American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-02-03
State Educators Discuss School Matters
With Power County Teachers
and District Trustees
(Bx Madge E. Whistler. County Superintendent

were not SO we'll attended as had been hoped. However,
those present were so interested and so enthusiastic that
we feel sure both meetings will be productive of great
good in future to the schools of the county.
The sessions of the county trustees were held in the
court room of the Court House and began Friday fore
noon. The first speaker on the program was State Sup
erintendent Miss Bernice Mccoy. She discussed briefly
the features mentioned in the hand book for teachers, for
Standardization of Rural School Buildings, and from this
talk on buildings turned naturally another very important
requirement if we are to have standard schools, that is to
have permanency on the part Of a teacher. Miss Mccoy
strongly advocated the building Of teachers cottages in
cases where a good boarding place near the school is not
available. Even if the patrons are willing to board the
teacher, which is not always possible, the teachers cottage
is desired very much since the teacher may use it as a do
nestle science laboratory and also as a model for teaching
homes economics. In some cases the teachers cottage is
also used for the meetings of the pupils for their sewing
clubs cs ladies' .as Sal. Aid s ! Ety. II IN a connection I'll n with WITH t M. s sne
tage as a part of the schoolgrounds. This may be used Tor
school gardens or as a field for demonstration in the
study Of agriculture. Miss Mccoy, however, does not be-
lieve that such demonstrations are of as much value IN
connection with the school unless the teacher lives in the
cottage the year round and considers making the work
continuous, as it is to have the child care for gardens, etc.,
at home, the teacher visiting these gardens, pointing out
it's good or bad points in methods employed, and SO en-
couraging where parents are able to carry on the work
with the children.
She mentioned also the value of play ground equipment,
citing the Hammet school as an illustration of what may
be accomplished. Prof. Broadbent and his boys have put
in play ground apparatus costing $3.50, which has been
a source of great good to the school. Not only has it min
imized the need Of form and discipline in the school room,
but the children are gaining a sense of civic responsibility,
pride and justice in a perfectly natural way. She also sug-
gested that in the selection Of teachers schools would fare
much better if the trustees would confer with the County
Superintendent before contracting with anyone that may
only have certificates, but also the matter Of proficiency
of training and experience should be taken into consider
alton. She spoke of the inadvisabiity of rural teachers
carrying high school work, as such a process invaribly re-
suits in TIME which should 60 to the grades beng used Tor
older pupils. The survey Of the high school and elemen-
tary schools which has been made since DR.. Sisson has
been appointed commissioner, has impressed the heads OF
A .t.@o -c%,t,fsnr NTH n Fundamental fTT1th
that the elementary school must make good by laying the
right foundation for the work which the pupil Will take
up in high school. The high school must 90 its work thor
oughly in order that the normal may confine its efforts TO
teacher training; and the COLLECT, its spectre offlce IN
broadening mems minds, or the University of affordlng
high specialized training for the various PROFESSIONS
gard to Standardization counts for naught so long as we
do not have some better system of finance. 1t is impossl-
BILE to standardize without money. Let's consider TINS mat
ter from some starting point. Why not let the State edu
cate its youth? This seems to me a nature OF true democ-
racy. | know it may be regarded as s~ocialistic, but If so,
let it pass for what it is worth. | believe a state levy OF
five dollars per capita would do much to eliminate the evils
of the present situation. There is at present no state levy
and the interest amounts to an inconsiderable sum-, $Io9
per pupil The reason people complain SO much OF hlgh
taxes is that ~sixty-four per cent of carrying on schools
is now carried by districts. Would it not be better to let
the various public utilities contribute through the state to
this expense, and thus bring school privileges to a more
nearly accurate basis so far as the matter of funds is con-
cerned? One county in Idaho handles sixty per cent of
the tonnage Of the state. Three counties handle forty per
cent of the tonnage. OF course it is very fine for the coun-
ties which have these public utilities to draw from, but
would it not be democratic and more in keeping with the
spirit of humanity if poor counties which have no public
utilities should share the benefit? 1t seems to me there is
no democracy in this matter of revenue until the State
actually looks after the education of its youth. Again, I
am in favor of the maximum county levy by the commits
sioners so as to equalize levies to small districts already
struggling with the weight of debt. Figures taken from
the biennial report, prove however, beyond a doubt, that
county levies alone will not solve the problem.
The present law directs the county commissioners to
levy a school tax of not less than 1h mills nor more than
5 mills. Let us see how this works out, taking the richest
county (per capita) the poorest and the average for all,
and calculating how much would be raised for a school of