The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-02
The Normal School situation as II Ap
pears to Il School Trustee.

Eu!tor OIL Inc IimeS-Dispatch:
Sir,-l have been connected with
the public school system most Of the
time for forty years. Ny view is from
the standpoint of district trustee.
lions on our children, it is worth while I
TO eNpend few thousands TO train
their teachers, so that those millions
may be well expended. To say 1--WE
to improve our primary. schools, and
when they become good schools we
will consider the question of normal
schools schools Is the purest nonsense. Good
tent teachers.
But how are we to turn out compe-
tent teachers in sufficient numbers to
supply our, schools? Farmville has
not been able to do it. Another school
| of the same kind, whether 1t Is To-
Gated at Manassas or at Harrisonburg,
of the proposition of the Governor for
large institution, complete IN al
Its equipments, to cost 100000 to be-
gin with, provided we had the money
meet our immediate necessities,
In March! 1874 I introduced into
the House OF Delegates a resoiutloii,
FOR the eTtahighme mt OF I'VE tho rs.
legislative proposition ever made look
| ing toward normal instruction IN ylr.
/ gnia. If a system Of State normals;
had then been established 1t would
have been worth more than $l,O0o,OOO
added to our school funds. If the sys-
tenn is delayed IT will be worse than
the loss of $l,oooopo to our present
funds.
/ insist that we should have some
where from half-dozen to dozen
10 seh psa aad haXe ever has
: the brain of zeus, The only posi-
blity of accomplishing this would =, be
Johns Hopkins, Carnegie or R9cke-
Teller, To rely on such sources. how
ever; Is, to my mind. undesirabt,le,
ap,propriation Of So 5000. The State
, could now give out of the surplus slo,-
5 600 each for the establishment Of
, system, OF schools, ,eauitably distrib,
be in the southwes, and still another
in the extreme Southwest Another
: would accommodate the Valley. There
should be one near Hampton Roads
tlon of the Underwater counties. AS FOL
Northern Virginia, the sixteen counties
between the mountains and Underwater
! that annually pay into the treasury
!, $4,000 more than they receive shoult
a have another.
II the Legislature decides to require
are located, which l think right. ! sug
= gest that any town whore the 100000
e institution Is located should be requir
: ed 70 Put up $4,000, and that thos,'
towns whore smaller institution y
placed should be willing to duplicate
"a the amount this Legislature appro
ia PIRATES.
s. Virginia is full or girls who ar
At ambitious, bright and capable OF max
Ing the best Of teachcrs; girls VIII
want TO do something for themselyc
=, ana their generals They are foun,
W not only in our colleges and hisl
le schools, but IN our seventh aud eight
grades, Some OF the best rural schoo
}eachers ] ever knew began, teaching
oe before they had COMPLETED the. gram
mar school course The normal train
ing schools fhonld be SO distribute
and the courses so arranged that Hup
'e, girl could take a thlrty-day course
hundred-daY course or lonRe
COURSES, as their own necessities an
Il, tho necessities of the public require
~ 10 y girl who loves children and loYr
work g few suggestions from an u,