The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-06

| competent teachers are very scarce,
and there are many reasons for this
condition, the principal one being the
instability of the teaching profession,
which is to be noted from the fact
that more than 100,0 900 new teachers
are required IN the United states ev-
cry year. The length Of service Is
short as statistics show that about
l25 per cent of the total force with
draw each year. Some normal schools
estimate the average length of service
of teachers at four years, or less.
This instability Of the teaching
profession is one of the grave prob
lens of school administration because
IL generally is considered a leading
cause Of the inef1iciency of our school
system. The causes of this instability
include many factors: low salaries,
short school terms. uncertainty of
tenure, politics, u~nfavorable school
conditions in country, etc.
THE first two points mentioned
have been met by our state board, in
their last manual for rural schools,
at least they have afforded the OPP
portunity for adequate salary and
length Of school term, providing you
have a local board which will take
interest enough in their school to
get it on the classified list, for after
July i, 1914, we will be required to
pay $40 per month with a minimum
school term of eight months for a
second class rural school,. On the
point of salary the teachers must
meet us half way in that they are re-
qufred to be graduates of a standard
four year normal curse.
I'VE need but look at our best city
school systems to realize that train
ed teachers must be obtained in order
Co.. h aIjlJ - l..,u H. 3-
which he Is Justly entitled, and | be-
lieVe that our state board has adopt
ed the proper method of supervision
in order to improve system which
already ranks very high when COM
pared with others In the United
States. .-" 49,.
THE rapid progress Of our city
schools has to q certain extent proved
an obstacle to the development Of the
rural school in that we are drawing on
the rural schools for our material.
The attractions Of town life, larger
schools, better equipment and better
salaries have made it easy for us to
do this, but I do believe that one of
the fundamental reasons for the
scarcity Of normal graduates in rural
schools is the fact that too often the
rural public does not recognize the
value of the trained teacher. Not only
is the largest item Of expense in all
schools that for the salary Of the
teacher, but. the teacher is the great
est factor in maintaining the efficiency
of u school system. Too often our
rural boards of education do not even
regard teaching as a profession, and
believe that a good character and a
general knowledge Of the subjects to
be taught are all the qualifications
necessary n as soon as more public
sentiment for trained teachers can be
created in the rural districts there
will be a larger number of our boys
n girls attending u normal schools
to fit themselves as rural teachers,
and T believe that if the recommended
ton made by Superintendent Taylor,
In his last report, that the elementary
graduates Of u state normal schools
should be required to teach at least
n year In the rural OF ungraded
schools in consequence of their having
ben given free tuition by he state,
were put into effect that it would
necessarily reduce the number of per-
mits and eliminate the unqualified
teacher.
1--WE are all anxious to see the great
problem Of how to secure and hold
good teachers solved. Az our require
ments become greater more teachers
Will drop out OF the profession. Many
will quit because the salary is not
sufficient to warrant them to do the
extra work in order to meet the re-
quirements.
w must make the conditions such
as will help attract good teachers. In
many instances we find that the
school house is not kept in proper
condition, little or no equipment is
furnished, scholo house is located too
far away from boarding place, and
oftentimes the social conditions
around the home where the teacher
is obliged to board are far from the
best.
Again, often the board will only give
a teacher a contract for a term at a
time, and you can hardly expect the
teacher who has spent her time in
preparation at the normal to sign a