Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-26
ESN2ASS'sTO A LATH
Rules Make Her That Narrow, Says a
Sehoolmaster.
HOW TO v1TAIIzE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Necessity Exists 20 Inspire Teacher 90
Needs of Community ana Pc
trons Nest DO Their Part
90 Assist,

THE public school teacher today Is as
thin as lath,' exclaimed Prof. Chatburn
OF the University Of Nebraska before the
assembled schoolmasters' club.
The teacher is that narrow. and made
90 by the rules she is required TO observe
How can we vitaliEe the public schools
when the teachers are 90 narrow? / know
q schoolboY. 10 years old. Wfo. giving an
answer requiring the plural Of pounds
wrote lbs in several races, and the
teacher marked him down per cent in
each case. I have seen tests in geography
where the children are degraded because
they cannot spell POpocatapetl or Hima-
lsyas or some other outlandish name. Our
school teachers are doing nothing but pre-
pare their pupils to pass examinations. we
must get out OF this narrow rut and give
the children room TO spread and grow
This was part OF the main discussion
Of the main paper by County superin-
tendent Yoder, who took as his subject
''Vitalizlns the Public sehooP' at the
fifty meeting Of the Nebraska School
masters club, held last night at the
Omaha club with about forty members
from all over the state present
Prof. G. w. A. Luckey, who occupies the
chair Of education at the University of
Nebraska. led off In the discussion
w. NJ. Davidson, superintendent Of the
Omaha schools, was the host at the dinner
which preceded the meeting
Rural Schools Needs.
w. A. Yoder took up his subject OF the
vitalizatiOn Of the public school in a broad
and comprehensive way, centering. how
ever, most OF his discussion upon the couu-
try school.
The units of rural school organization
said Mr.. YodeT, are: The community sys-
tenn the school district plan. the township
scheme and county organization.
Nebraska adopted the school district
organization, and under this plan the
county superintendent lie interested in and
has something to do in Douglas county
with several classes Of schools with
a total. OF 12S teachers. Fifty-eight
Of these teachers, or 45 per cent are
teaching in one ana two-room rural schools.
Lack Of inspection and supervision was
one of the reasons assigned by the speaker
for the iuferiority Of the rural school when
compared with the city school.
Because Of the lack Of inspection" ne
said, the young country teacher neklects
certain classes OF pupils or adopts faulty
methods In dealing with them she ar
ranges her daily program badly; she lacks
concentration OF thought and effort upon
the task at hand. which accounts in part
for this same lack among her pupils, or
perhaps adopts a kiddsh method which
dlsgusts the older pupils she insists that
pupils do and keep doing when they do
not understand, or she follows the plan of
doing the work for them, assuming that
they understand It because she has done
II so well"
suEReats Remedies,
As some Of the remedies for this lack Of
inspection improved public ROADS, improved
railroad and motor facilities, reasonable
travelling expenses allowed to the county
superintendent. and non-partisan appoint
Fnent or election 10 office OF the superin- |
tendeht, were mentioned tH
LIQUIDATION should tend to make the in
dividuai Iess dependent but the present
education often makesShlm more depend
ent," was the statement made BY Mr..
Luckey in his discussion of the paper.
ITO vitaiize our public schools Mr.. |
Euckey said. I'VE should first inspire the
teachers and bring them into touch with
community interests. In the second place
we should attempt to awaken the COM
munity And again we should increase
the life Of the child by making his eduea-
llOH anu hdEAHOhy Win MS
needs and environment"
Publicity a. = VitaItEer.
Answering repeated calls Victor Rose
water Of The Bee, who was one Of the
guests. commented facetiously on the re-
marks Of the previous speakers. As editor
of a newspaper he suggested that in place
Of the proposed interchange of county SUI
perintendents and rural principals with
city superintendents and city principals,
perhaps the thing needed TO vitalize the
schools was an interchange Of schoolnen
and editors. who might possibly fill one
another's places to mutual advantage and
benefit to the public He spoke of the
vitalizing force OF constant publicity over
those conducting the schools with examples
OF abuse stopped or prevented by news
paper supervision. Mr.. Rosewater also ex-
pressed his conviction that the public
schools while still offering room for i'm
provement had made great advances in
every direction as the years have gone on,
ana had not fallen behind in the onward
march Of our civilization.
New Members Received.
The following were proposed for mem
bershlp to the club and elected:
Dean e. A. Burnett, College of Asricul-
Prot. 4. H. Barbour University OF Ne
braska.
Dean McProud, Department OF Educa-
ton, wesleyan university.
County superintendent A. v. Teed Ponoa
Superintendent w. r. Pate, Alliance
superintendent III, NJ. Garrett, Ashland
Superintendent W. II. Myers Blair
Superintendent r. M. Campbell, Colum.
bus.
Superintendent g. II. Wood, Falls city.
Superintendent c. N. Walton, Wahoo
Guests and Members.
The guests present were as follows:
o. J. Piekard. e. G. sOlOman, John
spsedie, Alfred c. Kennedy. F. L. Halter.
E. &C. Mcmillan and 4. Mclaughlin, Ali OF
Omaha; p. J. Newman OF Boston and h.
A. Douney of Lincoln
The active and associate members Of the
club present were;
ACTIVE MEMBERS.
n. c. Abbott, public Schools Plattsmouth
Samuel Avery, University OF Nebraska.
r. ]. Bodwell, public schools, Beatrice.
George r. Chatburn, University Of Ne
braskA.
J. W. Crabtrss. State Department Of
Education.
w n Davidson, public schools, Omaha
Gambia RlattHnOuth