The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-29

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Matt nal Educ
ny {TIsCDERIC j. TIAsKIN.
The biggest convention OF tho year
will meet IN Cleveland to-day. Greater
interest may be excited by the national
conventions OF the two political par
ties, but the real Significance OF the
annual meeting OF the National Educa-
tion Association Is not measured by
the newspaper space devoted to It.
School teachers to the number OF $4,000
from every part OF the Z sion will gath
ways and means Of improving the men
tai, moral and physical condition OF
the 100000 public school children OF
tho United States.
Some good old-fashioned folk are
inclined to look gaskance upon the new
tangled and hifalutin methods OF the
modern school, hut they will be pleased
with the browning feature Of this par
|ticular gathering OF the advanced peda-
gogues; for Cleveland Is to have the
biggest old-fashioned spelling bee ever
pulled off in the history OF Webster's
blue backed spelling book. Selected
teams Of fifteen pupils, representing
the common school grades from first
to eighth, will come from n dozen OF
the principal cities OF the country. They
will line up after the manner Of their
grandparents. and they will spell
against each other and against the per-
versity OF the English dictionary until
but one remains-the master OF sylla-
bles and the pride Of some city
From "ha-ker" and "a-er-ial" to the
labyrinthian mazes OF those jaw
breakers In the back Of the book.
teachers OF the National Education AS
ISOLATION will follow their favorites
the school year. 1t Will be a noble bat
tie and II some little girl from Boston
shall win. 1t Is notlimpossible that she
may whisper to the lad from Atlanta.
last OF the vanduished:
I'm sorry that spelt the word;
/ hate to go above you,
Because" (the brown eyes lower felD,
Because, you see, / love YOU"
Such things will be the fun OF the
|vention: It's business Is more serious
and more important. The most remark
able educational development in the
history of the human race is that Of
THE growth OF the public school sys-
tenn Of the United States in the past
seventy years. For sixty-one OF these
years this national organization. which
will hold It's forty-sixth meeting at
Cleveland. has been at the head and
front OF the educational advance. 1t
was organized in 1857 at Philadelphia
under the name National Teachers
Association" In 1871 the name was
changed to National Educational As
ISOLATION" In 1906. when reincorpor-
ated by Congress-. the name was again
changed to National Education Asso-
ciation." Meetings have been held an
nually ever since the Civil War. with
= !,
1906. The meeting Of 1893 was
merged into the Worlds Congress
at Chicago. and that OF 1905 was not
held on account OF the San Francisco
Earthquake. the convention having been
called to meet In that stricken city.
The membership OF the National Ed
ucation Association (the organization
is usually designated simply by Its
initial letters). includes school teachers.
schools. school boards and representa-
tives of every class which has to do
with the actual work OF managing the
great educational system OF the coun-
try. The association includes the Ma
tional Education Council and seventeen
departments. These subdivisions are at
work all the time, and their reports
ito the annual meeting are of great
value. Everything that Is said and
done is preserved in permanent form.
The proceedings OF the National Edu-
years form complete history OF the
growth of education in the United
States.
When the organization was first
launched there were only stxty-nine
public high schools in the country.
still the main dependence for second
airy education. Boys. and sometimes
girls, were given the advantage OF the
study of Latin and Greek, little his
tory. little mathematics and little
English. The physical anu Vocational
not dreamed Of; the very idel that edu,
cation was good thing for practical
purposes was frowned upon.
The old order has passed away. but
the new order is6not established. It
must make way for the improvements
try are not conservative;sth they believe
in doing things the new way. II the
new way is better. It Is through the
Influence Of the National Education
Association that the discovery OF new
and better methods In one section Of
age OF the whole country Not one q
the thousands OF teachers who attend
this year will leave Cleveland without
new ideas to put in practice back nome.
DESPITE precedent and spite conserYa va
tive school boards. a5 !, /.
The most ErelldI!ftO!C ASet ~ ~ -
progress OF tho public school systems
Of the States are the extension Of the ne
rural high school territory; the ll II (
creasing attention being given to the
physical training Of the children; ana
the increasing emphasis on yoca tlo !la,
education. IN the ,large cities the high
schools turn out boys and girls thor
oughly equipped for business or or i ONE
~
Aned by5 law. u The primary is recog-
1iized as Of equal Importance with the = g
election and the advance guara g. ', q >
election orm is ressing for earei y
Supervision OF and protection for5st Z 9
preliminary campai gns;s u !. ere ], - -
mana ana the aband Of Is "
presidentinl preliminaries to the pie IS
ure Of political manag nt.-Bo 7' ston