Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-03-21
RURAL SCHOOL S0rE
~ ". Cyts gcAnr4

Last veek Ae vzs3sza ToaeAsu
Trsiniaw Cas- risiiea oarA = runl
saheoi. rwO e aaz. usels Cate
wood and Ruth EsdhzF VISITED ne
Garter and CrOv sAoois respectively.
In oonpazy via SuPeantenasut
nonas ] visited thsss sshsoh. tlso
EPest a shor uhls At Se~ Miehgna
and a. Cduen. Tko.s sre az ;sIss
schools except Garter and are IN Eood
ooadition- AZ New -Hiehigan. A B.
Shsttuek Was eoaductine an sae.ioa
sale he A, B and c hriihmeiie dss-
ses Eeno pat torethsr and spent The
morning studying easniogaes TO BE-
cone familiar with the prizes %
household articles Many articles had
hcen previously prepared Of paper,
and a price tut on them BY the auc-
uOnecr, Freddie Kohl Two Pupils
were appointed clerks. The pupils
were provided with toy money. As
purchased, the articles were delivered
By the primer folks After The sale
the pupils were expected to settle with
the clerks. Then they were TO eOun.
up what the article cost and hos
much they were expected to determine
how good or how bad a bargain they
had made. Il was 3 clever idea, and
vel planned and carried out is surely
worth while.
Miss Pearle Parker was doing some
interesting work with her C class in
addition Of fraeticns. We also heard
some excellent reading.
Miss Eula Houston had a very inter
esting lesson in Agriculture. She
is an earnest and enthusiastic worker
and IS doing much good. This year
the floor has been oiled, new desks
purchased. also a ease Of maps and a
number Of books, The latter were
purchased with the proceeds of a sup
per after part Of it had been given 20
the Y. NJ. C. A.
F. R. Hiekerson also keeps his floors
F, oiled. He has the best writers in the
county, the town not excepted. His
little folks seven and eight years old
write a beautiful hand like pupils of
a business college. He also had a
very interesting war map on the board
showing Germany's forcible annexa-
tons. This he does once a week.
| also visited Walker, Miss Eta
Rinaman, teacher. She had but four
pupils present. We have several
schools with less than ten enrolled.
Would it not be a patriotic thing to
do to disband these small schools and
free these teachers for places of
greater opportunity? Teachers are
going to be very scare another year.
l seriously doubt if we shall be able
to find well qualified teachers for all
our schools.
Since Christmas, Washington has
sent eight of her nine pupils to an
adjoining school. l have not heard
complaint yet and feel quite sure that
the plan is working well. Why can't
a number Of Others do likewise?
Won't you do it at least as a war
measure? Try it and see how you
like it. The lay gives the board au-
thority to act, see Section 1916, Of
the the school law. Who will be big
enough and patriotic enough to try
it.
Many Of our best teachers will
leave the rural school for places in
the towns. Others say they cannot
and will not teach on present salary.
How can they? Who could sell his
corn or wheat or hogs at the prices
he got two or three years ago? One
of our best teachers said that she is
today getting $17.5O per month more
than the first year she taught, and
she has taught more than 5 years. She
has spent all her income and vacations
going to Normal schools preparing
herself for a better teacher. Today
her salary will not buy as much as
that she got for her first school. Is
that fair? Is it just? We pay more
for less efficient men to care for pigs.
but less for more efficient girls tc
look after our children.
Are you going to vote for a higher
levy that you may pay your teacher
; a living wage? One that you will
! not be ashamed of? Are you going
to employ your present teacher? If so
you had better speak to her right
away, at least not later than April 2
If you are slow the first thing yor
: know she will be gone. If you are
not, let let her know soon, and lool
around for n that will suit you bet
ter. If ! a be of assistance, ! shall
. be glad to confer with you in regard tc
the matter. A few schools get q
, poor teacher year after year. They
= have not asked me what / know about
their prospect. Those who have, have
had no cause to regret it.
w. CLYDE JOHNSON.