The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-07
EDUCATOR PRAISES
 COUNTY SCHOOLS
 AFTER INSPECTION
Jefferson Is Front Line of Progress EducationaIly, Me- braSkan Declares in Let
 ter to Baker

Copies of letter written by George D. Darlington. Jr.. former superin- tendent of education of Newark eoun- ty, Nebraska, highly commenting the school system of Jefferson county have been received in Birmingham.
 The letter was written by Mr. Car riugton to Dr. A. F. Winshop, editor of the Journal of Education, of Bos- ton. for publication in that magazine. Mr. Darlington recently visited the schools of the county and a copy of the letter sent to Dr. N. R. Baker stating that Jefferson county, Ala bama.. is the front line of progress, educationally"
 The letter follows:
 T had been traveling for weeks in the southern states. I had been in rural schools. many of them off the beaten path. I had seen the school houses-rather the huts or cabins. had seen the poor teaching. Indeed, like the equipment. there was no sign of teaching in sight 1 had seen cor rals for children and their herders. In some of the four or six room schools in small towns, the filth and dirt were repelling. l was despair ing of education, heartsick at the prospect
 Then I came to Birmingham, and met pr. N R. Baker. county super intendent of the schools of Jeffer- son county. In a half hour he had taken me to his county high school There along the fence were five motor busses and nine automobiles l asked he doctor what was going on here School is going on here" he said. These were the vehicles that transported the children of the rural districts to this high school. Then I surveyed the plant with one sweeping observation. There was fine building on spacious grounds, certainly ten acres And there were 4Sl children enrolled in the high school Six years ago there were less than 200 in all the high schools of the county.
 We went In and met Mir Baird, the principal who was proud to show Us his children at recitation and his teachers al work. My spirit began to revive. There was library of thousand volumes. there was a hospi- tai room, physical training space and all the children had to take the drill There were sewing, domestic science and manual training courses, besides all the classic branches be-
 
 But said l, pr, Baker. here you show me a high school near large city. It is fine but not unusual-I am thinking about the country schools. back in the woods where many primary children live He led the way to his car.
 We left the county high school and soon we were entering rural school in the mining region Miners 
 tngs and in the woods. The building was four-room unit building. It was one of the buildings that have been built during the last fonr years at the rate of one each month-get that-ore each month during four years in one county.
 "The architecture was Spanish miss sion type. There were the lower grades being taught by teachers worthy of the name. They were ma ture women who understand child hood and it's needs The equipment was sufficient Attention had been When we finished inspecting this school felt like I had taken a tonic. It was more energizing than a drink of Alabama moonshine.
 We visited other schools Tn no place was the standard anything but high. The rooms were really over populated with children, but the teachers knew their business and made happy play out of the task of teaching.
 Tn every one of these buildings the same attention to the smallest detail had been given to convenience. sani- tation and equipment
 "If I were to crticise the build ings at all I would say that the style of architecture does not fit into the wooded hills. That low Spanish mis- sion building fits better to the sun baked sand deserts, it seems to me.
 As we turned away. I said to Dr. Baker, Jefferson county. Alabama. is the front line of progress. eduea- tionally. He confided that he coald show me something not so good, but l had seen plenty of the 'not-so- good. was enthused by the splen- did progress 1 had seen, and was assured that the same high level was to reach every district in the county.
 There are 30 consolidated schools in the county, 16 senior high schools and 20 junior high schools 10 high schools are accrediated The average size school is four-teacher school. Thirteen hundred children are trans- ported daily to school The length or school term is nine months. The average cost per child for educat tion is s2S.5O annually. There is a school improvement association of 1000 members.
 Surely the record of educa tional progress in Jefferson county, Ala bama is worth talking about,
 Do you know how it all came about?
 It came about by means of and through educational leadership
 And educational leadership is most urgently needed in America at this hour"