The Springfield herald., 1915-11-26
A Legal Normal
For Baca County

the best writeup on le I
gal normal for Baca
county teachers.
On account of our limited space
by reason of advertising and le-
gal matters, we had to pare down
the original letter about tn ee-
fourths in order TO be able to
publish it. but have included its
most salient features in the fol-
lowing:
There are people in the world
who don't know there is a Unit
ed States, and in the United
States who don't know there is
Colorado. and in Colorado who
don't know there is Baca coun-
ty in the state.
One of the most vital questions
confronting a growing county is
the organization Of progress
i've educational system, and the
difficulties in the way of public
school advancement will not be
overcome until such system has
beeu established.
In former years some of the
state was SO sparsely populated
that a home normal was impossi-
BILE, and it was consequently nee
essary for a number Of counties
to combine to make a teachers
normal possible at all; and this
vas accordingly done under state
laws
No one realizes more fully the
necessity of these schools than
the teachers themselves; but the
enormous expense of trailing
across county or two to reach
these Institutes made attendance
on them practically impossible to
the teachers of Baca county.
+, In those days there were sew
en- or eight schools in the coun-
ty, and sometimes more teach.
ers and sometimes less, while
now there are over fifty schools
+. in the county, and the same of
| School taaaherS
While other schools are need
ed, there can be little argument
against the statement that 9
highly prosperous county, with
severa! thousand population and
many hundred children of schoo
f, age, more than half a score oi
first grade-teachers and an agri.
cultural growth of a million
bushels of grain last year, should
have and can support such
schools professionally and tinan'
cially; and such school is the
more imperative when it is un
derstood that neither inconven
ience nor expense is such as tt
bar a single teacher from it
membership.
We are proud of the distinc
ton that our county fair has civ
EN- us in displaying our farm ant
household products, and w
should be equally proud of ou
intellectual accomplishment an,
should just as enthusiasticall,
organize for it's development
supporting such institution
Jas will meet the requirement
Of the great mass of the teach
ers of the county, thu
putting into their hands mate
rial that will be OF the creates
service to the public schools.
For this purpose a legal count
normal should be established
land should be held for at leas
four weeks each summer.
An enthusiastic class of teacl
Iers has much to do with the r,
suits in our county schools, an
if this enthusiasm reaches i
possible height through the il
huence CT this institution an
other factors, the county'll ha,
high schools at Springfield, Tv
Buttes, Stonington, and 9th
pieces, and they will have an G
rollment for which we shall fe
very proud, just as at prese
we are very proud of the distin
ton given us by our county fail
We are wanting a legal coun
normal, and we are hoping t
entire populace of the coun
will support the teachers in the
efforts of securing it.