Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-09
LUCHTMAN AND KELDER
SPOKE AT LUNCHEON
Continued from page one)

He explained that the crowded con-
dition in the high school would not
be so acute in the fall because of this
number leaving the high school, but
that it would again become very SER
ious next February when another
lass would come into the high school,
nth none leaving at that time.
lie called attention to the various
functions at the high school and the
Improvement that is being shown,
comparing the in and out football
cam Of last fall with the much more
,orsistent work that is being secured
N basket ball. He also mentioned the
glee clubs, the orchestra, the literary
organizations, etc, as aiding in bring
ing about better school work.
He spoke Of the classification of the
students according to ability and of
supervised study in the high school,
nd with Il graphical curves covering
he work of two semesters under the
Id system of study and three semes-
ars under the new system showed
nat there are only about half the
number of failures now that there
r1lmerly were. Credit for the i'm
trovement because of the interest of
ne teachers in the new system was
ven to the instructors by Mr.. Lucht-
nan.
Mr.. Kelder spoke Of the necessity
If giving the children of the city the
best possible education for all children
of the community, as it is owing To
the children, and is owing to the coun-
ny
He spoke of the efforts that were
made to better school conditions and
Judy conditions here, and stated that
lima in its efforts TO secure good
rade teachers was one of the first
ties in the state to adopt a minimum
age of 81 900 for grade teachers. He
-n' - the lengthening Of the school
that the method of supervised
ldy might be worked out, as it
axes possible longer work period,
nd permits of a better scientific
ady.
lie told of the recent establishment
90 Inc supervised study in the grades,
hich had not been previously posi-
he because of the crowded condition
"a some of the grades, and of the
;andardized and intelligence tests, by
which it is possible to arrive at a
efnite conclusion as to a students
nowledge as compared for a general
yerage for his grade.
The division Of grades into two or
liae classes for the pupils who learn
auickly, certain subject, for those
no are rated as medium students
I'd those who are slow, was pointed
,ut, which allows each type of student
to advance as he is able, and which
does not hold back one class, giving il
plenty of leisure time, while the other
is learning, or which does not swamp
the slower student because another is
able to learn more quickly.
He spoke of the furnishing of milk
in the schools for the pupils who are
under nourished, and then of the
hrosdened curriculum in the schools
with manual training, domestic
science, etc, in the grades.
Considerable attention was devoted
to the teaching staff and how the de-
termination to pay $1,000 had made il
possible for Alma to build up a strong
teaching staff. This he compared with
other schools who paid smaller sun
for their teachers, and were forced tC
take inexperienced ones, and otter
fo,,,,1 that fha,y .c<e -
tory. AS one example he pointed out
q school which had secured five teach
ors of this type last year and which
finding them all unsatisfactory has de-
termined 10 secure five new instruct
oIs next year.
The matter of attendance was taker
~ and the crowded condition Of the
schools was shown and it was predict
ed that very shortly Alma would BIZ
forced to build new junior high
school that would care for the sew
enth, eighth and ninth grades. BY the
Inclusion Of the ninth grade in a jun
Tor high he said that nearly 100 stu
dents would be taken from the. high
school, which would then have room
FOR years to come. In this connection
ne pointed out that in March 1925
there were 1913 students in tn,
schools and in March 1921 a total o.
1913. On March 6, 1922, there was &
total of 1876 pupils in the schools. IL
closing Mr.. Kelder stated that the pei
capita cost of educating these pupil:
is just % cents per day.