River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1920-12-23
THE NORMAL SCHOOL AS A
LOCAL INSTITUTION

To what extent should normal
school be considered a local institu-
ton? 1t what measure should it
seek to satisfy local educational
needs? A normal school is an insti-
tuition established for the purpose of
training teachers for the public
schools of the state. It is an insti-
tuition supported by the taxpayers
of the whole state and for the service
of the state.
The state has not located normal
schools in certain communities with
the idea of comforting special privi-
leges, educational or financial, upon.
such communities. 1t is, of course,
inevitable and natural that special
benefits will accrue to the commune
ties in which such schools are locat-
ed These benefits are, however, in
cidental and aside from the real pur-
pose involved in the establishment of
these institutions.
AS state institutions, the education
al policies of normal schools are
part of the educational policies of the
state. Financial support must be
secured from governing boards and
state legislatures. The policies of
the school relating to the student
welfare and student activities are de-
ternined, to considerable degree, by
the general policy of the system of
schools to which the individual in
stitution belongs. A normal school
therefore, finds it's policies largely
determined by the state and not local
interests. The courses of study must
meet state requirements. Entrance
and graduation requirements are es-
tablished by the state; salaries of
teachers and employees and the f.
nancial support of all the activities
of the school are matters of state
provision and regulation.
On the other hand, though the in
stitution finds itself tied up with
state policies, in other equally i'm
portant, though less definite re-
spects, it's destiny is determined by
local conditions. The good will of the
community and the confidence which
that community has in the integrity
of the institution, are assets of very
large value. Pride in the worthy
achievements of the school and sup
part of its policy are indispensable to
success. The importance of these
considerations is borne out by the
history of the River Falls Normal
School. The large measure of it's
success in recent years is due to local
conditions mentioned above.
Though the normal school is state,
not local institution, it can not if it
would, fail to meet local educational
needs in considerable measure. Its
students come from a relatively
small area adjacent to the institution.
Thirty per cent of the present en-
rollment have their homes in the city
of River Falls; 679o come from st.
Croix and Pierce counties. A circle
with River Falls as the center with
radius of forty miles includes 1870
of the present attendance of the
school. Even so, the River Falls nor
nal school is less local in it's attend
ance than most other normal Schools
which are situated in larger cities.
Thirty-eight counties are represent
ed in the enrolment and five states
other than Wisconsin. This enroll
ment from larger territory is large
ly in the special department of Agri-
culture. Graduates Of the school go
out to teach in the schools of north
western Wisconsin.
A state administration which seeks
to centralize the normal school sys-
tenn, thereby wiping out the individu-
atty of the school and cutting it off
from serving the educational inter-
ests of the section of the state in
which it is located, establishes a mis-
taken policy. An intuition must
seek to meet the educational needs
of the people dependant upon its SER
vices and must be given freedom to
develop its courses of study and to
adapt it's requirements to meet the
conditions present in its environment.