Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1917-04-13
ALBERTA SCHOOL HOME
IS NATIONALLY KNOWN
Described by President Vincent in an
Article in the Current Review
of Reviews

Superintendent Grafelman and
his corps of teachers, the school
board and the pupils, and indeed all
the residents of the Alberta school
district may now know how it feels
to be nationally famous, and to have
their doing and sayings, in fact even
their faces published from one end
of the country to the other. For
the current Review of Reviews pub
fishes an account of the teachers
home at Alberta from the pen of
President George Vincent, with sew
eral of the photographs taken by
Mr.. Voss of the teachers and pupils,
the school board, the home and the
school, and the crowd in attendance
at the dedication.
From this article we are permit
ted to republish the following ex-
cerpts:-
EXIT THE SUITCASE" TEACHER
The fact that the whole school
staff is living at the school gives the
institution a more wildly local char
acter, and dignities it in the eyes of
Young and old. The suitcase"
rural teacher who arrives from a
neighboring town reluctantly at the
last moment Monday morning, and
escapes eagerly at the earliest oppor-
tunity Friday afternoon, is Ordinar-
lily not to be blamed. At the same
time her attitude does not suggest
a fondness for country life. She
turns her pupils thoughts toward
town as a more desirable place. A
group of resident teachers, on the
other hand, living cOntentedly in the
community and sharing it's interests
fosters local self-respect and cOntrt-
butes to civic loyalty. Thus the
Teachers House not only helps the
school; it affects favorably the en-
tire district. 1t becomes a source OF
suggestion to the people of the COM
munity, especially to the women.
They see the possibilities Of introduce
ing convehiences into their own
houses; they learn that simple, sin
cere, tasteful furniture and decOra-
tiOns are to be preferred to machine
carving, plush upholstery, and hand
paintings"
GOOD HOUSING FOR RURAL
TEACHERS
It should be understood that the
public provision of housing for teach
ers is no new thing. Germany and
France, Denmark and, to some eX-
tent, Norway and Sweden have long
furnished dwellings for village and
rural teachers. Nor is the plan Who'll
ly novel in the United States. Bung-
allows and cottages for two, three or
four teachers are common in the
State of Washington and in Cali
fornia. North Dakota has a large
number. St. Louis County, Mime
sofa, provides separate cottages, and
in some cases, combines in one build
ing schOoIrooms and living quarters
for two or three teachers. In many
states there are isolated experiments.
Sometimes old school buildings are
remOdeled for the purpose. Again a
school board will rent a dwelling
and subIet it to teachers. A priv
ately financed teachers house in an
Illinois village is said to pay per
-
these housing provisions, however,
are made in connection with rural
schools, either of the One-rOOm type
or of the small, graded sort. The
Alberta House is significant for its
city-apartment character, its prOX-
unity to the school, it's close rela'
ton to the school work, it's com
io1
we'll as educational value.
THE TEACHERS HOUSE AS A
HELP IN SOLVING PROBLEMS
OF RURAL EDUCATION
The speakers who at the Alberta
dedication insisted that the day had
national Importance were not merely
fattering local pride. They meant
that rural education is of vital con-
Germ to the country as whole. Il
the countryside is to be saved from
tenancy and it's consequences, is tC
be source whence able individuals
may be drawn into the service Of all
rural education must be put upon g
level with urban training. The con
ditions of good education are: com
DGL6nL, loyal LSdCuclS, GApCIC oupCA
vision, proper housing and modern
equipment. Consolidation of rura
schools is solving for the country
the last two problems; the second is
being urged with some success
Many factors will contribute to the
solution of the first. Among these
the teachers house must be reckonet
next to professional training anC
adequate salaries. The dedication
at Alberta was of national signifi
canoe. Within few years the teach
ers' house will be included as a mat
ter of course in the bond issues fol
consolidated rural school plants.
1t may be we'll to add that tn
General Education Board has NJ
thought of making offers to a Iarg
number of districts, Arrangement
have been made with two other