The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-11-14
MUST PROVIDE FOR CHANGES
State Commissioner VIII Demand That
More Progressive Methods be Fol
lowed in Rural Schools in the State
Kenosha Schools Above Average.

Loose methods, much carelessness
and occasionally, graft, are evident in
the school district accounts. The sta
tistics of common school finances in
Superintendent IS Cary's biennial report
are inaccurate. In the records Of town
clerks balances on hand change over
night in LAT out of 354 towns examined
"10 every district investigated, says
the Board of Public Affairs Report on
Rural schools, except one, the annual
financial statements by district clerks
as reported to the County Superinten-
dents were found to be incorrect. J"
School buildings and grounds are in
bad condition. Outhouses are indecent
Sanitary conditions are poor. School
rooms are poorly lighted and ventilated.
The state department. Of Public In
struction Supervision of rural schools
is inadequate. County supervision, ex-
cept in a few cases, is woefully def
cient. The report calls for radical
improvement in the rural school stu
alton, and lists a series of desirable
changes in our rural school administra-
tion. These have been heartily APP
proved, when published separately, by
Wisconsin school men all over the
state.
The results were discovered in the
investigation conducted by the State
Board of Public Affairs under the gene
raj direction of DR.. William H. Allen,
director of the Training School for
Public Service, conducted by the Bur
eau of Municipal Research of New
York and under immediate supervision
of Mr.. S. G.. Lindholm. They had as
sisting them in the work: Mr.. A. N.
Farmer, formerly superintendent of
schools, st. Cloud, Minnesota; DIR
Horace L. Brittian, formerly superin-
tendent of schools, Hyde Park, Massa-
chusetts; DR.. Edward A. Fitzpatrick,
formerly of the New York High School
of Commerce Of the training
schools Mr.. f. S. Stanley, accountant,
State Board of Public Affairs, and for
a limited time, three Wisconsin school
men, Messrs. A. H. Melville, J. H.
Stevenson and G.. A. Glyer.
The report says: "In obtaining and
interpreting the facts here reported we
have received the unstinted co-opera-
ton of the state and county superin-
tendents, teachers and other individu-
ais interested in public education in all
parts Of Wisconsin. The findings are
based upon a general examination of
conditions in 81 counties in widely sep
arated portions of the state and upon
a more detailed investigation of con-
ditions in 131 schools in 13 counties -
A remarkable part Of the report is
a series of description of actual con-
ditions as they were observed. This
part is happily named "Snap Shots. ;"
One Of these describes a remarkable
change in a community due to the de-
termined efforts Of three public spirit
ed citizens. Another describes a spe-
ciaIly poor school house in which no.
thing could be done because of petty
and personal differences between fac
tions at the annual meeting. And so
the pictures follow, good and bad alike.
A good part of the report is devoted
60 pointing out specially good points
in the rural schools of the state. Tt
shows that in spite of defects in or
ganization, lack of authority, and in
adequancy of clerical help on the part
of county uperintendents, many in
stances have been found where strong
personality has found ways of effect
lively directing school boards, super
vising teachers, starting instruction in
useful arts and helping teachers to be
leaders in community life. cone strik-
ing illustration of such leadership, =
the report continues, els furnished by
Oconto County, which differs not so
much in the kind as in the number of
forward steps taken /"
At the end Of the report are series
of legislative and administrative reno
dies Among the remidies are county
boards of education to be elected at
the general school election; appoint
ment of the county superintendent by
the county boards; better pay for coun-
ty superinendents; higher qualifications
and higher pay for teachers, effective
supervision, more equitable distribu-
ton of school funds and new CLASH
fcation of rural schools.
The assessors are busy closing up
II I. -