The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-20
DR.. Robert J. Alley, State Su-
perintendent-e Speaks
Before the Wayne County
Teachers Association.
HE MAKES DEFENSE OF
THE REQUIREMENT LAW
Says Teachers Should Have
High School Training -
RatIiff's Stand on Bills Civ
en- Discussion.

DIR. Robert j. Alley, state superin-
tendent-elect. addressed the meeting
Of the Wayne County Teachers asso-
citation held in the high school audi
torium today. The address which DR..
Alley gave this morning on The Re-
lation OF Knowing to Teaching" was
a masterful plea for scholarship in
the teaching force of Indiana. He
pointed out that scholarship is the
real criterion by which to Judge the
teacher and said that in the past
ana have not appreciated this fact but
have purposely prevented men from
teaching the subjects they knew most
about. He also gave his opinion of
some of the efforts being made in the
legislature. to change school legisla-
ton, in these words:
Indiana, two years ago, when she
established the requirement that all
teachers In the grades have at least
high school education, crystalized
into law the best sentiment of the
state and took a great step forward.
am ashamed to say that that law is
being attacked today. There are men
in our legislative halls who hold that
boys and girls from the eighth grade
are competent to teach in the coun-
try schools. l hold that the schools
in the country districts are entitled
to just as good schools as are found
in Richmond.
Will Advance Community,
Such training is for the advance
ment of the city as well as the coun-
try. because it is from the ranks of
those country boys and girls that the
city will be recruited tomorrow. The
present law should stand-we will
make every effort to keep it-and If
it does stand the real Indiana, the
Indiana which ought to be, will en-
erge tomorrow from its present
plane"
DIR. Alley again appeared before the
teachers this afternoon, in another
clear concise address, The Care for
the Individual in Elementary Educa-
ton Local teachers were profuse
in their praise of the two addresses
and predict for the schools OF Indiana
a great administration when DR.. Alley
becomes state superintendent
Was Good Program.
In other respects. too the program
OF the association was an exceptional
one. The music furnished by the
High School and Garfield orchestras
was much appreciated. The devotion
al exercises were led by Rev. r. J.
Wade of the First NJ <. church. Al
noon a splendid lunch was served to
the teachers by the Wayne County
Women Teachers Association. The
Wayne County Schoolmasters' Club
deferred their proposed banquet in
order to partake of the hospitality OF
the ladies. The tables were spread in
the corridors of the high school build.
ing. The teachers of the county are
much interested in the proposed legis.
lation now pending before the legisla-
ture- In fact the proposed changes
were the sole topic of conversation
wherever a few teachers were met to
gether. The sentiment of the teach
ers is that an attack is now being
made on the schools Of the state which
must be met and defeated or the
school system OF Indiana will be sci
back a decade. Many Of the teachers
would like. to see minor changes in
the school-book Law and in other stat