The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-10
Middlebury President Is
Against Tying it Up
With u. V. NJ.
IS OPPOSED TO
EDUCATION BILL
Though Not Apparently in Favor of
Stearns Normal School PIan-JOmsOn
Explains Course of State Education
COmmissiOn-Other Speakers.

ing with any institution of higher
learning, DIR. John NJ Thomas, soon toI
become president of Pennsylvania State
college, argued last evening before the
house and senate committees on. educa-
ton against the state board of educa-
ton measure which would establish al
teacher training college at burlington in
connection with the University of Yer
mont.
DIR. Thomas said that he was violat-
ing no confidence in saying that at Mid
dlebury the some proposition was con-
sidered and the conclusion was reached
that it was impossible to train teachers
for the rural schools and for the high
schools at the same place.
While he asSailcd the state Doard
bill, charactcriZng il as Il measure not
Of the board but of an educational eX-
pert, he did not defend in any direct
way the StearnS bill Educational ex-
perts, he said. are not to be trusted be
cause they are men who have made Il
failure of conducting their own inStitu
tionS and then go about at u high price
telling others what to do.
The doctors argument turned against
the University of Vermont. the plain
Z
not made the most of its opportunities
lie said that Middebury was turning out
teachers from its State-assiSted depart
mcnt of pedagogy and that it was the
only field of state service that had been
left open to it.
Good God" President Thomas burst
forth. If ! had the field of agriculture
open to me. | wouldn't be down putting
in any bills for a teachers training col
! lege. There are diaries closing in Yer
mont because men to conduct them can
not be obtained the doctor making il
plain that he believed that the state col
Iege of agriculture was not doing its
full duty. He also said that the college
Of engineering had not developed its
field. We want 10 grow in Vermont
industrially, but We can't do II by a
paper program we must have men and
We are not getting them he said.
Marvelle {. Webber answered DIR.
Thomas by saving that DR.. Thomas did
not keep TO facts, that he violated no
confidence when he said that the PROPOSE
tion offered by DR.. Thomas was with
drawn before the state board of cdu-
cation had a chance to investigate the
matter. He further Said that If the bill
was drawn by experts they must be him
| self and Mr.. johnson, for they drafted
the measure. lie said that DR.. Thomas
! had not discussed the normal schools
| i'm his remarks.
| Fred \. Rowland of Montpelier. an
other member of the board. took up the
/ unfayorablc conditions of sustaining nor
| NAL schools in small communities like
| Castleton and Johnson. He read poT-
| tionS of reports made by commissions in
! 1870. 1874. 1855. 1905 and 1895. all of
which pointed out the inadyiSability of
| conducting these schools in these vii
| lagos owing TO the lack of model schools
| by which the teachers could secure
training He also quoted from the ratir
ing messages of Gov. Fletcher Proctor
and Governor Mead. who with the com
| missions previously referred TO. advO-
Gated centralized normal school.
Mrs. Ransom of Castleton gave tn,
committee many figures tending To show
that there are model schools both fol
rural and high school training in anc
about Ca>tctOn.
Senator Bryant of Windsor county
chairman of the senate committee on ed
ucation. presided. He announced thai
the state board of education would b.
given II minutes to present its case aftel
which Mr.. Stearns and those favorins
his bill would have an hour and Il hal
} to speak for the Stearns measure anC
the state board would then have another
A. minutes.
l.. Il. Johnson of Randolph. chairman
of the state board of education. was tn,
first speaker. He said IN part:
? For several years prior to 1910 thu
state-Supported agencies for the training
of teachers i'm Vermont consisted of thu
= two normal schools at CaStletOn anO
70 Johnson which have been in operation
= many years; the teachers trainin!
courses established in certain higl
schools and Summaries of the state un
der the act of 1910 and 1912; and tn,
= short term summer schools. The Charte
of the normal schools expired by limita
ton August /. 1920. The total enroll
I ment in these training classes ar pres
/ ent exceeds $50, which will nearly sup
. ply the rural schools" he said.
II Mr.. Johnson stated that the stat
= board, following the action of the leg
L. Eislaturc of 1919, had but two guides t,
follow. ono was the refusal of the stat
/ to continue the normal schools the Othe
; was the existence on the statute book
. of provision making it the duty O
the board, with no discretion whatever
| to locate and establish a central norma
! school whenever adequate buildings o.
r funds sufficient to erect should be pro
vided without expense to the state.
: Mr.. Johnson told of the offer of tn
Carnegie corporation last year to Civ
100000 for this purpose on condition
that 100000 in addition should first b.
Z expended on the property and with tn
understanding that the state should ap
4 propriate 100000 annually for teach
ers training in connection with the cen
tral institution.
DR. William G, Bagley, an expert OF
! educational matters. was called into TIN
state by the board to investigate tn
: possibility of establishing a state teach
, ers' college. Five different locations wer
q iHspeced and Burlington was chosen a
I the most satisfactory site for such
! college to be located in connection viii
/ the University of Vermont but retainin;
. separate identity.
The state board" said Mr.. Johnson
. never contemplated any plan for teache
4 training which would impair the presen
g system of teacher training in high school
and Scminaries 1t believes these schools
$ viii fit into the state teachers coleg
: plan perfectly.
: "The Carnegie corporation under
a stands that the 100000 appropriation
0 by the state will be used not only for tn
r state teachers college but to finance tn
teachers training classes in other insti
: buttons also.