The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-06
SPECIAL PREPARATION
GIVES BETTER RESULTS
Those Who Have Taken Nor
NAL Course Found Especial
" Fitted for Most Success
full Observation-Disclosures
State Waking Up
DY r. O. kTEAKNES,
Superintendent OF Public Instruction
for Virginia.

In the early eighties Virginia was
without normal schools. DR.. James
Nelson, now the distinguished presi-
dent Of the Richmond Woman's Col
1ege. saw the need OF school OF this
type more clearly perhaps than any
of his fellow educators OF that day.
He asked Hon. Henry II. Pollard.
then chairman of the finance COM
mittee of the house of delegates, and
the late Senator William Lovenstein.
of Richmond, to introduce bills in
their respective branches of the gen.
eral assembly and the State Female
Normal School at Farmville was the
product of the united efforts of the
gentlemen / have named.
! have heard Mr.. Pollard tell In
most interesting way of their strug-
giles and how the .'standpatters'' OF
that period fought the new idea.
Mr., Pollard became greatly inter-
ested In the new type OF school and
has witnessed the development of this
child of his mind and heart with
proud devotion, but he always takes
time to make sure that the nearer
recognizes the supreme right TO credit
which Justly belongs to Or. Nelson
who has watched over and promoted
the growth OF the F'armvilie school
all these years as a member OF It's
board of visitors.
one Also Tor 3OyS.
After several years had passed and
the people had learned to know the
great advantages of normal training.
William and Mary College made ar
raHgen,ents to open its doors to men
desiring to learn something Of the
profession of teaching. Matters moved
along pretty quietly after this until
1ao9-to. Then came great wave
ct normal school interest. Three
Nth sch e.,
men were either established or pro-
Jected. and now we have fine plants
at Harrisonbnrg. Fredericksburg and
Radford.
The private and UNCONVENTIONAL
schools and colleges were impressed
with the value Of normal training and
five or six of these institutions have
established chairs of pedagogy and
introduced courses TO prepare men
and women TO teach school.
The University of Virginia is de-
vcloping a great department OF edu-
cation and Is devoting its best ener-
Eies to making its summer school of
methods splendid success.
Cities Training Teachers
Some O. the Western States dis
covered that the high school had !.
work to de In training teachers; Vir-
ginia followed their example and now
we have normal training depart
ments in twenty-five high schools.
The cities In turn have been made
TO realize that with a given amount
OF money they can At more young
people for real life by training them
a. teachers than in any other way.
Accordingly Richmond city has de-
veloped a normal school hardly sec
ond to tho State normal schools and
Roanoke. Charlottesville and New
port News are making rapid strides
IN the game direction.
All that I have said applies to
schools for white teachers, but who
can ever measure the good accom-
plished for the colored people by the
Hampton Normal and Agricultural in
stitute and the Virginia Normal and
Industrial institute at Petersburg ?
Besides. one might mention the pri-
waite Institutions for educating the
colored youth like tho Virginia Union
university. Hartshorn Memorial col
lege, the Manassas Industrial school.
st. Paul's Normal and Industrial
school and probably a dozen more.
Is Il Worth While?
The question arises: IL all of this
expense and preparation proper and
necessary?
Virginia II utilizing the services of
nearly eleven thousand teachers in
her public schools. II all of these
teachers were skilled and efficient.
tho Immediate need Of two or three
thousand more Of the same kind
could be seen by even superficial
survey OF the situation. But all of
these teachers are not skilled and
efYicient. Nine hundred hold emer-
i .Eantv. certificates, eight hundred third
Grade. and twenty-five hundred sec
ond grade certificates. Not above
seven hundred white and four hun
dred coiored teachers last year held
Continued on Second Page.)