The Mena weekly star., 1921-09-15
ScuoolNorrs
By W. H. MoRDEN. County Superintendent Schools.


 Several questions have been asked recently about the Forward Education Movement. We will try to answer most of them briefly here. It is gen orally conceded that we have not at present the school advantages that we ought to have, and can have. We have failed to find single person who disagrees with that, and have asked it to hundreds. It is also agreed that the right way to get the advantages that we deserve is for the people to study carefully our weaknesses and work out better plan If we say to the average citizen that he should write up a good plan for the schools of the state he would say he is roi' capable. If we should get capable person to write out good plan, and then submit 1t to the people they would not vote for 1t because they do not understand it. Then the thing for us all to do is to study the system That is why we have a Forward Edu- cation Movement.
 In detail the Forward Education Movement has in mind the following
 11. A common school education for every child in Arkansas.
 2. Equality Of opportunity in school advantages.
 3. A competent and well-trained teacher in every school room. 1t can be seen that the three things mentioned will certainly bring about changes in the school system if they are had. It will mean such great changes that it is absolutely neces- sary that the people become more in- terested, and all work together. The machinery for this work is the Arkansas Education Association. An attempt is being made to enroll every person possible in this association. As soon as the enrolment campaign is over all members will be mailed a bulletin each month full of educa- tional facts that will help to work out our own salvation. The membership fee is dollar. The dollar is neces- sary for the expenses of the work. but the interest of the member is worth more than the dollar. Every district should have a few members of the as- sociation. The leaders of the com munity should be members. Then at the community meetings they can take their bulletins and discuss the educational problems of the state. By the use of these bulletins every sec tion of the state will be getting the same information to study.
 We now have 85 teachers in the as- sociation. We expect the rest of them l to get in right away. Some progress l has been made in securing citizen | memberships. Some districts are go- | ing far above their quotas. The coun- 1 ty superintendent does not have charge of this, bue we hear from it l occasionally. The county has been 1 asked to get 400 members. This means about one for every sixteen | school children. By taking the emu meration of your district and dividing ! by l6, you can get at the number ex- i pected from your district.
 People in the small and weak dis. tricts should not overlook their oppor. tunity in this matter. When we say
 Equality of opportunity" it is meant
 just that way.sa A great many dis.
 tricts are too weak under the present l sstem to have what they need. Thii
 IS the very time for those who live ii
 the weak districts to wake up ane show that they want more than they
 have.
 :. :: 2:
 Before this paper reaches the read. CT the state apportionment will have
 been made by the county board of ed. ucation. It will amount to about $3.6(
 when all funds are put together, fol every child in the county.