The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-24

Editor virginian:
Sir,-Of all the arguments adj
vanced against the coordinate col.
lege, none shows so great Ignorance
az the statement that II will hurt the
public schools
In the year 1915, from all the nor
NAL Institutes. there were 211 full
teach In elementary and second and
third-grade high schools; 1913 with
Junior state normal elementary GER
tificates; fourteen with elem sntary
professional certificates; seventy-stx
with high-school professional certifi-
Gates, and two with professional first
grade certificates--fewer than 500
most of whom could teach only in the
elementary schools. Virginia needs
every year several times as many ele-
mentary teachers. Where do they
come from? Directly from the high
schools. With what professional
training. without which every teacher.
no matter where or what she teaches,
is immensely handicapped and always
at a great disadvantage. whatever her
scholarship may be, when she is fitted
against one with fitting and adequate
professional training? The most far
reaching and often-voiced criticism
Justly expressed against high-school
teachers is their lack of professional
| training. Where can a Virginia high
| school teacher, who feels need for
and is DESTROYS of obtaining such train
ing receives IT, At the University ol
Virginia Summer School, But the
work done there, while 1t counts for
credit towards degrees for the youne
men in the same class, amounts &c
nothing for her. except to obtain OF
1 TO renew a certificate to reach in the
Virginia schools Why so?
! If that same teacher attends Co
iumbia University Summer School, hei
credits are good whenever called for
The writer has been there with Cvel
one hundred Virginia teachers In at
! tendance What incentive has Nir
| ginia teacher who is trying to hole
her place, after bearing the blunt Of
teaching the boys and girls OF few
years back-now the men and womer
! of today--under conditions that tried
the very soul and body for existence
J to attend the University of Virgins
Summer school? Yet, what is she te
| do In very few schools of this State
does woman receive enough salary
( to enable her to attend Columbia, ol
other Northern and Western universe
I ties BY esta biishing coordinate
college at the University OF Virgins
/ a teacher could attend four. or whnt.
/ ever number the authorities deem
| fitting, summer school sessions. and
spend one year on furlough from hei
! school. at the coordinate college
learning with a spirit OF confidence
and faith In herself that. to say moth
| ing OF the valuable training received
would be of incalcuable worth to the
/ future men and women of this old
! Commonwealth II by a very small
/ beginning the coordinate college could
wipe out the injustice-more the lack
| of economy and expediency In its own
! interest--done this large body OF
! teachers now struggling against fearv
/ full odds. the coordinate college would
Justify for many years to come Its
establishment II such plan works
elsewhere with Virginia teachers
eisewhere--why not in Virginia?
Where do the teachers of special
subjects in the Virginia high schools
come from If they are Virginia wo-
men they must be trained in North
ern and Western universities. The
only institution in this State that pre-
pares women for such positions Is the
Hampton (negroo Normal Institute.
The number of such teachers will in
crease as the Virginia public schools
of the twentieth century must meet
the demands and needs Of the
twentieth century. There are In the
schools OF this State girls and women
waiting--yes longing-for onportuni-
ties for higher and appropriate edu-
cation now SO freely given her SONS:
rich material that from natural apti-
tude desires to teach the adolescents
of this State, and, because of very
real sense OF lack OF tempermentai
fitness to teach young children. enter.
from want of such provision. the in
dustriai world and liz thus lost to the
future upbuilding of the public school
system Of Virginia. What II the State
going to do for them? Virginia needs
every year a thousand or more pro-
| Reasonably trained high-school teach
ers~- scholarship alone will not suf=
| fEce IN this day and generation. Where
shall they be trainedf 90 much n