The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-06-19
SENATOR THOMAS LETTER.
Senator Thomas was Unable to At
tend the School Rally Day at -
Leon, but Wrote Very
Interesting Letter,

(
who was on the program for talk
at the School Rally Day at Leon last
Saturday, was unable to be present,
but sent a very interesting letter
which was read at the rally, and on
motion it was voted to request every
paper in Decatur county to publish
the letter, which is as follows:
Kent, Iowa, June II, 1918.
Miss Mabel Horner,
Leon, Iowa.
Dear Miss Horner:-
I regret to write you that I can
not attend your rally day Of the
Decatur county schools at Leon,
Saturday next. In acknowledging
your very kind invitation and saying
that | would come if I could, l in
timated that it was possible that
could not come on the date named
and I am sorry that this is so as
would like to have been present.
know it will be a success. In this
connection I want to congratulate
you and the people of Decatur
county upon the work you are doing
in and for the schools of that county.
From the correspondence I had with
you during the session of the legis-
lature, as we'll as through other
sources, | feel warranted in saying
most earnestly that I know Of no
county superintendent that is putting
into their service more practical in
telligence, energy, enthusiasm and
devotion to the higher needs Of our
common schools than you are doing
in Decatur county. 1t is a greater
feld of service, for the rural school
problem is one of the very greatest
in Iowa. 1t will have to be met and
solved in an intelligent and practical
way if our state is to maintain it's
leadership among the states. Pre-
JUDGE and custom will have to give
way to practical common sense and
improved methods. I will mention
two of the greatest difficulties we
have today in our common schools,
based upon the report of the Bet
ter Iowa Schools Commission"
First, the small attendance, the
average being less than two in daily
attendance in each grade in the
eighth grades taught in the rural
schools of the state. Only about
one and one-half, to be exact. The
best results cannot be obtained in
classes of this size. 1t requires COM
petition and rivalry to stir energy
and enthusiasm and to bring out the
best in school work, the same as in
every other work in life followed by
young or old. You cannot have this
in classes that run from one to three
pupils with an average recitation
period of only eleven and one-half
. minutes, as shown in this report.
The teacher cannot do her best. The
one room rural school with fair
attendance in each grade "a rare ex-
ception) has too many classes to do
effective work, if properly graded.
The disparity in ages in these small
schools and the resultant lack of
companionship and rivalry in the
work is one of the potent factors in
so many pupils dropping out without
even finishing the grades, great
1ulS1OlCuu0 W Iuc pupA1 anu W Iho
state. But you must keep up the
interest and the enthusiasm, if you
are going to keep the pupils through
the grades, and this can only be
done by rivalry, companionship, and
making the course of study practical
and helpful along the lines of life's
work. This must be done. Can it
be done under our present system OF
small district one room schools and
with the average prevailing attend
ance upon them in this state? Stub
born facts are answering this ques-
2on-in an unanswerable manner.
" shall not offer any theory of my
own for the solution of this problem,
Bit each patron and citizen should
dismiss the prejudices of the past
and look the problem of the present
square in the face and answer ii for
themselves and their children.
Second, lack of training and ex-
perience in our rural teaching force.
The cause for this is largely due to
lack of proper reward for the
service. The rural school teachers
of Iowa are VIGOROUSLY under paid,
only ten states in this union paying
smaller wage to its teachers than
Iowa, and eight of these ten are
southern states. Only two northern
states rank below Iowa. In the
amount expended upon it's public
schools in proportion to it's wealth,
Iowa today falls still farther down
the scale, ranking only 42nd out OF
the 4S states. Only the six states
of Nevada, Wyoming, Delaware,
Maryland, Alabama and New Mexico.
expend less upon their public schools
in proportion to wealth, Adequate
compensation must precede adequate
preparation and that continuity OF
service in any line of human endeavor
that brings experience and develops
the highest order of ability. How
can we expect expensive preparation
and continuity Of service in the rural