The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-17
TEACHER BILL
AGAIN HEARD
Maryelle C. Weber of State
Board Answered Pres.
Thomas of Middlebury
mo CONSPIRACY
AGAINST NORMALS
Most of Teachers Now in
Vermont Were Trained in
Teacher Training Glasses

w
state board, commented on the notice
able absence of Representative Stearns
of johnson and his supporters, who
closed their case Tuesday evening.
Mr.. Weber, took up the charges OF
conspiracy against the normal schools
at Castleton and johnson and told cir
substantially of the expiration to
their charters, the introduction OF the
Tracey bill (H. 1901 two years ago.
its reference to committees, amend
ment, discussion and final rejection by
the general assembly.
at was the legislature that discon-
tinued the normal schools" said the
speaker" and not the state board or
DIR. Hillegas."
Commenting further on the reports
of committees which had advocated
the discontinuance of the schools: the
speaker cited the names of Chief Jus.
tice Jonathan Ross, Justin Dart and
Frank l.. Greene.
do you believe" he asked, that
those men were in a conspiracy 70 XIII
the normal schools? Or, inasmuch as
they were appointed by the general
assembly, do you think the general as
sembly was in a conspiracy 7"
"As for the state boards starving
these schools to death" he continued,
"the state board in the past two years
D al
tions, yet in the last year of their ex
istence johnson graduated Is and Cas-
Teton 20 teachers. The fact Is the
normal schools were not giving proper
results for the money spent on them.
As to the charges that the raising
of the standard and the establishment
of teacher training class had helped
to kill the normal schools the speaker
pointed out that the Stearns bill ex-
pressly provided for both OF these fac
tors. He cited figures from the re-
ports which showed that out Of 2,l2O
teachers in elementary schools, 1874
were graduates of Vermont norman
schools and 794 graduates OF teacher
training classes.
Mr.. Weber Answers Pres. Thomas.
Mr. Webber made brief answer sto
Dr. Thomas iocular reference to haV
ing seen the boards bill last summer
by declaring that il was not drafted
or even outlined until within a month,
after the legislature had actually con
vened.
"What DR.. Thomas really saw said
Mr.. Webber. was the report OF tx
pert Bagley, who made the survey Tor
the board. The reference was good
Joke on me, perhaps, but as an ar
gument il was speeious and mlsIead'
ing"
The speaker told of the boards ne
gotiations with DIR. Thomas when the
latter thought his institution might
like to take up the offer of the Car
negie foundation.
Gle did not urge any of the reasons
he now gives at that time said Mr.
Webber, "but when his trustees did
not think it advisable to have the
teachers college affiliated with Mid.
dleburv. he now takes the attitude OF
the dog in the manger and gives
strong reasons why the University of
vermont %f0Nlu IlOl lldNt IT,
"What the doctor really fears IS that
If the college goes to Burlington. the
legislature in time might take away
from Middlebury its $4,000 appro
piration for teacher training
The speaker closed by calling al
tcntion to the local interest Of the
champions of the Stearns bill. Mr.
Stearns for johnson and DR. Thomas
and DIR. Collins for Middlebury col
lege.
Others Spoke for Boards Bill.
Superintendent Harvey Burbank Of
Passumpsic, w. b. Lance of Plainfield
IS. c. Hutchinson Of Montpelier and
j. ID. Whittier Of Burlington spoke for
the teacher college bill, alleging the
great scarcity of teachers for the pri-
mary schools and urging that the
teacher training courses were the only
way in which supply Of teachers
could be kept up.
There are l40 towns in Vermont,
said Mr.. Whittier" where there are
no graduates of normal schools teach
ing in any OF the schools. Are YOU
prepared to legislate those teachers
out of existence and deprive those
children 81 the instruction they are
now gettingt'
Commissioner Clarence H. Dempsey
answered the argument of unfairness
to the normal schools by showing that
az the time the standards were lowest
there was only an enrolment Of 25I.
not too many for one efficient school.
He showed that the Stearns bill. II en-
acted into law, would certainly kill
the training classes owing to the harsh
requirement that only two years
teaching could he done by graduates
without returning TO the normal
schools
The speaker figured that the actual
cost to the state, after considering the
state subsidy Of $4,000 annually,
would be- from $500 TO 5000 per grad
uate. He called attention to the en-
tangling alliances of the Stesrns bill.
which would affiliate education with
three institutions not owned OF con
trolled b. the state.
Nr. Dempsey outlined the plans for
the teacher college which be said
would H. free from frills and fads,
but would deal strictly with elements,
such a. arithmetic. reading. spelling
geography. discipline. etc.
Mrs.. r &. Ran-ome f Castleton
created = diversion hy asking the state
X /; were not a fact that no member
81 the board ~ Dr. Hlleca- had been
n Castleton durinc the past four wears
nth the exception q Mr. Hewitt q
| Plainfrld. : query which hrouEhf nut