The Winslow mail., 1923-11-30
Friday, November 80, 1928
PARENTS SHOULD VISIT THE SCHOOLS
By George w. Nilsson


"The sum spent on education sounds enormous
But when reduced to it's lowest terms-the cost to
each Individual seems very small laKang ae oae
day 1t hardly fair to charge educatlon WIN
the excessive burden of which it is such small part
We are able to give without Sorely taxing our aDlhty
what is needed to provide adequate school advantages
for ALL if only regard the education of children
as a primary duty of the state. 1t is matter OF
priority of interest and not question of ability Ed
torial in New York Times September 10, 1923.
How may the people strengthen their schools
acting through local community?
Constant vigilance is the price we must pay II our
public schools are to be efficient No school law or
administrative machinery replace real interest
on the part of the citizens of the community in the
welfare of their public schools. Many OF oua out
standing educational weaknesses will be corrected by
the people acting through their local school boards
All citizens should keep themselves informed as to
conditions in their schools.
The proper training of the children of the nation
requires close cooperation between the home and
school, This cooperation exist only when parents
are thoroughly familiar with school conditions.
One of the best means Of knowing what is being
done is to visit the schools At least year. every
parent should visit the classroom in which his child Is
being instructed Parents, principals and teachers will
come to have much better understanding of their
common purposes result of these visits
Have you read the last report of your superinten-
dent of schools?
superintendent of schools? Here may be found auho-
rtative information to school conditions The lnfor-
nation concerning the schools which appear in the news
papers may have been selected because of its sensational
value The school available in the most rell
able papers should be supplemented by the information
provided in the report of the superintendent of schools
The people should consolidate those school districts
that are too small to maintain modern school.
The small local district with its one two teacher
school comes down from an earlier time. Communica-
tion slow and difficult, educational needs
simple and the little red school house served great
purpose That day has passed. The small district
able of supporting but or two teacher school Is
no longer effective Where it exists in large numbers
poor teaching school terms of but few weeks, and ILL
teracy abound.
Educational progress in many states waits upon the
time when MODERN consolidated graded schools replace
the obsolete, ineffective but expensive and two
teacher schools
In our cities such ineffective school plants
longer tolerated Their estance in thousands of rural
communities need not be- continued Good roads have
removed the greatest obstacle to school consolidation
There why the percentage of native born
illteracy in rural communities should continue to De
four times high in the cities.
What progress has been made in your state in
placing the expensive and ineffective and two
teacher schools with modern consolidation schools?
Every community should have carefully planned
school building program.
Hit and miss methods are no longer adequate in
providing school buildings, necessary. School
building needs in cities predicted with great
accuracy Buildings properly distributed to take
of present needs and to allow for probable growth
in population. They planned with the educational
objectives of the city in mind Nothing is guessed at
that be known.
There is why the knowledge that is
readily available of how to plan school building pro-
grams that there will be the least possible waste of
piled in all cities plan worked out for it's present
and future guidance in housing the school children of
the community is failing in an important duty.
Has your school board a building program that