The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-09-21
RURAL TEACHERS ARE RAPED.
Investigation to Include Every Rural
School in the State and Experts
Will Aid in the Work of Making the
Examination.

State Superintendent of Schools G.
P. Cary, with the aid Of fifteen public
spirited educators and educational ex
perts, is preparing to investigate the
school system Of the state, especially
as it relates to country schools, with a
view to recommending reforms and ex
posing weaRnessc It " esult in
the betterment of conditions.
Those named by Superintendent Cary
to assist in the work will serve without
pay. They are; A. II. Christman, Me
nominee Falls; George S. Comings, Eau
Claire; f. A. Cotton, president of the
Lacrosse Normal school; Senator John
S. Donald, Mount Horeb; Supt. L. P.
Fox, Chiffon; Charles L. Hill, president
of the state board of agriculture, Ros
endale; Prof. r. f. Hyre, Stevens
Point; Prof. M. HI. Jackson, Grand
Rapids; w. E. Larson, state school in
spector, Madison; Assemblyman A. H.
Long, Prairie du Chen; Prof. M. q.
0'Shea, University of Wisconsin, Madi-
SON; Prof. G. E. Patzer, Milwaukee
Normal school, Milwaukee,; Senator
George e. Scott, Prairie Farm; Miss
Ellen B. Mcdonald, Oconto, and Miss
Rose Cheney, Manitowoc.
The committee will meet in Madison
on Oct. to organize and outline plans
for the investigation. According to
Superintendent Gary, it is probable
chat the committee will be divided in
10 subcommittee to study special prob
lens, and the members will be placed
in the committees which will study
problems in which they are interested.
Citizens Of the state and educators who
have investigated the school system
will be given an opportunity to be
present and express their views before
The committee.
Superintendent Cary states that
when the committee meets it will have
an opportunity to consider replies from
500 farmers to list of questions rela-
tive to the conditions in rural schools
sent out month ago by Mr.. Cary.
These replies have been tabulated and
will give the committee some interest
ing material to consider.
From one-third to one-half of those
who replied stated that country school
conditions were satisfactory in a great
err or less degree. Those who are not
satised with conditions give, as one of
the chief causes, unsatisfactory teach
ers.
They declare that most of them are
young, inexperienced, unframed and
that many of the city girls who teach
in the country lack life experience and
power to govern, They also lack com
mon sense, it is said. Some declare
they are impractical, do not cooperate
with school officials and take no inter.
est in the community.
The next greatest weakness, accord
ing to the writer's, is the lack of in
terest of parents and citizens in the
community in which the school is To-
Gated. School officers are Criticized
for Indifference.
Among some of the remedies sug-
gested for unsatisfactory conditions
are, chief of all, better wages for
teachers. This it is said, will result in
drawing a better class to the school
room, Others are: Consolidation of
schools, better training for teachers,
enforcement of the compulsory attend
ance law, better supervision and
country high schools, these schools to
be made civic centers for the com
munity.