Arizona republican., 1922-06-12
NORMAL WILL
BOOST FOR A
WCO[LEGE
EQUIVALENT
Membership Throughout
The State Hears Neces-
sity For Raising Stand
ard of School.

Expansion OF the Tempe Normal
school into a four-year teachers col
lege is the project to which SOC
alumni pledged themselves at their
annual banquet. last week. There
are 400 members in all parts of the
state, and it is expected they will join
in the aggressive campaign.
Ferved campaign speeches replaced
the usual after dinner stories as
alumni members voiced the new de-
mand. The address by DR.. A. J
Matthews stirred the alumni to ac-
ton. He referred to the advanced
steps recently taken by California in
placing her normal schools on a coll
lege basis with four years of pro-
fessional training.
DIR. Matthews recalled that the
Tempe Normal school for 35 years has
ranked with the best of the California
schools and has kept pace with edu-
nation. He quoted Will C. Wood
superintendent of public instruction
in California. as ranking this school
as one of the finest in the Southwest
California Serves Notice
An official notifica ton. however,
from California. quoted by DIR. Mat
theWs, stated that after July /, grad
yates of the Tempe Normal school
will not be eligible to teach i'll the
schools of California until this school
shall offer four years of professional
training instead of two.
To most of the graduates this
statement came as distinct shock,
Dr. Matthews called to their atten-
tion that California, Montana, Colo
rado, and. in fact, all progressive
states. have placed some of their nor
NAL schools on a four year, college
basis for professional training. New
Mexico in the past year has kept pace
with this progressive movement by
converting her largest normal school.
at Las Vegas, into four-year state
normal college.
in reply, A. c. Jones, county SUPER
intendent OF Maricopa county. unhes-
itatingly demanded on the part of the
alumni that DIR. Matthews and the
members of the board take steps at
once toward the development of the
normal school into a teachers college
for the. state of Arizona. He cx-
pressed his regret that the state had
not met these additional responsible
tiles earlier since school boards
throughout the state are now de-
manding that junior high school and
other responsible teaching positions
be placed in the hands of those who
have had four years of professional
training.
Miss Kathleen McClelland, class of
10. from Coehise county. spoke from
the viewpoint of the more recent
graduates She paid a high tribute
to the thoroughness of the training OF
these graduates whom. she says. re-
fleet the true teaching spirit of con-
scientious service. She raised the
question of justice to the graduates
of this normal school. They now see
graduates from other states which
offer four years of professional train
ing given preference in positions of
responsibility in the schools of Ari-
zona. She declared that recent grad
yates would be glad TO return for
additional training at Tempe. a school
specially fitted for training in ele-
mentary and Junior high school edu-
cation. She pointed to the fact that
today many are leaving the state to
obtain this advanced professional
training.
Lewis Maier of Pima county. John
Sandige of Scottsdale, A. M. Davis of
Mesa, Robert G. Finch of Tempe, and
other prominent members of the
Alumni association gave this move
ment their unqualified support.