Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-12-01
dition are the ones to take the blame

that purpose. EQuCaC1Ou ISL IeAt
book job; it is a training for right
living, and I am proud of the teacher
who is broad enough to see that san
itation and health are of more i'm
portance than few text book facts.
Perhaps it would be we'll for me to
tell you few of the things that To-
wa is doing now, under the same laws
that govern the rural schools of this
county in which this Mother" lives.
In little country school house in
Cherokee county, Iowa, was carried
on during the winter of 1912-1913, an
experiment in rural education that
has meant much to the boys Of Chero-
kee county. It was a school offering
four months winter course to boys
who because of farm work were able
to attend classes for only few months
The board built small school house
in the center of Marcus Township.
then left the rest to the teacher. The
teacher was just big boy himself,
but a mature and capable one who
knew what to do for the boys who
came to him for training. A review
was given of arithmetic, geography,
language, composition, physiology,
civics, economics and writing. Be-
sides these subjects the pupils were
given training in music agriculture,
manual training and public speaking
The great advantage of this type of
school lies in the fact that there is
but one class and that is associated
constantly with the teacher, giving
him a wonderful chance to influence
the boys and make them think they
amount to something. Would this
type of school be worth anything to
Howard county? If the Iowa laws
allow it in Cherokee county could we
do it in Howard county?
The school board in Lime Creek
township in Cerro Gordo county has
hired township supervisor of
schools, and they were fortunate in
obtaining a strong man for the job.
The people of Lime Creek township
had failed to fall in line with the con-
solidation idea so the board decided
to do the next best thing. There are
eight schools in this township, and it
is the work of this supervisor, Mr.. c.
P. Archer, to spend his time among
those eight schools, guiding, counsel
ing, and teaching. One of the weak
est points in the one-room school sys-
tenn of Iowa is the lack of close ST.
pervision, but the laws of Iowa allow
Lime Creek township to have close
supervision. Is there any township
in Howard county that can't have it?
In 1913 the Iowa State Teachers
college organized department of
Rural Education for the purpose of
making a first hand study of the prob
lens of rural education in Iowa.
Wishing to come in direct contact with
the typical Iowa rural schools, the
department invited two country
schools a few miles from the Teach
ers' college to cooperate with the COL
lege in an attempt to improve the
schools and to provide practical ba-
sis for the training to carry on the
| work of improving educational con-
ditions in Iowa. There was no desire
to make these model rural schools in
the sense that the college should take
the management out of the hands of
the school and provide equipment. The
purpose was rather to develop as good
a school as an aroused community
could be brought to make for them
selves under the leadership of good
teacher 1t was hoped that practical
methods of helping the people to
meet the problems of their own rural
school might be found and that these
results might prove Of assistance to
other communities in Iowa DESTROYS
of improving their country schools.
At present all of the rural schools of
Waterloo and Cedar Falls townships
and the Hudson and Orange township
consolidated schools cooperate with
ILLS department dAu dlC hAOWA oS
Demonstration schools. I wish you
could visit these Demonstration
schools and see the wonderful work
the one-room school can do when
placed in an interested community and
provided with good teacher and some
system of close supervision. 1t is
truly wonderful, but Prof. Campbell
who is a member of this rural depart
ment said at our state teachers meet
few weeks ego, 'But the work that
we demand is more than one girl can
stand. We have in the hospital two
of these Demonstration school teach
ers whose strength was not sufficient
for the work required of them" Peo-
pie of Howard county, when we de-
mand that our one-room schools shall