The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-11-05
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
By Mabel Horne", County Supt.

By Mabel Horne", County Supt.
Miss Cora Hardinger will return
from Clarke county to teach the Jack
Oak school in Burrell township. Miss
Hardinger is among the best of our
young teachers and we are glad to
have her in her home county again
:: :: ::
Guy McMorris held box supper
and entertainment at the Sopel
school last Friday evening. About
$50 were netted. Mr.. McMorris pro-
poses to use the proceeds in equip
ping the school with manual train
ing apparatus.
A parents day program was held
at the Burrell school last Friday
Aside from the exercises prepared by
the school, Miss Hettie Euritt, the
teacher. had invited number OF the
school patrons to talk on subjects in
vOlving the cooperation of home and
school.
Miss Margaret Baker is another
teacher who is trying to improve her
Her school gave an entertainment
and social at Grand River Center last
week which was very successful both
from the point of finance and enjoy
ment.
Both the Lamont and Leon schools
have installed the practical system OF
drawing. Many of the rural schools
are also introducing this work as
result of Mr.. Avis visit to the !nsti-
tute.
Miss Nina Still repo, is that some
of the boys at Sunny Side are show
ing great interest and considerable
skill in working out TIE nlora.' ~
the manual training course in the
Boys and Girls Clubs.
A committee on Rural Schools
was appointed at the last mee'in{ OF
the State Association. Following IS
their report:
To the chairman and members of the
educational council:
The committee on rural schools
had meeting in Des Moines on We'd
nesday, September End. Those pres
ent were county superintendent Myr-
tie A. DUNCAN, Charlton; county sup
erintendent John r. Stacks, Sac City;
inspector J. A. Woodruff, Des
Moines; county superintendent H. G.
Moeller, Storm Lake. Two members
of the committee, namely, Prof. Geo.
H. Belts, Mount Vernon, and Prof. -.
G. Bishop. Ames, were unavOidably
absent.
The various questions directly and
indirectly connected with the rural
schools were discussed freely and at
considerable length. A unanimous
agreement was reached on points
considered suitable for the report.
These points are consequently includ-
ed in this report, and are recon-
mended for consideration.
1t was the judgment OF the COM
m;ttee that the one thing at present
OF chief educational Importance, SO
far as the state of Iowa is concerned,
is the radical improvement OF the
public school system in the country
or rural communities. The rural
8, hool today, with perhaps few in
dividual exceptions, is far from be-
ing what it ought to be. 1t has not
grown with the growth of the state,
which has shown enormous improve
ment in all material respects. The
school houses are still inadequate,
and it is hardly an exaggeration to
say that conditions in and around
them are very little better than they
were when the state was mucn
younger than it is now. This cond1-
ton is not credit to Iowa. Every
material thing in the state has i'm
proved. Wealth has increased and
land around the rural schools is val
ued at almost prohibitive prices.
Land that sold at from $50 to $6O
per acre a quarter of century ago,
in many case is now worth 5000 or
more. The point to be emphasized is
that the public school has not shared
prcportionately in this advance, nor
have improvements for public use
and convenience shared in any ade-
auate way. The public conscience
needs quickening on this important
matter. AS practical steps in this
connection, the committee makes the
following recommendation:
i The consolidated school will
to the solution Of the rur-
Al school problem. The committee
heartily supports the movement Tor
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