Mexico Missouri message., 1918-03-21
RURAL SCHOOL NOTES

| l1dsL Week tnS NdnVdild lSuCuSi
Training Glass visited each a rural
school Two of them, Lucille Gate
wood and Ruth Fletcher visited the
Carter and Crow schools, respective
ly. In company with Superintendent
Thomas l visited these schools; we
also spent a short while at New Mich
igan and at Culwell. These are all
schools except Carter, and are in
good condition. At New Michigan, A.
tion sale. TIL A, B and G arithmetic
classes were put together and spent
the morning studying catalogues to
become familiar with the ri1ces of
household articles Many articles had
been prepared of paper, and a
price put on them by the auctioneer,
Freddie Kohl Two pupils were ap-
pointed clerks. The pupils were pro-
vided with toy money, AS purchased,
the articles we're delivered by the
primer folks. After the sale, the pu-
pills were expected to settle with the
clerks. Then they were to count up
what the articles cost, and how much
they were actually worth. Then they
were expected to determine how good
or how bad bargain they had made.
1t was a clever idea, and we'll plan
ned and carried out is surely worth
while
Miss Pearl Parker was doing some
interesting work with her G class in
addition of fractions. We also heard
some excellent reading
Miss Eula Houston had a very in
teresting lesson in Agriculture. She
is an earnst and enthusiastic worker
and is doing much good This year,
the floor has been oiled, new desks
purchased, also case of maps and
number of books. The latter we're
purchased with the proceeds of
supper after part of it had been CIV
en- to the Y. M. C. A.
F. r. Hickerson also keeps his
floor oiled. He has the best writers
in the county, the towns not except
ed His little folks seven and eight
year 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 forci-
BILE annexations.- This had been ex
planned by him to the school. 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 scarce another year.
I seriously doubt If we shall be able
to find we'll qualified teachers for all
our schools.
Since Christmas, Washington has
sent eig 1t of her nine pupils to an ad-
joining school. / have not heard
any complaint yet and feel quite sure
that the plan is working we'll. Why
cannot a number of others do like
wise? Won't you do il at least as a
war measure? Try it and see how
you like it. The law gives the board
authority to act. See Section 10776 of
the school law. who will be big
enough and patriotic enough to try
lit?
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 $1750 per month more
than the first year she taught, and
she has taught more than years
She has spent all her income and va
cations going to Normal School pre-
pairing 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 our pigs, but less for more
efficient girls to look after our chill
dren.
Are you going to vote for higher
levy that you may pay your teacher
a living wage? One that you will not
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