The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1921-03-24
EDUCATORS HOLD
CONFERENCE HERE
superintendents Of Neixhhoring Cities
Discuss Important School
Problems
TALK OVER SALARY QUESTION
Meetings May Become Regular Affairs
in the Future

in the Future
Oakes was for one evening last
week the educational center of this
section of the state, when the super
intendents of number Of the neigh
boring cities met here to discuss
school problems. The conference was
held on Friday, at the home of Sup
erintendent Gould. The visiting edu-
Gators were Superintendents r. A.
Trubey of Lidgerwood, Walter ].
Swenson of Cogswell, Elmer Skeie of
Wyndmere. Edwin A. Naedler Of Mil
nor, Floyd f. Wolfe Of LaMoure, EN-
NETT McKenna of Edgeley, Geo. E.
Bodin of Glendale, and John F. Como
of Kuhn.
After seven o'clock dinner served
by Mrs. Gould with the assistance of
the Misses Craig and Shade Of the
high school faculty, an informal dis
cussion was held that lasted into an
early hour Of the morning. The SUBJ
jects considered ranged from teach
ers' salaries to state politics, from
athletics to oil wells, from courses
of study to cigarettes, from ceYtihca-
tion laws to Alaskan scenery, from
teachers pensions to the League Of
Nations, from student activities to
Russian peanuts.
Among other things the superin-
tendents decided to unite In support
Of move to restore the former dis
tricting Of the state that gave the Ell
lendale normal district basket ball
tournament, participated in BY the
high schools Of this section. Last
year, because Of conditions that are
now changed in a number Of places,
only two teams competed in the Ellen
dale tourney, and for that reason the
district was eliminated at the spring
meeting Of the high school league.
This year the teams from this section
had to go to jamestown or Fargo.
Il Next year it is expected that num-
Der Of the schools that have had no
winter athletics, such as Cakes, will
be represented by teams, and the Ell
lendale tournament will be real
battle.
The operation Of the newly enacted
high school tuition law was discussed,
and uniform course Of action de-
cided upon in the case Of certain COM
plications that were presented. It
was found that there is at present a
great difference in the amount of tu-
ition charged grade pupils from out
side districts, and most Of the SUPER
; intendents will recommend to their
boards of education that the grade
tuition be raised considerably for next
year.
The matter of teachers salaries was
probably the most important subject
that came up for consideration, being
the real reason for the conference.
The last legislature passed law that
sets a series of minimum salaries for
teachers of different grades Of quail
ification, and makes it obligatory that
boards next year adopt q salary
schedule and file it with the county
superintendent. The salaries of teach
ers elected now for next year will
be determined in part by the terms
Of this law.
While the shortage Of teachers is
not quite as acute as it was last year,
there are still not enough to go
around in this state. Most Of the
schools that have had their elections
have offered higher salaries for next
year, particularly in the grades.
At least one superintendent in at
tendance at the conference reported
that none Of the teachers in his city
, had been able to cash salary war
rant since 1920. While their credit
has been sufficiently good to keep any
Of them from starving thus far, the
financial conditions that bring about
this situation are causing many teach
ers to leave North Dakota before an.
other year, and making it hard to in
duce new teachers to come in.
}. The educators were outspoken in
i, their admiration Of the one story Of
the new school building that has beer
built, and the plans for tho completed
} structure. They were very favorably
{ impressed with Oakes, and before
> leaving expressed their intention o1
coming again. In fact, the meeting
was 20 helpful and practical that II
will probably, become . regular adsil
in the future.
4 The Times 10 this week In rsesipt d
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