The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-02-04
Fulton Social Center.
WHAT is THE MATTER WITH OUR PUBLIC

FuItOn O0Ca8k NSHtcEs
WHAT is THE MATTER WITH OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS?
This was the question discussed al
the last meeting of the Fulton Socia
Center on Friday evening, Jan. Il:
1t was presented by three of our
local teachers, each handling differ
ent phase of the subject, Miss Emma
Berg giving the parents and Teach
ers," Miss Stella Attlesey ''The Cur
riculum" and Miss Florence Heagle
1.-The Consolidated School, Solution. "
Miss Berg brought out the idea that
the lack of interest shown by the par
ents and people of the district in their
own local schools was the reason for
such a lack of public interest in the
school question. She plead for more
interest by everyone in the district in
the school, as it is the most vital inter-
est in the community. No interest In
the community can realize its best pos
sibjlities without deep public inter-
est. Teachers are human and need the
sympathy and the cooperation OF the
parents. Low wages and poorly equip
ned teachers-wages too low to attract
teachers of good ability and training
the wide difference between the wages
paid the teacher in the one-ro0m coun-
try school with all its lack of equip
ment and the disadvantages compared
with the wages paid the teachers In the
well equipped city schools where the
work is much easier and the require
ments no higher, was mistake. as the
country scholar is entitled to Just as
good schooling as his city brother.
These and many other points she
brought out as having their effect on
the low rank which the Wisconsin
schools seem to have taken.
Miss Attlesey gave very clear and
interesting explanation Of the curric-
ulum or course of study, showing what
a country teacher with all eight grades
to teach had to do. She suggested
some very important changes. She
impressed the audience with the fact
that a teacher in the one-room country
school, in order to follow out the regu-
lar course of study required by law and
do Justice to it, must have all the abil-
ity of the president of the United
States Steel corporation, with pay
scarcely equal to meet his monthly cl-
gar bill.
Miss Heagle handled the consolidated
school proposition in a very clear and
convincing manner. She showed its
disadvantages as well as its advant-
ages The advantages of having CEN
tralized school for several districts
where each teacher has but one grade
and the school all the equipment of the
best city schools far outweighed all the
disadvantages. She made it very plain
that the consolidation of schools was
the only practical solution of our coun-
try school problem, and the sooner we
adopted it the better. as it was sure to
come before long.
The presentation of this subject from
these three points Of view aroused a
fine enthusiasm in the audience, which
resulted in an intensely interesting and
wideawake discussion following. Many
points of interest were brought out in
this discussion and some very pertinent
questions were asked. Among these
was this: Why is it that some 20 years
ago Wisconsin stood first among all the
states of the Union on the efficiency of
her public schools and now she has
fallen to the Both place? In a state
where the state university ranks among
the first in the United States and our
public schools rank 30th, is it any won
der that we are asking the question,
"What is the matter with our public
schools?" There is surely something
wrong somewhere.
1t was the unanimous opinion of this
meeting, brought out by this open dis
cussion, that this question and the rea-
sons for it must be answered. If it is
caused by low wages given to teachers,
poorly trained teachers with improperly
equipped schools, lack of proper sup
ervision of schools, too complicated
and ill-adapted curriculum, or whatever
the cause or causes may be, they must
be found and recognized and a remedy
given. And the only way this could be
accomplished was through an aroused
public opinion. 1t was unanimously
agreed that this interest had been
aroused here in Fulton by these discus
sions in our Social Center meetings and
that we do all we can to pass this en-
thusiasm along to every community in
Rock county, and recommend that
every community club of every kind
take this matter up for discussion soon.
If this is done it will not be long before
a public opinion is formed in Rock
county which will demand solution of
this problem Why should the great
state of Wisconsin, of which we are so
justly proud in so many other ways,
have the stigma of standing 30th in the
list of states on the most vital of all its
interests? Our public schools and the
proper education of our boys and girls
are surely of as much Importance as
good crops, better roads and better
markets and pure bred hogs and cattle.
and should receive at least equal at
tention.
That every organization of any kind
in Rock county, community clubs, farm
bureau climbs and every agency for the
betterment of conditions in our county
should get under this plan of creating
a public sentiment strong enough to
demand as good public schools for Rock
county as can be found in any county
in this Union, was the sentiment ex-
pressed at this meeting of the Fulton
Social Center.
Notice