prob
ably be needed to fill vacancies before the next
examination.
| became convinced that in most cases per
sons under eighteen years OF age who hadn
finished a high school course or had about
two years of Normal training weren't mature
enough to take charge OF a school, ana there-
fore / raised the age limit for granting GER
tificates to eighteen. The parents OF a few
who were affected by the change thought 1T
and remember it makes some difference whether
you have young person who is DESTROYS OF
learning how to teach or number OF chlldren
for this immature teacher to experiment on
Tho my system of marking insures absolute
fairness l have been accused, as all super
ntendents have been, by few lnconsideraIe
failed to measure up to the requirements, OF
showing partiality. disclosure of the facts
will not bear out these unwarranted assertions
Each applicant is given examination
number and his name appears only on the
preliminary sheet and not on any paper on
which he receives standing. | nave some
assistance in the examination work and about
half of the papers are marked by competent
assistant who has no way OF knowing whose
rs he aEe care a 0n nd gSe
one a square deal" All papers OF applicants
who fail are kept till the next examination
and when ! send out their returns f G4q1J
any then be dissatisfied, they may appeal 10
the State Superintendent. This would GER
tainly be more commemorate course tna man
making an accusation of Partially being shown
without having any knowledge OF the merits
of the case.
DIPLOMA EXAMINATIONS
Diploma examinations were held at, seven
places in the county February go and June
seven applicants, fifty-four of whom received
diplomas In addition to this forty-one were
graduated from the. graded schools Tho
this number is above the average 1T is TAR from
satisfactory and with our improved conditions
we should be able to double that number in
two or three, years. 1o,d
at Ellsworth, July rs. Prof: R. H. Burns
gave the annual address Edna Oss OF Dis,
trict No a, town of Salem, not only received
the highest standing in spelling but won IN
the oral spelling contest and received padded
leather volume of Longfellows poems
ATTENDANCE
show a substantial increase IN attendance
This is due to the system of Perfect Attendance
Certificates and to the proper ento ,9a Snt
earned five monthly certificates tor per1ect
attendance, he is given Certificate OF Award
This, was granted to five hundred nnet yl1S
pupils last year and many pupils held from
one to four small certificates at the end OF the
year, 1 have discussed the matter with many many
of the teachers and without exception rney
1t means considerable extra work tor me;
but being convinced that it will do much TOWARD
raising the standard of our schools, shail Will
ingly do my part if this Board VIII make tne
necessary appropriation
have tried to perform my prescribed duties
fully and impartialy Chapter 446, Laws
of 1907, provides that all children between
7 and "a not mentally or physically inca PPc1
by the nearest travelled road, shall attend school
regularly while it is in session The law states
that regular attendance shall be construed
to mean twenty days in each month, but pupils
are not to be considered delinquent because
of an occasional days absence.
Teachers required under penalty TO- re-
port all cases of irregular attendance. Two
or three cases have been reported to me where
school clerks advised teachers to be lax IN
reporting violations OF the law. The teachers
had been apprised of their duty and did not
give heed to the pernicious advice DO you
think officials who instruct those working
under them to violate law are good citiZenS!
About four hundred supported violations
of the law were reported to me last year, but
sickness and living over two miles from school
were given as reasons in many cases. Two
hundred forty five parents were notified. OF
this number / notified two hundred three by
sending circular letters, quoting the law and
requesting them to comply with its provisions.
Most of these were sent out about the first
Of December Later the sheriff sent forty
two registered letters to delinquent parents
commanding them to cause their childsen to
be sent to school within five days and to attend
regularly. We found it necessary to prose
cute two persons who wouldn't heed the Sher-
ifs summons. One paid fine of about thir-
teen dollars and the other spent thirty days
in the county jail
AS laws are not self-enforcing, there natur- :
ally attaches some unpleasant duty with every
aw that involves prosecution. The dim |
eulties encountered the enforcement OF
new law arise frC-h the fact that many officials
are lax in the performance of their duties.
and many who call themselves good citizens
are prone to disregard laws the non-enforcement
Of which they believe works to their personal
advantage. This l regard as the greatest
weakness of American institutions and, gov
.rnment. 1t is in fact deplorable and has
nearly undermined the very fourd ations OF
Dur republic. When the proper enforcement
fan