The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-15
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 10, 1920.
NORMAL SCHOOL FIGHT.

According to the Rutland 1eIalu
Charles II. Stearns of Johnson, Repub-
lican candidate for town representative
and pretty sure to be elected, and other
reactionaries propose at the coming ses-
sion of the legislature to restore the
state normal schools at Johnson and Cas-
Teton and TO make a shakeup of the
whole educational system of the state.
The Herald claims to be reliably in
formed that the attack of the Johnson
coholts-and Mr.. Stearns has rallied
quite a following -prospeetiEes~rae
bers already-will be directed along three
lines -
1. Ineffciency of the state board of
education;
=. Its expense;
8. Its remoteness and overlordship.
The defense of the general educational
system of the state and the efficiency of
the state board of education may prop
erly be left to the board itself. Serving
without pay. other than expenses while
away from home on official business, the
board is intended to have only general
oversight of educational work, elect a
state commissioner of education and
leave the work of the department to him
and his subordinates. This board con-
sists of five representative Vermonters
of whom Luther B. Johnson of Ran
dOlph is chairman.
The fight for the restoration of the
normal schools is headed by an able
contestant in the person of Mr.. Stearns,
who has had wide business and legisla-
tive training, having served as a member
of both bodies of the legislature and as
lieutenant governor of Vermont. He al
so has had extensive training in defend
ing the normal schools of the state
More than thirty years ago the state SUI
perintendent of education recommended
the adjustment of the normal schools.
three at that time, believing they rep
resented too great a dissipation of en-
ergy. Since then special commissions
have been appointed to investigate the
normal schools and in every instance
these men have recommended their dis
continuance. Yet every time Mr. |
Stearns led successful fights to retain |
them, until two years ago when he was |
out of the state and the legislature voted |
to discontinue them.
Mr.. Stearns will face new difficulties. |
however, in the legislature of 1921. The
schools have been voted out of existence
and move started to establish a new CEN
trail college for teacher training. In his
efforts to have the different schools re-
stored Mr.. Stearns will have to show
that more than one such school is nee
essary to properly train the young peo-
pie who desire to become teachers. The 7
small number of Students at the normal
schools for years past will tend to show
that more than one school is unneces-
sary. The large teaching forces main-i
tanned at Johnson and Castleton and |.
the cost of heating and maintaining two
plants indicate increased state expenses.
Increased expenses mean increased taxes
md representatives from towns already
1verburdened with taxation are not
likely to vote increased expenses for the
benefit of the localities where the normal
schools have been located. In fact it
ooks as if the task of restoring these
wo normal schools would be too greatI
or even such fearless and able fighter
Is Mr.. Stearns.