Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-01-12
RADICAL CHANGES
FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
State Supt. Carey Advocates
Some Radical Reforms
Also Thinks County Agricultural Schools
are Valuable and Much Needed
Institutions.

Inc following l6lI6E L6C0u ~ To-
ceived by County School Superin-
tendent J. G Brockert from the state
super intendent. contains some sugges-
lions Of a radical character and yet
such as will impress the average
reader as containing much hard COM
mon sense. They are at least worthy
of careful and earnest consideration :
To SuperintendeDts., Principals and
Teachers:
Madison, Wis December 28.-The
state superintendent has in mind to
send out within the next few months
a number of circular letters bearing
upon educational problems and condi-
tions in this state.
Doubtless some of these letters will
seem bit iconoclastic TO some and
occasionally they may wound sensitive
feelings. However, they will not
with malice aforethough5 wound any.
body's feelings, or with hand rubbing
gIee smash the cherished educational
beliefs of any man. In fact, it is the
intention to make these letters plain,
common sense and direct So much
by way of preliminary. The follow
ing is the first installment.
am of the opinion that the high
schools of Wisconsin must awake to
a new situation, or they may ultimate
" find Othello's occupation gone.
This is what l mean: The people at
large desire in a kind Of subconscious
way the high school to change and
develop to meet modern needs.
Generally speaking, they do not see
clearly what they want, but they ex-
pect, and have right to expect. the
schools to aid in discovering and
pointing out what is needed. This
they are not now doing efficiently.
The highest ambition of many high
schools is. if one may judge by ap-
peaIances, to get on the accredited
list Of numerous colleges and uni
versities. and not to study and to
meet the fundamental needs of the
communities they claim to serve.
The high schools in Wisconsin, even
at the height of their present success,
may if they are sensitive to the
situation, discover that forces of
disintegration are at work. A part
at least of this disintegration is
evident to anybody who will merely
open his eyes. For example, good
many years ago the state Legislature
passed a law requiring all fres high
schools to offer courses in theory and
art of teaching. This was a plain
tip that the state desired high schools
to train country teachers. but the
schools did not take it as such.
The work was performed in a per-
.functory and inefficient manner. AT
length the state tired of this policy
and established the training school
for country teachers. This institu-
tion fourished and today is on firm
foundation There has likewise been
a call, trifie less deninite prehaps,
for high schools to teach agriculture,
but the schools have been asleep and
have not heard the call Accordingly
the state has established the county
agricultural school. Note how this
works. lf am correctly informed.
the little town in which the latest
school was established had a year
ago some thirty-fve pupils. The
agricultural school. however. had ap-
plications for entrance from some one
hundred and fourteen, pupils the first
morning. The agricultural school
had found a need in the county that
the high schools had not discovered.
That the work of the county train
ing school and the work of the agri-
cultural school could have been done
in the high schools of this state, if
the schools had risen to the situation
as they might have done, nobody will
question unless it be a partisan OF
these institutions. Furthermore, the
course of study in the high schools
would have been four years in length
instead of two and the work would
finally have been connected up with
the state university and the advanced
course in the normal schools. This
is the beginning, but unfortunately
not the end of the splitting up of the
high schools if they are satisfied to
rest upon their present laurels. We
sometimes hear 1t said that the high
school is the peoples college.
Potentially it is, but it is not yet,
and 1t never will be if it does not
expand instead of splitting up and
contracting.
The first condition for the real
development of the high schools is
freedom, freedom from all domino
ton. This is contamination that |