The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-10-23
OF
THE INSTITUTE


worthy of this years institute was
the work in penmanship and music.
The work in penmanship was explain
ed and demonstrated by Frank Ar
mold, supervisor of penmanship in
the Spokane schools, and the work
in music was made attractive by Miss
Grace E. P. Holman of the Spokane
public schools.
History of Washington Schools
Miss l.. l.. West of the State De-
partment of Education, who has been
teaching for AZ years in Washington,
established at Colfax the first high
school in Washington, with the ex-
ception of one at Seattle and the
Whitman Seminary in Walla Walla.
Miss West states that up to 1874
there was no school law in this state.
At that time a territorial school law
was provided. In 1878 she was made
assistant county superintendent OF
schools in Colfax. Father Cushing
In 1880 the first teachers institute
was held in the state of Washington
at which Miss West read paper on
the teaching of grammar. In this
paper she prophesied that before
many years were over technical gram
mar would cease to be taught in the
grades, saying that it was more
necessary that the child should be
able to read and speak the language
correctly than that he should under
stand technical grammar. She has
lived to find her prophecy true in
that now there is very little taught
in the way of conjugation of verbs
and other technicalities that were in
sisted upon in those days. In 1884
she was a member of the territorial
board of education. In 1889 when
Washington became state the school
law was changed materially and la
ter under Governor Rogers the Bare
foot School Boy" law was passed.
On Tuesday Miss West met with the
grade principals of Spokane and
there were more principals in that
meeting than there were teachers Al
years ago.
County Teachers League
Friday morning the County
Teachers League held meeting.
This league is affiliated with the state
league. H. L. Hopkins representing
the state league was present and
talked on the purposes of the league.
The primary purpose of the league
is to improve teaching conditions,
thereby benefting the general pub
lie. Last year the county league
was headed by G. l.. Putnam presi-
dent, and l.. w. Lee of Marcus, chair
man of the executive committee.
Supt. Cummings was sent to Olympia
by the league. At that time the
question of raising the state tax from
SO to 500 was brought up. The
league is trying to eradicate existing
evils in the present system. Some
of the big problems are the question
of the small district without suffl-
cient money, and effectiveness in ex-
listing school laws. In Tacoma Fri
day and Saturday of last week in
big legislative conference, there was
a proposal to levy state wide tax
of $40 more, making $50 instead OF
500, leaving the county levy $40 as
it is now; allowing Is mills as against
10 of last year, without vote OF the
people. There will be an effort made
probably to enlarge the local unit OF
taxation within the county, so there
will be comparatively few large 10
cal districts, under the superinten-
dence of trained experts. Their idea
is that this man should hire al!
teachers and place them in the dis
trict where they will do the most
good. The problem of taxation will
then be more just than where there
are two small districts, one rich and
one poor. These districts will be
DullC drOuuu Luc Chiotih6 oyoeS'"S
is the idea of the promoters.
Other Speakers
Miss Josephine Fitzgerald present
ed interesting work on reading, es-
pecially silent reading and interpre-
tive reading showing different divi-
sions of this subject.
President N. d. Showalter OF the
Cheney Normal presented social prob
lens in education and spoke on the
reorganization of educational systems.
In 1900 Washington stood goth
among the states in education. In
1905 was 9th on the list. In 1910
she occupied first place but today has
dropped back to 9Th place. This drop
is due to advancement of other
states who have reorganized their
educational systems to meet modern
demands, while Washington has prac-
tically stood still. At the present
time, says Mr.. Showalter, Montana