The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-18
ADDRESS BY EDUCATOR
j. M. Mcconnell Spoke
Before PIT. Body
MOVEMENT IN SCHOOL
Former Superintendent Talked
To His Old Home Folks On
Very Live Topic

to his former towns people, ]. M.
Mcconnell, state commissioner OF
education, delivered an able address
before the parent and teachers meet.
ing last night at the high school. Mr..
Mcconnell took for his subject,
Parent and Teachers Relations to
the Educational Problem" In the
absence of President Mrs. E. l..
Halves, w. A. Streater presided at
the meeting, introduced the speaker,
and announced the numbers on the
program.
Preceding Mr.. McConnelps address
a musical program was carried out
consisting OF vocal and instrumental
selections. The first musical treat
OF the evening was given by the chill
dren of SevenA. music class under
the able leadership OF Miss Florence
Nitzkowski. The blending of the
voices and the unison with which the
children sang, showed good training
Kendall, the sweet voiced tenor, fav-
ored the audience with three vocal
selections. He sang in his usually
clear voice. In the singing of a grou.
of three songs, Mr.. Kendall was ac-
companied on the piano by Mrs. May
Brett Taylor. Following Mr.. Nc
Connell's address Mrs. Irma Pagel-
Tholen played three selections on the
violin. Mrs. Tholen is an accomplish
ed artist with that instrument.
In opening the meeting, Mr..
Streater called attention to the bet
ter housing institute which will be
held in this city commencing Feb
ruary 81. Mr.. Streater explained
IL b L; - 49,, h.
tension division of the Chicago Art
Civic and Commerce association. Mr..
Streater urged that the meetings be
largely attended. q. sss
8 Is prsza6tins the speaker 81 tie
evening. MI. Streater ssif4i u at u !.
Mcconnell needed no introduction to
Mankato audience. He had
accepted the invitation to address
his own home folks.
Feels Mankato Is His Home.
Mr. Mcconnell in launching into
his address said that was the very
reason he had accepted the invitation
to speak at the high school. Manka
to people are his own home folks,
and he still feels that Mankato is his
home. His interests are with the
people of this community. The par
ent and teacher movement is new
one in this state. The speaker said
that in dealing with that subject he
would speak in an informal manner
on Just wha seemed to him the legi-
innate undertakings, and the legiti.
mate operations. The American PEG.
pie are said to be people OF orga-
niZationS. In the organization of the
parent and teacher unit the public il
dealing with volunteer organizations.
In the discussion of the problem, the
speaker said that he is entirely open
minded on the subject. The move
ment is good one, in that it brings
the parents and teachers together or
problems of education. In former
years the work of education was
considered the work of women, but
sized job. 1t is one of the largest
problems before the American public
today. This is one Of the problems
to be handled by the parent and
teachers associations. In defining
parents, Mr.. Mcconnell said they are
divided into two classes, active and
presumptiye. The helpful feature of
the parent and teacher association
is that it brings the parent and teach
err on common level. In the past
there has been tendency, the
speaker said to regard the teacher
as an employee, and the school board
as the employers. Just so long as
this conception of education is en-
of the educational problem. The pro-
blem of educa&on is a mutual prob
lem, and must concern the parent
both active and presumptive. There
is a big problem before the parent
and teacher organizations! ~
Solving Educational Problems
The best way to solve educational
problems is to have them right before
one. First, they must be talked in
the largest sense. First of all speak
of education in state wide sense.
Mr.. Mcconnell said that right or
wrong, education has not as yet been
been taken up in Minnesota as a
state problem In order to make the
educational activities in the state a
success, the local educational ques-
tions must first be solved, for If the
local conditions are not satisfactory
the state problems will remain un-
solved. The question of education in
the state should be studied from the
standpoint of whether the state is
fulfilling its obligations. How is the
state solving the problem of educa-
ton? Are you going TO demand more
of the state in an educational way?
Minnesota has set up a plan of edu-
cation. Nine thousand one -roomed
schools are scattered about the state
together with 240 high schools and
260 graded schools. These are in
cluded in the scheme of the state
whereby it is hoped to solve the pro-
blem of education. The speaker said
that Anere Is a great deal of talk
-bout illiteracv. but when the qnes-
ton Of education in this state shall
have been solved, rnen the question
II nhteracy also viii have been SOW
ad. In Mankato people can not be