The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1920-12-04

At the conference held in the nor
NAL auditorium at Ais yesterday
Miss June Emry and a number of
superintendents spoke interestingly
on rural school matters and the
place the local normal has in train
ing teachers for efficient rural work.
Miss June Emry, critic teacher, in
/ speaking of the needs of rural
schools in this county said in part
that it is essential that teachers
/ qualify themselves with at least
1 four years of high school training
| plus two years of normal work. Of
the 90 teachers in the country
schools, a number hold only permits
that let them get by; SIX of the 90,
are holders of third grade certifi-
Gates; 3S are teaching on second
grade certification; 81 have first
grade standing and only 13 are hold
ers of state certificates. 80 of the
90 teachers have had high school
! training plus two years at normal
school; 35 are without the high
school work; 25 have had no normal
| training Miss Emry stated that
the country schools require SIS new
teachers each year. Three of our
present corps of rural teachers have
never taught before. The counties
surrounding us require the services
of 500 new teachers annually. This
means that the Madison normal is
in a position to supply 20 per cent
of this number. Miss Emry believes
the local institution should extend
its services in the adjacent territory.
She would have only efficient in
structors in charge of the rural
schools whose problems are many If
success attend rural education.
Mrs. Williams of the normal dem
onstrating school brought out the
fact that out of rural population
of $4,000 in this state, 3 per cent
of the children can neither read nor
write She has had considerable ex-
perience as a rural school inspector
in the state of Minnesota and was
familiar with the phases of rural
work that had been successfully un-
dertaken there. Mrs. Williams
thinks that teachers should have a
love of country life to be efficient
solvers of rural school educational
problems.
| Among the remainder of the
speakers who treated country school
instruction were Miss Kavanagh al
SO of the normal faculty, Miss Bou-
chic, superintendent of schools i2
McCook county; Miss Trovien of
Brookings county; Mrs. Rogers of
Lincoln and Miss Langhant of Min
nehaha county.
/ The most interesting thing pre-
sented was the report of Miss Nc
4 Mutt who, under the direct manage
ment of the Madison State normal.
has done some marvellous work along
practical rural educational lines in a
typical one room school In a district
several miles east of this city. There
several nationalities are represented
and it is there Miss McNutt is DEM
onstrating what can be accomplished
by teacher alert to the possibilities
that he before her In country work.
4 She serves hot lunches, arouses a
community interest and is really
| making over an almost impossible
and hopeless type OF rural school
Her work is being closely watched
from the normal school end and, BY
teachers possessed Of the missionary
\ spirit and a training that finds Its
outlet in usefulness to a board ol
country directors.
At the close of the conference
sumptuous banquet was served tt
i about two hundred persons in thu
training school auditorium. There
sat at that repast toast master H. H
Holdridge. the state board OF re
gents, senators, representatives
school men, county superintendent
and local business men under whose
! auspices the affair was given. Dur
ing the speechmaking Presiden
! Dwight of Sioux Falls stated tina
the regents favored an immediate
i | appropriation Of 100000 for II
erection OF new dormitory on tn
, normal campus.
The menu was varied including
oyster soup. creamed chicken. bak
ed potatoes, pumpkin pie. pineapple
salad, rolls and coffee.
A new interest in the local insti
tr.:cn is sure to follow in the wax
Z OF the booster affair fostered by tn
business men Of the city. The nor
malls great opportunity Is before 4
: Its management and faculty ar
: aware OF its possibilities and com
bining efforts for its greatest sue
cess.