The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-23
ROss's Pet Lecture Institutes
Abolished in Kansas.
State VIII Return to Old Coun-
ty Normal Plan.
MISS WOOSTER BEHIND move
State Board of Education
Backed Her in Fight.
Much Trouble and Expense To
Be Avoided.

Kansas is to return to county nor
NAL system for the education and in
struction of the small town and rural
teachers and will abolish a policy es-
tablished in 1915 for the benefit of
pet professional lecturers. This course
is the result of action by the state
board of education. 1t follows four
years of confusion. conflict, maximum
expense and minimum instruction in
many counties.
1t is probable that under action of
the state board today many counties
in this state will return to the four
weeks normal course. The boards
action means abolition of the profess
sional lecture system which was estab-
lished without legal provision and ap-
parently without sanction OF the
board 1t was asserted today that the
Ross Whittemore interests in the state
superintendent's office directed the
establishment of the course which has
occasioned discomfort and trouble in
school circles during the last four
years.
Caused Much Trouble.
According to reports in the state
house today the system which goes out
of existence under order of the board,
aroused open hostility between boards
of county commissioners and many
county superintendent. Because there
was no legal provision for the short
expert" course of lectures as pro-
vided under the Ross regime as state
superintendent, many counties re-
fused to pay claims for deficits. In
numerous instances county superin-
tendents were compelled to meet ex-
pense claims or face suits by lecturers.
Retarded School Work.
Not only was there no provision for
the system which is said to have en-
abled Ross to care for pet lecturers,
but the method turned back the states
progress in educational work. The
plan is said to have been borrowed
from the Carolinas, Tennessee and
southern states far below the Kansas
educational standard.
Now the state will return to the
four weeks professional teachers in
stitutes and the academic institutes
The expense will be far below the
Ross system and real instruction will
be given the rural and small town
teachers. Under the plan which is
being abolished, it is asserted that
many of the high salaried lecturers
were inexperienced in rural school
work and their policies would not ap-
ply in a majority of the schools of
Kansas.
Work Out New System.
Miss Lorraine E. Wooster. state SUI
perintendent of public instruction, de-
| clared war on the Ross system months
ago. One of her recent acts has been
to supplant Secretary Whittemore of
the state board of education with a
young woman who has been trained
in rural school work. Miss Wooster's
argument was to the effect that
Whittemore's experience had been in
the city and not in the rural and
small town schools. Now she has won
her fight on the professional lecture
system thru the action of the state
board. At the meeting of the board
in Topeka, Chancellor Frank Strong of
Kansas university stated that the
board had never approved the work
which was directed in 1915.
The state board will begin work i'm
mediately on the preparation of a new
course of study to meet the require
ments of the combined academic and
professional institutes.