East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-19
FACTS SHOW THAT
NORMAL SCHOOLS
URGENTLY NEEDED
Educational Figures Give Striking
Proof That Situation Calls For
Improvement.
OREGON FAR BEHIND OTHERS
Official Argument for Constitutional
Amendment Presents Case from
Broad Standpoint; Measure Has
Been Vigorously Endorsed By All
Leading Educators.

Facts showing the urgent need If
adopting the measure validating tho
locations Of the educational insrilu-
tions OF Oregon and establishing a
state normal school al Pendletou are
set forth in the official argumen. ~
the slgners Of the bill, the same h:.v.
ing Just neen fled with the secretary
of state fc- publication in the votc s.
booklet.
The argument in detail is as fol-
lows:
The constitutional amendment
validating the location Of Orego1's
educational institutions and providing
for state normal scnool at Pendle-
ton is corrective, constructive
measure required by the urgent needs
Of the state.
The valIe Of the val.dation clause
rests upon the fact tnat the original
constitution of oregon specifical.y '
provided that all state institutions
should be !Ccated at the state capital.
The state university, oregon agricuI-
tural college Monmouth normal and
the Ashland normal were located in
apparent violation or the constit1-
tion An amendment passed By the
people in 1908, corre~rs the matter o,
inference; hut does not do so in sbe.
cific terms. That amendment was
not proposed for any such purpose.
The amendment now proposed wills
set at rest all question as to the con-
of the resent locations
of the institutions rererred TO. Tho
step should be taken TO save the
schools from possible litigation over
this point
Strong Endorsements.
The measure proposed by the PEN
dleton Commercial Association and
others, has the approval Of the state.
leading educators and representative
men and women
Oregons Greatest Preparedness
Need.
When the president called out thk
guard TO- service on the
Mexican border oregon was prou o.
the regiment it had m readiness ~
duty If there should be
a call TO mobilize the properly train
ed teachers of this state (for elLca.
tional service) Oregon could not
make such a favorable showing
Statistics furnished by me super
of public instruction and
compiled from official records show
that during the year 1915 a total OF
f055 public school teachers were erl-
ployed in Oregon Of that number
only 791 were normal school grad
yates. In other words but l3 per
cent of our teachers are properly
trained and 81 per cent are in,per-
:ectly educated for the impcrjJnt
work they have TO perform In 1918
eighty per cent of the applicants for
certificates in oregon had receivc.t
no training above eighth grade
1000 Teachers Needed.
Vacancies in the oregon schools
each year call for 1000 teachers IT
more. our one normal school is turn
ing out approximately cl e-tenth that
number leaving school authorities 10
st! 9ct the remainder or the tea hers
as best they may, The rural schOois
are the ,hief sufferers because -
such schools the percentage Of nor
nal trained teachers Is the lowest.
At the same time the need Of hlehly
trained teachers is the sre9te,t in
rural schools because Of the absence
- supervision