Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-29

others more than two to one higher
salaries coming second and better super
vision third. Yet In spite of this strong
sentiment throughout the state from all
classes best qualified to- know what Is
needed the educational commission
recommends that we abolish our normal
schools. Any one having any experience
i'm educational work knows the first req
uisitc for a good school is good teach-
er. In every state I'm the Union the cry
as is ours, Is most emphatic for better
trained teachers. But to bring TINS
about the other states are establishing
additional normal schools or strengthen
ing the ones already existing Inc
tea cher training classes in the high
schools and academies should he continue
ed until we have at least a high school
graduate in each elementary school.
But these are not as we'll trained as
our people want and must have IL our
schools are to he satisfactory. They can
not have the practice work in the high
schools that our best normal schools de-
mand, and that embryo teachers must
have to he properly equipped to begin
their work The strong sentiment OF our
]
| the kind of teachers sent out from a
| first class normal school, and not the
makeshift training of those from the high
schools, good as that is compared with
what we have been getting. Neither will
the commissions recommendations In re-
gard to the training of secondary teach
ers, strongly as that should be sup
ported take the place of a normal school.
Our first thought should he for the
elementary schools. the schools that
reach every home Since the days Of
Horace Mann our educational thinkers
have given their best effort to develop
! ing the normal school as an agency to
supply teachers for the elementary
schools The great work being done by
the department of education at Middle
bury College. University Of Vermont,
Columbia University, University of Chi
cago and other institutions will not
supply any teachers for elementary
schools, Their work is I'm other fields.
Adopt what temporary exnedients we
may to supply teachers. we must depend
on the normal school for our properly
trained common school teachers But
the commission tells us after fifty years
Of trial the normal school Is a failure
and should be abolished. Why n failure
| in Vermont and a success everywhere
else: For the simple reason we have
starved them to death. Vermont has
never had properly supported or prop
erly equipped normal school. The
! failure of her normal schools is the
cause of n large part Of the shortcom-
| inGs in her elementary schools All due
to one thing-parsimony. But we are
told students cannot he induced to come
to the normal schools in Vermont Why?
First, because ours were not considered
up to the standard OF other States and
many of our most ambitious students
have gone to schools in those States;
second. we have not paid our teachers
a wage that would warrant n parent in
sending his children to such school
unless in his own village. II Vermont
will properly equip and support nor
nal school give II adequate facilities
for practice teaching. establish a salary
schedule on level with progressive
States. she can Al such n school tC
overlooking within three years. YOUNG
people are not going to attend a normal
school to prepare for teaching whom Il
has no future, any more than they will
stay on n farm when II has no future
We must make the conditions such. that
it will pay students to attend the nor
nal school IT, success Of our clemen.
tarv schools will depend largely on such
attendance Just as the success Of oui
agriculture depends on our making condi
tions such that our Young people vii
wish to remain on the farms
The commission is wrong in its atti
tude toward the normal schools This is
not a time to "squInt" over a fow dol
lars more or less. The good name and
welfare Of our state is at stake Yer
mont is not going to advertise herself
from the Atlantic to tho Pacific. as
decadent by abolshing her norma
schools.
Pledge your representative to vote n
Montpelier to keep the school near tbs
home.
Pledge YOUR representative to vote AZ
Montpelier 10 give us n 1rst-class norma
school hat we may have a good teacher
In the school near the home.
In doing this we are simply carrying
out our constitution, which saws schools
, COMPETENT and "convenient' ought tC
. he maintained. \ school with an un.
, trained teacher is not competent" 4
school three miles away is not ICON
Venient"
In my next letter 7 shall take up th'
commissions attitude toward HIGHER
education in Vermont
Very truly yours,