Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-02-28
TO SCHOOL OFFICERS AND
SCHOOL PATR0Mc


Monday, March 18th will be school
meeting for election of sub-directors.
l beg of you, the patrons, to go to that
meeting and talk over the interests of
your schools. Do not let the meeting
go by default and have the report
come to this Office of there being held
| elections in one-half the sub-districts
| Of the county, the rest of the Offices to
| be filled at the July meeting. Do not
let the present world conditions cause
you to lose sight of present school con
ditions
! There has never been is history so
great demand for teachers as at
present. l have received the second
letter from a man who has been cuun-
ty superintendent for twenty-five
years. asking for any stray teachers
we might possibly have in this county.
He tells me that in his opinion that
conditions are alarming, that he be-
lieves many schools will be closed
next year. In this county some years
we have had in the rural schools
teachers from as many as eleven diff
ferent states. We cannot get teachers
| from other states next year, all states
have shortage.
Patriotic Duty.
In view of the great shortage that is
already so apparent, every person who
possibly can do so should qualify for
teaching during the continuance Of
the war, unless those persons are en-
gagged in some other government serv-
ice. European countries in the first
year of the war made the serious mis-
take OF neglecting their schools Now
some of them, if not all, are doing
more for their schools than was ever
done previous to the breaking out of
the war. -
Salaries
Because of this shortage of teach
ers and the high cost of living, sal
aries are increasing very rapidly,
School Boards the country over, are
indicating q willingness to pay any
thing within reason for teachers who
can show that they are willing and
able to direct the lives of young peo-
pie toward efficient citizenship.
Government Recommendations
The government urges that schools
be kept open. The government knows
from history that periods following the
close OF long wars are periods of ignor-
ance and periods of financial depres-
sion and of civic unrest. 1t is hoped
by thegovernment of the United States
ltat these unfortunate conditions may
be warded off by keeping our young
people informed of economic and So
cial conditions and by keeping our
schools open and under the charge of
teachers who are able to direct the
thoughts of pupils so that they Will
understand the possibilities and i'm
portance of school work as related to
4 the affairs of a free government The
teacher of the children today holds the
keys of the future of our country and
as has been said, "They should be
strong men and women, broad-shoul-
dered men and women, sun-crowned
men and women with the rare gift of
uncommon common sense.
To the school officers and patrons |
again say: March 4th you elect your
new board and it does seem to me that
the new board and the old board and
the patrons ought to get together in
an annual meeting OF community
meeting and talk over the affairs OF
the coming year. You will soon be
in the fields and then the thought of
Il schools is very limited, often left to
the July meeting which at that busy
time is hurried through with greatest
speed possible. You have been re-
spending wonderfully to patriotic ap.
. peals. Will you not give more thought
and time to the patriotic needs of the
schools of your children? Take time
, to discuss together these questions fol
am warning you of the danger OF
many schools being closed next year
, Remember, friends, this is THE
> WORLDS MOST STUPENDOUs
] HOUR"
Yours in the work,
ELLA M STEARNS,
County Superintendent.