The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-11-12
CONFABS ON EDUCATION
THEY WILL BE HELD IN
VARIOUS PLACES
United States Commissioner
Arranged For These Import
ant Gatherings
Especial to The FREQ Pressl

the nation, according to announce
ment of the bureau OF education, be-
ginning with a conference for the
states OF Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Mich
5gan and Wisconsin, scheduled to be
held in Chicago, on November 20,
and concluding with conference for
the states Of Maine, New hampshire.
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode Is
land and CONNECTICUT on December
is.
The regional conferences announced
are the outcome of the national cit
liens conference on education, held
In Washington In May, as this confer
ence voted that the commissioner OF
education should call another similar
year for the purpose Of discussing
the educational situation at that time.
legislative measures to be presented
TO the legislatures Of the several
states next year, and the means OF
continuing the fostering OF such int
crest among the people at large and
their representatives in Legislative
bodies as may be necessary to-ebtain
the needed legislation.
After carefully considering the mat
ter, the commissioner of education
has decided that series Of regional
conferences would be more effective
than one conference for the whole
country could be, as this will make
possible a much larger total attend
ence and a more practical and de-
tailed discussion of conditions and
needs and methods Of meeting them
IN the states of the several sections.
To these conferences there have
been invited governors OF respective
states. mayors of cities. members OF
chambers OF commerce, rotary clubs,
boards OF trade, women's organizat-
ions, patriotic and civic associations,
labor unions. farmers unions, mem
bers Of state boards OF education,
county and city superintendent Of
public instruction, presidents Of un-
tVersities, college and normal schools.
ministers. lawyers, physicians. editors.
business men, and all who are inter
ested as citizens in the improve
ment Of the schools, which as citizens,
they own control, pay for, and use
In the promotion Of education from
the standpoint Of craftsmanship and
the public welfare.
Tho Regional Conferences
The following regional conferences
will be held:
Conference for the states of Ill
inois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and
Wisconsin.
Conference for the states of MINI,
esota, North Dakota, South Dakota,
iand Iowa.
Conference for the states of Mon l.
itana, Idaho, and Utah.
Conference TO rthe state of Washing
ton and Oregon.
Conference for the states Of CAL
Norma, Arizona and Nevada.
Conference for the states Of Col
sorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
Conference for the states of Miss
Ouri Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
and Texas.
Conference for the states Of Tenn
iessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississ
6ppi. louisiana, and Alabama.
Conference for the states Of North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and
Conference for the states Of Mary
land, Delaware, Virginia, West Vir-
GINA, and the District of Columbia.
Conference for the states of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu-
sets. Rhode Island. and Connecticut.
! Conference for the states of New
York. Pennsylvania, and New Jer-
!sey.
an coming educational campaigns
were set forth in a letter recently
written by Dr. P. P. Claxton, United
States commissioner of education,
In response to inquiries In regard to
the matter. DR.. Claxton says:-"The
crisis In education consists essent-
tally in this that whereas in the past
we have been able, despite low SAL
aries paid to teachers, to obtain for
the schools a constant stream OF men
and women, many OF who through with
out definite professional preparation,
have been your men and women of
more than usual native ability, MANY
of them possessed of fine culture and
fairly. good general scholarship.
Personality and Culture
Though these have not remained
long and have had no definite know
ledge Of the processes Of teaching and
little still in applying them, still their
personality and culture have been such
that 1t has been good for boys and
girls to come in contact with them.
Usually quite young, they have re-
NAMED in teaching for two or three
or four years while waiting for the
maturity necessary for success in or
even admission to other professions
and vocations, and frequently have
taught in order to prepare themselve.
for other work. Hundreds of thous-
apds Of these have become successful
home makers, leaders in society, en-
ers, captains Of industry, statesmen.
To be sure there have always been
many young teachers who lack this
ability and culture, but there have
been very many OF the class just de-
scribed. :
However, under changed condit
ions we may not expect many Of this
class in the future, and unless sal
aries are raised and policies changed
the teachers Of the public schools in
the future will be made up Of young
men and women Of very mediocre
ability serving In the schools for short
terms. and Of those of still less ability
who will remain longer because they
have not the energy, personality, or
ability to undertake anything else.
This means deterioration and disin-
tesration Of the public school system.
The only salvation, against 1t Is to in
crease salaries to such an extent as
will induce young men and women of
superior ability and culture to prepare
themselves for teaching, and then ad :
oS& a policy by which they NAV be
kept In the schools after they have
proven their ability and gained power
and skill by experience.
Increase Pay OF Teachers ..
This means a large increase in the
average pay of teachers. We shall
need to spend two or three times as
much for this purpose as we do spend
In the country at large And this in
crease OF expenditures must be made
at a time when taxes for other DUR