The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-08-12

ifs source, ana tue educatloual WuIth
N your school will not rise higher
than the ideals and desires Of the
people who make your community.
In series Of ar lcies published In
this paper last year ! said that any
community. can come pre- ~ near
having tile kind Of school iL really
wants.
The quality Of the school, the con-
ditioHs OF the school building and
gr0unts are tell-tIle indications oil
the community STANDARDIZED life aud
thought. IL your school is not try
ing to ht chiI1ren TO get the most out
OF life, morally mentally, physically .
and financially these iour things .
10 tile order glyen-tben there Is
something wrong and your commnn-
10y spirit Is TO blame for 1t.
Don't put all the blame on the
teacher or tine trustees, Get the
right kind Of trustees and they can
generally pc trusted to get the right
Kind Of teachers. II il the commun-
It's that Is responsible for the trus'
tees. Is IL not general rule that,
unless there is some kind OF neigh
Dor hood quarrel involved, very little
| Interest Is taken Ia the school cleo
tions The few who do attend are
there Ia accordance with the cut and
dried plans Of some interested indi-
/ yiduaI; the rest Of the community do
not care enough about the matter to
turn out TO vote. ! wonder II 1t
would be blasphemy for teacher to
remalk that school elections are often
feeble farce instead Of being an oc'
easi0n when trustees and people
should meet aud discuss matters
which are really worth dollars and
cents to the district. The ofiice Of
school trustee means much to dis
trict, though thankess one for the
holder. One sour, disgruntled, ig-
norant trustee can set your school
back for three years and do untold
damage TO the young people of your
district
Fortunately, the majority OF ouI
school boards are made up OF wide
awake, progressive men and women
who are working conscientiously
according TO their lights, TO Improve
the standards of our rural schools
Such trustees are worthy Of all the
praise which they do not get from
their communities.
But there are too many Of the 9th
or kinds, Too many OF the "as II
vas 10 the beginning, Is now, ant
ever shall be" kind. Too many of 1
| Kind like a trustee who, with 1
school at ner back door, never visited
Iit once during sessions lasting six
teen months, yet criticlzed the worl
/ from information supplied by child
rem under fourteen years Of age
sort % deputy tIustesship. An
there are too many trustees who hav
little, personal, paltry axes to grin
In connection with school matters.
| Now, don't get the idea Into you
head that this is, In any sense, I
rade against school trustees, 1t
not | have reason TO know that Il
majority OF them are publlc.splrlte
citizens doing noble work for the
districts, often struggling against Il
efiicient teachers and tho deadweigl
OF indifferent communities,
Indifferent communicate
the cIuX OF the iurSl school questio
How To wake them up Is the pro
len % tue rural school teacher vi
believes that rural school teaching
big aud worthwhile work. Ills vol
Is often the feeble voice OF one 81
ing in the wilderness Alone be c
- not accomplish much; the teach
must have the help OF the moth,
ana fathers, the public press, t
clergy, and all the agencies viii
stand Tor Welfare and progress.
This question of our rural sch,
system Is one OF Ghs most lmporta
and sital questions before the Ame
can people at this time. II Is possil
that, In our 1uiet, mountain vale
Ne halr OF the great things that a
being done In res ard TO rural Scho
in many parts VI America. Tt,
Is = wonderful aWakeninS through
the land. IL Is true that there
AlSays been unrest Ia matters eduI
tianal eranSs, fads and theories n;
risen aud have talIsn, But the pr
ent movement for the yitallEing
our rural schools Is made up Of q
ments whien make tor a well.roun,
and solid success
Tuis uoyemen, is gradually spre
lng over the country; pignssrs
each state and county are push
turwArd the work. Their hardest &
lies in getting the people 10 see