Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-11-30
COUNTY SCHOOL NOTES
By W. CLYDE oHNSoN.
County School Supt.

IMAM on AuuIdlH ltdCHefS attended Jne
greatest meeting of the State Teach
ers' Association wei held. The
meeting was held in the Coliseum at
st. Louis. Some 5000 or 5000 were
enrolled. There were seven sessions
and each session was crowded full
of good things. Perhaps the discus
sion of the most Importance to the ru-
raj schools was the Parent Teacher
Movement. The idea is to have an
organization in every district in the
county to meet at the school house
weekly, bi = weekly, or monthly, as
suits the community best. These or
CARNATIONS should include the teach
er, parents, school board members, the
young people, in fact everybody in the
district. The meetings may consist of
debates, spelling and ciphering match
es, literary programs, and diversions
of questions for the general good of
the school and the betterment of the
community. A number of these have
already been organized, and / hope
that a number of others will be, soon.
There should be one in every district.
There are two reasons for attend
ing these associations. One is for
the good received. The talks and ad-
dresses were full of interest and en-
thusiasm, lifting one to a higher plane,
above his petty troubles, and giving
him a new and broader vision, and
higher and nobler aspirations. The
second reason is, the law requires it.
VIZ don't want any drones in charge
of the schools. We want to weed
them out as quickly as possible. That
is the intention of the law. The teach
er, who loves her work, who puts the
interests of the pupils first so that
she attends the county association,
the Plan meeting two days, one or
more township meetings, and the
Reading Circle, also goes to summer
school as often as possible, is worthy
of the great trust of training the minds
of your dear little ones.
Of course, the salary does not re-
compense her for this sacrifice. But
the one who is doing this is getting
a better salary from year to year. A
few years ago teachers were receiv-
ing $25 or $50 per month; now they
are receiving $50 or $50. But still
that is not enough. 1t ought to be
$75 or 500. For the average un-edu-
Gated working in the United States
is receiving a salary of $45-per year.
While at $50 the average teacher in
Audrain County is receiving a salary
of but 1915, about 500 less, and her
expenses are much greater.
1t is quite possible that | did not
see all Of the Audrain teachers who
, attended the Association, but to the
best Of my knowledge the list is as
follows: Supt. M. C. Thomas and Miss
Gooch, of Vandalia; Prin. l.. H. Strunk,
Misses Bolts, Whitson, Griffin, and
Lake, and DR.. Million, of Mexico; Supt.
D. 0ty Grace and Miss Lucille Moore,
of Martinsburg; Miss McCubbin, of
Laddonia; Miss lines, of Farber; Miss
Ella Criswell, East Lick; Miss Geneva
Criswell, Prairie Hill; Miss Ruth Cook,
Fisher; Miss Mildred Cook,
Gatewood; Miss Bessie Day, Duly;
Miss Florence Kirkpatrick, Jackson;
Miss Gladys Beeby, Hall; Miss Yea
Smith, McClintic; Miss Ethel Smith,
Cornett; Miss Beatrice Mcneil, Bear
Slough; Miss Beulah Peery, Sunrise;
Miss Ruth Miller, Prairie Chapel;
Miss Amelia Knoebel, Moline; Elvis
Rhoads, Culwell; Miss Pearl Diggs,
Fox; Mrs. Florence Begeman, Dye;
Miss Beulah Crawford, Bolts; Miss
Anna Crawford, Hazel; Miss blanche
Brooks, Edwards; Miss Atha Gregg,
Hickory Grove; F. R. Hickerson,
Grow; Miss Pearle Parker, New Mich
igan. | also saw E. B. Street, A. B.
Shattuck, Roy Ferguson, E. L. Gooch,
E, E, Napier, and Miss Eva Stone,
and Miss Janette R. White, who are
quite well known in Audrain County.
| have received the certificate Of
approval for Cbrnett school, Miss
Ethel Smith, teacher. This is the Sec
ond school Miss Smith has had the
honor of getting on the approved list,
The other was Prairie Hill. / believe
this is an honor no other teacher in
the county can claim. l have sent in
applications for certificates for Boyd
and Fisher. | have three others al
most ready-Friendship, Culwell, and
Prairie Mound. / hope to hear fav-
orabIy from them, soon, in regard to
complying with the library law, and
then I can send the reports in. The
clerk, T. j. Gisler, reports hat Mich
igan has met the requirements, and
will remain on the approved list ano
Their year. | hope l shall hear as fav-
orably from the others soon.
Miss Ruth Cook is teaching her
third very successful term at Fisher.
She has eighteen enrolled out of a
possible twenty-five. The others are
in Mcmillan. These people believe in
good school advantages. Realizing
the opportunity offered them, they
voted solidly for consolidation at Santa
Fe last June.
In the last four years, with a valua-
ton of but $4,000, and a levy as high
as our law would permit, 65c, they