The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-12-16
UNION GROVE NOT ACCESSIBLE
More Than Hundred Fifty School Off
Gals and School Teachers Discuss
Pertinent Questions at Annual
School Board Convention Today.


are not just bubbling over with enthu-
siasm over the plan of uniting with
Racine county for the building of a
Kenosha- Racine county training school
for teachers. This was brought out
pretty clearly at the annual school
board convention held at the circuit
court room at the county build
ing this morning. The discussion of
the county training school proposition
was not one of the subjects on the pro-
gram and it did not come up for public
discussion at any time, but led by
County Superintendent J. j. Kerwin
the members of the various district
boards intimated that they did not
consider the joint county training
school the best possible solution of the
necessity of securing more teachers
and better teachers.
''The trouble with the plan,'' said
Superintendent John J. Kerwin is that
the Grove is not accessible. There is no
way to get to the school without driv-
ing over there and it would be almost
as easy for teachers and prospective
teachers from many parts of the county
to go to school in Milwaukee as in
Union Grove. I am stating my per-
sonal views when I say that [ do not
believe that the joint school as sug-
gested will meet the demands of Ke-
nosha county. dom t want to throw
cold water on any really meritorious
movement on the part of the county
board members, but I do not believe
that the suggestion is what Kenosha
county wants in the way of training
school. We should have a school of
our own for our own teachers and one
located where it would be reasonably
accessible to the young men and
women Of Kenosha county who seek
training as teachers"
The sentiments expressed by the
county superintendent were echoed by
many of the school directors and by
scores of school teachers who were in
the city to attend the school board
convention. Of course there were some
of the directors in the neighborhood of
the Racine county line who felt that the
joint school might solve the problem,
but they were in the minority. It is
pretty certain that members Of the
county board will take further counsel
with the men directly interested before
any further action is taken in the
matter.
The school board convention today
was one of the most notable gather
ings of school officials of the county
ever held in the city. There were school
directors from nearly every one Of the
districts in the county and more than
fifty of the teachers took advantage Of
the holiday to come into the city and
express their views on pertinent school
problems. Rural School Inspector w.
E. Larsen of Madison, was the princi-
pal speaker at the sessions this morn
ing and this afternoon. He spoke on
the subject "Concrete Teaching at
the morning session and gave the teach
ers and the board members a lot of
ideas for installing the practical into
the school work. He spoke later on
sanitation in the schools and urged
many improvements to make the build
ings more suitable for the purpose of
educating the children.
County Superintendent Kerwin spoke
on Recent School legislation He
told of the new law providing state
aid for the employment of teachers and
urged under this law higher stand
ard for teachers. He spoke of consoli-
dation of districts and of many other
features of legislation enacted at the
last session of the legislature.
A great deal of interest was shown
in the program Of the convention and
it was evident that school officials are
taking greater interest in the devel-
opment of the school system of the
county than ever before. The meet
ing also brought out the fact that
there is excellent cooperation between
the teachers and the boards. A plea
for better support of the schools by the
parents of the children was one of the
features of the program for the day.
At the afternoon session of the con-
vention more than hundred and fifty
people from the rural towns were
present.