Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-09
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.

STATE SOPE HIN EMU M.
Upon the call of hundreds of citizens
from all parts of the state, including
teachers, business men, women, indus
trial workers, farmers and professional
men, William Kittle Of Madison an
nounces himself AZ IA candidate for the
Office of State Superintendent of Public
instruction. Mr.. Kittle asks the sup
port of the voters upon the following
educational platform;
"The rural schools need and deserve
the best support OF the state. More
than one half Of the people Of Wiscon
sin live in rural communities. Their
schools should be Of direct practical
service and widen the opportunities for
every boy and girl on the farm. There
should be more definite preparation of
teachers tor industrial and social ser
vice. The elements Of agriculture and
other subjects directly connected with
industrial work should be emphasized.
Experience in few cases has shown
that the rural schools may be made fac
tors in the production Of wealth upon
the farms. The state should require
the country schools to serve the
economic interests Of the farmers. The
civic life of the state should be felt in
every school and every school in turn
should become II vital force in demo
cracy and representative government.
The school should be made the social
and civic center of the community.
"Some progress has indeed been
made in the rural schools. The annual
school board conventions, the appoint
ment OF rural school inspector, and
recent Investigations are all efforts to
improve the country school. But such
Investigations show that the rural
school OF today III In need of marked i'm
provement. The various and often
diverse Investigations should be united
into IA unified, constructive program.
The Office of the state superintendent
should be an educational bureau where
the best ability in the state. whether
from the industrial, business ana pro-
fessional classes. or among the city and
county superintendent of schools or in
the normal schools the colleges or the
university, may be utilized
The state superintendent should de
vote his very best efforts to the constant
improvement of the rural schools and
the elementary grades in villages and
cities. AS exotficio member Of various
state boards, he must be directly in
terested In the higher institutions of
learning; but his chief interest and
efforts should be directed to the i'm
provement of the common schools. He
should be their representative before
the Legislature. Chosen by all the peo-
pie, his highest duty is to serve their
common interests.
1.-The state is just beginning IL system
Of industrial schools Owing to the
efforts of citizens specially interested in
such schools, the Legislature of 1911
provided for the appointment Of non
salaried state and local boards. In
May, 1912, the state industrial board
employed an assistant to devote his en-
tire time to the work. A number of
cities have organized these industrial
schools.
Such schools are not for the purpose
of studying merely academic subjects
They are for the purpose of making
workmen skillful and efficient in all
forms of industry. Wisconsin Is grad.
ually developing u most varied manu-
featuring and industrial system and
this demands great body of skilled
workmen. The industrial schools will
increase the earning power of labor,
They will be of direct economic value
TO the man who works in the shop, fac.
tory or upon the farm. They will
benefit the employer by increasing the
efficiency of labor. Just as scientific
agriculture has added millions of dol
lars annually to the wealth of the state,
so these industrial schools will make
artisans skillful and efficient. The
state should broadly enter upon the
policy of training its adult citizenship
for efficiency"
THE DIVINE RIGHT OF