Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-04-15
GOOD SCHOOL TALK
DIR. Sisson Greatly Interested Small
Audience Saturday night

SO few people ayailed themselves OF
the opportunity OF hearing DR.. Sisson,
our state commissioner of education,
who addressed an audience at the
court house Saturday evening on
the subject Lines of Educational Ad-
vance" Not more than twenty-five
or thirty people heard DR.. Sisson
talk but those who did hear him are
Loud in their praise, for he went quite
thoroughly into the work that is be-
ing done at this time by the State
Board of Education. He told OF things
that have been accomplished and of
the plans for further advancing and
eleVating the educational institutions
OF the state and for the improvement
of all schools, even to those of the
little rural districts.
DR.. Sisson spoke very favorably
OF the schools of Mountain Home and
OF Elmore County. He called atten-
ton to the fact that this is the
richest county, pro rating its wealth
on school population, in Southern
Idaho, and the second richest in the
state, and urged as one OF the very
important factors in educational ad-
vance that the people should stand
unitedly behind the teachers and
solidated, common or independent ia
Of but little concern if the people
give the schools their united support.
His proposition seemed to be that
the more pickering and dissention
that arises among the people of a
district, thew eaker become the school
government and management.
The State Board of Education has
been in existence less than four
years, and UP to this time its work
has been largely preparatory-gath-
ering data and securing information
upon which to work out uniform
plan for the county schools of the
state. This board has charge of the
five state Institutions, and already
great work has been accomplished
in bringing them into closer relation
with each other and removing the
feeling of jealousy that existed in
the past. 1t is the plan of the board
to have the heads of these state
schools keep closely In touch with
the work that is being done in county
schools and to advise teachers and
pupils along lines of their work, and
with the end in view of bringing the
entire educational system of the state
to condition where all will be work
been kept. In the past when legisla-
purpose-that of keeping our children
gradually advancing from the time
they enter school until they finish
as university or normal graduates.
Much criticism has been heard
about high taxes for school purposes,
but If we stop to think of the work
that is being done there lis no
reasonable cause for complaint, ex-
cept In very rare cases. But even
if there. has been extravaganza no
one can be Justly condemned for the
reason that no one has had any ac-
curate, dependable information on the
subject; no data or statistics has
ing along proper lines fore common
lures convened to enact laws and to
make appropriations there was nothing
upon which they could form am opin-
ion as to what was needed. This
will be overcome shortly for the
board is now working gathering in
formation and tabulating figures.
Already handbook for rural teach
ers has been published for which
there is great demand not only in
this state but throughout the entire
country. Only a few days ago an
order was received for fifty copies
from somewhere in Massachusetts.
This book was written, or compiled
by one of the teachers In the Lewis
ton Normal school from information /
and figures that required months to
gather and which was secured from
every possible source. 1t Is said to
be the most valuable work Of the
kind ever published. The next big
work along this line to be undertaken
by the board Ia handbook for
trustees, which Is now being pre-
pared.
There were two things upon which
DR.. Sisson laid special stress. The
first was his belief in the value OF
the study of sciences by pupils;
physics, chemistry, agriculture or
domestic science, he thinks, furnishes
a far better ground work for the
practical things of life than does the