The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-06
.HALFOF TEACHERS NORMALITES
Work Done in the Wisconsin Normal
Schools Is Declared to be the Equal
of That Done in Any of the Profess
sional Schools of the Country.

That the normal school system OF
Wisconsin is rendering the state big
and valuable service is supplying teach
ers professionally trained and that
there is probably no state in the I'M
ion better equipped in this respect to
meet the demand of its public schools
for trained teachers is the finding of
A. n Farmer, who has been conduct
ing survey of the state normal schools
for the state board of public affairs.
Train New Teachers
The study of the normal school has
been conducted throughout on the as
sumption that its primary purpose is
to train teachers, Gays Mr. Farmer.
Summarizing upon the purpose of the
different surveys that have been made
of Wisconsin S educational system, Mr.,
Farmer says the desire to ascertain
correct knowledge as to the efficiency
of the present system, sis Lot to be
construed as lack of confidence in the
school system; rather it is an evidence
of a desire and determination to leave
nothing undone to increase the eff
cheney of the schools, that they may
render the greatest poss bic service to
the people of the state"
Half Are Norma ties
AS a part of the survey, in order
that the services of the Normal schools
to the state might be accurately de-
termined, QUESTIONABLE was sent to
every public school teacher in the
state employed during the school year
1913-1914, not including approxi~:-tely
! $500 who were teaching in one-room
rural schools. Altogether. 9,27G teachers
were addressed Of these 1,414 were
superintendent or principals, 1881
were High school teachers of special
subjects and 5,52S were grade or kin
dergarten teachers.
Service to Public
"The Normal schools as yet have
not rendered to the public schools in
full degree the largest and most de-
finite service of which they should be
and are capable" said Mr. Farmer.
1.-THE experience and ability of Nor
NAL instructors are not capitalized in
helping the graduates already at work
by inspection of their schools and by
helpful suggestion to the teachers, bur
eau correspondence and preparation of
bulletins. -
Co-Operation Essential
Criticism Of the schools calls at
tention to lack of cooperation among
the several units in taking advantage
of each other s experience; the action
of the board of regents in deciding
questions of administration without suf
fcient information; the non-enforce-
ment of existing rules by the board;
and too much emphasis put on increase
in enrolment instead of increased
efficiency. The five year course is
also given adverse mention. The first
three years, according to the report,
should be given in the high schools,
and has no place in the curriculum Of
the Normal.
Teachers Underpaid
Special attention to the subject Of
salaries paid to the instructors also
is given in the report. 1t is impossi-
BILE, it is declared, to obtain the pro-
per grade of teachers in the Normal
schools at the salaries now paid, rang
ing as they do, from 81 900 to $1,000.
The best teachers in the Wisconsin nor
NAL schools are lost to the state for
this reason, 45 of them resigning last
year to take better paying positions.