Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1920-02-25
IS RURAL SCHOOL
DOOMED TO Coz.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE VOTERS
AND TAXPAYERS OF RURAL
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
COUNTY sUPT. SOUNDS WARNING
School Directors and Patrons Urged to
Take Greater Interest In Public
Schools.

.. 7 i Y
"The Rural School is doomed to CO."
This expressed thought was neither
an idle threat nor hasty conclusion
of some erratic speaker. 1t was the
inevitable conclusion toward the close
of three days convention of dele
gates from half of the states of the
Union who were in one way or an
other connected with the work of con-
soiidated schools. It was splendid
convention. full Of inspiration, pro-
;ductive OF many good results and help
full suggestions to the delegates in at
tendance and alive IN the truest sense
to the great problems and opportun-
tiles In the field of rural education. It
was our privilege to attend some OF
these meetings and while there we
caught some OF the wonderful spirit.
of the convention and its slogan:
Equal school opportunities for the
boy and girl OF the rural district WITH
the boy and girl OF the city schools"
It is not our purpose to go into the
discussions and deliberations Of the
National Consolidated School Con-
vention only In SO far as they might
aid In bringing before our people q
truer conception of the present status
of the rural schools. Criticisms OF the
rural school as they were pointed out
by the various speakers apply in ev-
cry true sense Of the word to condi-
tions as we have found them within
Delaware County. II we consider
this problem thoughtfully and with an
unbiased mind we also shall reach
the conclusion that the rural school is
doomed to go unless there is an
awakening and quickening of our
sense of responsibility toward the lit
tie building within our district around
which cluster so many of the sacred
traditions of rural community life.
During the discussions it was disclosed
that Iowa has at present $40 consoli-
dated schools successfully operating
and that "a new consolidated districts
have been organized within the past
year and are either building or plan
ming to build. These facts themselves
are sufficient evidence that great
deal of dissatisfaction exists in rural
districts with present school condi-
tions. Delaware County is no excep-
ton to the general rule. While It may
not be generally known there are at
least four communities that are ser.-
ously considering consolidation and
have requested us to take action in one
form or another which will ultimately
lead to the consolidating Of the schools
OF these localities. 1t Is the purpose
Of this open letter to call the atten-
tion of the school patrons and tax
payers of Delaware County to such
faults and fallacies in our rural school
system as seem to be the cause OF the
general dissatisfaction with the rural
school as 1t functions today.
The charge is frequently made that
the cost of the maintenance of our
rural schools is entirely out of pro-
portion to the service rendered by the
teacher and the school. While teach
erS salaries have raised considerably
and the one hundred dollar teacher
will be the rule next year we must re-
member that this increase in teachers
wages is not out of proportion to in
creases in salaries offered in other
professions and to the general in
creased cost OF living. Coal is high
or and all other items of school equip
ment have raised in proportion. In
brief, it costs a great deal more to
maintain our schools. This will give
no cause for regret, il with the in
creased cost OF education we might
feel that we have also reached an in
creasingly higher standard of school
efficiency. But is that generally.
true? While the new and modern text
books. Standardization and grading of
our schools, regular periodical exam
nations under central supervision and
a fine spirit Of cooperation between
the teachers and our Office may have
helped matters considerably we still
feel that there is much to be desired
in the efficiency of the average rural
school. Where may we place the re-
sponsibility? Frequently complaints
come to us that the teachers attitude
is one of indifference, her heart is
not in her work, the pupils lack in
terest and results are far from satis-
factory. In the majority of cases
where we have Investigated conditions
in the district where such complaints
were offered we have found that at
the beginning of the school year the
teacher did good work, she seemed in
terested and enthusiastic and the pu-
pills were cooperative and alert. AS
time went on she wondered if her ef