Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-11-10
STATE TEACHERS IN
S|XTY-FOURTH MEET
MORE THAN 1000 MEMBERS OF
STATE ASSOCIATION ATTEND
MILWAUKEE CONVENTION.
OFFICERS ARE ELECTED
M. c. Potter, Milwaukee, Chosen Pres
ident-H. o. Pritchett, Carnegie
Foundation Head, Declares
Pension Law Defective.

Milwaukee-Enlig htened because OF
having heard modern educational
problems discussed by some OF the
country's foremost educators, more
than 1000 members of the Wisconsin
Teachers association closed their
sixty-fourth annual convention held
here. In instructive benefit to the
teachers and in attendance, the con-
vention has been the most successful
ever held.
The features of the convention were
addresses by Mary Montessori, found
er OF the Montessori method OF
teaching, and Henry S. Pritchett, pres
ident of the Carnegie foundation TOT
the advancement of teaching. Botn
meetings were held in the main arena
of the Auditorium.
That the Wisconsin pension system
for teachers is one of the most de-
fectiye in the country was the declara-'
ton of DIR. Pritchett, who spoke on
what Is Pension System For?"
1.-THE first great weakness OF the
Wisconsin pension system is that II
offers retirement to teachers AFTER
twenty-five years of service. Since the
majority of teachers enter service De-
tween the ages of 20 and 20, those
who become eligible under this proVl'
sion may retire between the ages OF
45 and So Not only is the cost OF
pension under such conditions un.
bearable, but the notion that teachers
have earned the right to retire at any
such age is wholly to be condemned.
''The state of Wisconsin pays out al
the present time between $9,OOO,OO0
and $10,000.000 a year for the salaries
of teachers. To carry pension sys'
tenn of satisfactory kind will cost
the state somewhere between and 6
per cent of this outlay $3.50, 900 to
$500 ,OOO The cost to teachers will be
approximately the same, resulting IN
a pension of half of the active pay re-
ceived during the latter part of the
teachers service"
William A. Writ, superintendent OF
Gary, Ind, public schools, speaking be-
fore a general meeting, declared that
motherhood is being imposed upon
and children neglected.
Cities have never been good
place to rear children and are worse
now than a generation ago. Put the
children under school supervision for
a longer period thereby relieving
mothers and lessening the dangers
which beset them in our cities"
That the country school has been
the football of petty politics., was
the statement of w. K. Tate, professor
of rural education at the Peabody col
lege, Nashville, in his address on Re
cent Achievements in Rural Educa-
ton" He told teachers that the only
way to make the country school more
than makeshift is to divorce educa-
ton from politics. The first goal, he
Said, is to render stable the admins
tration and supervision of the rural
school. The second goal, he outlined,
is ample and continued financial sup
port"
L. d. Coffman, dean of the depart
ment of education, University of Min
nesota, spoke It the general meeting
On Secondary Education"
"The greatest achievement of the
last century is the retention in school
of four children out of every ten, to
16 years of age and one child in every
ten, under 10 years, in our high
schools.
A resolution framed by the physical
A resolution was framed by the ply
steal education section against the
substitution Of military for physical
trainMg in the public school. M. c..
Potter denounced the attempt of the
war department to establish military
training in public schools as a direct
evasion Of responsibility.
Officers elected by the association
for the ensuing year are: President,
M. C. Potter, Milwaukee; vice-presi-
dents, Charles A. Jahr, Elkhorn:
Frances Bammach, Stevens Point; e.
F. Neverman, New Richmond; treas
urer, G. F. LOOMS, Waukesha.
So that Milwaukee would not be too
heavily represented on the executive
board, Gustav Tiefenthaler, Milwau-
kee, resigned in favor Of L. S. Kelley,
Mayville, following Mr.. Potter's cleo
ton as president.
nn~.n;-n mir Traefnr Cononanv