New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-09
CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION
To State, County. and City Boards Of
Education; Presidents of State
Institutions, Superintendent
Principals and Teachers.

Inc department OF Interior through
our Commissioner of Education. the
Honorable P. P. Claxton has under.
taken a nation wide campaign for
the purpose of maintaining schools
in their full efficiency during the
war and has indicated in a recent
letter to our Department of Educa
ton his desire for a conference to
be held at the State Capital the mid
die of this month. We have decid-
ed to call this conference on educa
tion for August 18th, 10th and 18th
and have invited all the administra-
tive school officials and representa-
tives of other agencies OF this state
to this Conference
The Importance and purpose OF
this meeting is so fully stated in
Commissioner Ciaxton's letter that
we publish herewith his letter in
full:
There are before us now just two
matters OF supreme Importance: To
win the war for freedom. democracy
and peace, and to fit ourselves and
our children for life and citizenship
in the new era which the war IS
bringing in. To meet the present
emergency in education. the Depart
ment OF the Interior, through the
Bureau of Education is undertaking.
with the cooperation of many agen-
cjes interested in this matter, a ma
ton wide campaign for the purpose
cf maintaining schools at their full
efficiency during the war. The CAM
naign cannot be effective without
the leaders Of public opinion in all
the states | am therefore deSirorS
of having in each State, at the State
capital, as a part Of thi scampaign, a
conference on education--the confer
cnces to be held during the latter
half of the month of August, To
this conference should he invited
representatives of all organizations,
such as State and local councils If
ligious societies. women's clubs, the
State grange, farmers unions, ad-
ministrative school officers and 9TH
crs, and wide publicity should be
given to the proceedings of the con-
ference through the press Of the
state.
"This campaign has the endorse
r,ent of the administration. and is
in harmony with the policy of the
administration that the functions of
education shall not suffer because
of the war, and no boy or girl shall
have less opportunity for education
than he would otherwise have had
You will receive in few days copies
OF statements and circulars setting
for the policy of the administration
on this subject, which however |
am sure you already know.
"Will you kindly let me know az
your very earliest convenience If you
will call such a conference in your
State and what this Bureau car do
to assist you in it. DR.. H. w. Foght,
the Bureaus Specialist in Rural
School Practice, would be our rep
resentative at your conference if it
is held on August IS. | am sending
a copy of this letter to the Governor
of the State"
DR.. H. w. Foght who will represent
the Bureau of Education at this Con-
ference is one of the foremost school
specialists in this country. He is not
a stranger to New Mexico having
made survey of our school condi-
tions about three years ago. For
the past year he was loaned by the
Bureau of Education to the Canadian
Government to do some constructive
work in school organization in some
of the provinces.
In addition to Dr. Foght we shall
have with us for this conference.
c. V. Williams. representing the
Federal Board for Vocational Edu-
cation. We had arranged for Mr..
Williams to be here in conference
with the State Board of Education
and representatives of SmithH Hughes
schools in the state before we re-
ceived Mr.. Claxton's letter. Our
meeting as originally planned will
be enlarged in the scope to become
a statewide conference.
This announcement of the confer
ence. is sent out with the request
that county and city Boards of Edu-
cation send the superintendent and
If possible a member of the board,
that the presidents of our State Insti-
tutions be here to take a part and
that other organizations indicated in
Mr.. Claxton's letter send a represen-
tative to this meeting. A more de-
tailed program will be announced be-
fore the conference.
Very truly yours.
Jonathan H. Wagner.