Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-03-25
THE COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL.


sin have established County Train
ing schools because it is recognized
by all that the rights OF the country
children had been sorely neglected,
they have been taught by teachers
of little preparation and therefore I'M
skilled in the work of teaching, To
give to the country school children
their rights, to provide them with
teachers who are prepared to teach,
is the reason why County Training
Schools have been established
No educated person will argue that
teachers do not need preparation for
the important work of instructing
children, and shaping the character
of the youth of the land. Some per-
sons from lack of knowledge of the
work done in County Training
Schools, or because of prejudice, or
for political purposes, tell the people
that the country school teachers
should be obtained from the State
Normal Schools. There are two very
good reasons why this is impossible.
The state normal schools have been
IN operation in this state since 1867,
and never have been able to supply
the country schools with trained
teachers. The cities and villages
want the output of these schools, and
cake practically all of it and then
cannot fill all Of their positions with
these graduates. The eight state
normal schools of this state are
taxed to their uttermost and cannot
supply the demands of the villages
and cities. Another reason why it
is not practical for the farmers to
employ state normal school gradu-
ates is because they demand more
pay than the country districts feel
able to give. Are you able to pay,
in the country schools of Rusk County
from fifty to seventy-five dollars per
month? If you are you may get
state normal school graduates, if not
you cannot, unless you get a failure.
Persons who take a narrow view
of the rights of the common schools
tell us that Training Schools do harm
to the high schools. They tell US
that students attend the training
schools who ought to be in the high
schools. Why not say that persons
who choose to attend a business col
lege ought to be in the high
schools? Or, why not say that one
who goes to a school of dentistry,
ought to go to a manual training
school?
Who has the right to choose for
you where you shall go or what you
shall do so long as you obey the
Jaw? Where is your personal lib
erty?
AS a matter of fact the country
training school is the friend of every
educational force in the county. 1t
reinforces and improves the country
schools by furnishing them trained
teachers; it aids the graded schools
because it offers a place for the
more mature graduates therefrom
to fit themselves for teaching, if
they wish; it enlarges the high
schools because if the country school
are strong, and the number OF gradu-
ates from the country schools in
/ creases, the high schools have a larg-
err number of recruits for their fresh
man classes. another consideration
which is of no little value to the
high schools is that their graduates
may come to the training school, II
they wish, and get one year of in
struction and training which will
make them competent to teach, and
which often results in placing these
high school-training school gradu-
ates where they are of great value
to the community, and where they
do well for themselves.
lie COoI VI dill luoCltuClOu W tAC
tax payers is an item which should
be understood by the people. 1t is
we'll known that the running expense
of an institution is greater in the be-
ginning than it need be, for the same
capacity, after it has been in oper-
alton few years. Up to the pres
ent time the training school has cost
the tax payers of Rusk County less
then twenty five cents per thousand
of assessed valuation, per year. A
man who owns eighty acres of land
pays annually toward the support Of
the school, from twelve to twenty
cents. 1t should not be forgotten
that the state contributes two thirds
of the gross cost of maintenance,
and that the county gets practically
the entire benefit.
Of the sixteen persons whom the
school has graduated, all but one are
now teaching. Of the fifteen who
are teaching, twelve are now at
work in the schools of Rusk County.
In all cases where the graduates
have gone out of the county to
teach, it has been because of the
premium that other communities are
willing to pay to get teachers who
have graduated from a county train
ing school.
There are thirty-seven students in