Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-07
FEW TEACHERS
REMAIN ON DUTY
Superintendent s. j. Ferguson
Makes Discovery as to Coun-
try School Conditions.
IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
Most of Last Years Corps in Other
Fields or at New Charges
This Year.

.. y. Ferguson, county Super1nCenQ-
ent of schools, made a rather startling
discovery today while looking over the
list of country school teachers, dis
covery which goes far towards telling
the secret of why the country schools
have not kept pace with the advance
which has marked everything else in
modern years.
Mr.. Ferguson's discovery was that,
out of 143 teachers who are employed
In the country precincts, only 81 are
in the same schools in which they
taught last year. At first sight this
does not seem to be much of a dis
covery, but to the experienced school
man it means considerable. Even the
majority who are still in the places
they helC last year are teachers Of
partly graded schools in the larger viii
lagos and as far as the country schools
proper are concerned only about one
fourth of the teachers held over from
last year
Results of Constant Change.
The result of the yearly and in many
cases semtannual change in the
teacher at the little country school i5
that the elevating of the country
school to keep pace with other adj
yancement is very hard proposition
and one which Mr.. Ferguson says
must be met before long. A teacher
to do really good work in school
ought to have at least years expert
ence and acquaintance with the chill
dren whom she is going to teach. This
year of experience not only fits her
for teaching better, but gives her a
stableness which reflects upon the dis
cipline of the school to marked de-
gree With teachers constantly COM
ing and going, the pupils in the rur;lt
school are engrossed in learning the
habits and peculiarities of their teacher
rather than what their teacher is try
ing to teach them.
The teacher being constantly amonS
strangers is unable to do her best
work, and school children do not make
the advancement that is expected IF
them and their good parents feel that
they are paying for something that
they are not receiving, and they are
oath to put any more money into
school houses and school salaries than
they are doing at present. This leaves
the country school to make a fresh
start under q new teacher each year
and no material advancement is made.
Salaries Cause of Trouble.
The principal though not the only
cause of the constant change in the
teaching force in the country schools,
IS the fact that such small salaries
are paid that really competent teach
ers will not undertake the task of
taking charge of a country school.
Those who do for the most part are
Young girls who desire 70 work for Il
year and then Quit. This is not true
OF ali the applicants for positions by
any means. but in many cases those
wE0 do apply are not competent o
fiji the position TO the entire satisfac-
rion OF the school board and at lha
end OF the year they are not retained
Il IN fact they are not dismissed be
fore the year is out.
what Il = Coming To.
Mr Ferguson believes that the tim,
IS coming when there will he Q mini
mum wage of sac per moHto paid 20
-ountry teachers. and that there WI
ne far more stringent requirements
for obtaining a teachers certificate
This will bring higher class of teacn
ers into the field. teachers who have
chosen that as their profession and
who will not fly away at the end OF
the year to get married or to try some
other locality for time. When this
class of teacher is secured there will
be fewer dismissals and more retain
ing, and there will be a marked adj
vance in the amount of knowledge
u. to I've M fhn
Then the school board will see the
real value Of the school and they will
soon jump into race to make up for
what they have lost or rather failed
to gain in the last 20 years.
Divorce Asked.