Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-01-21
Rural School News
Letter, u. S. Bureau
of Information
THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF A
CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL.

Departments of rural education II
state teachers colleges and state de
partments of education, that nave
been actively engaged in consolida
tor projects, generally, agree that
proposed community school organ
cation must conform to three fun
damental business principles, If 1t Is
to be successful. .~,S
The first Of these principles, &C
cording to experts in economies Is
the need for organization! That IS
can the project count on an adequate
amount of business to justify an Ell
ficient organization? Applying this
prinriple to the formation. of con
solidaRed school means, are there
enough children in the community 70
require such school? ..,,,s,
The second consideration is, WHAT
amount of working capital Will be
necessary to insure economy OF oper,
alton? In those states where local
support is the main school support,
the taxable property in the district
should be sufficient to enable the
school to operate on reasonable Tax
rate.
And the third essential to the sue
cessful operation of business or a
school organization is, competent
management The superintendent OF
a big business is selected because OF
hi, outstanding ability to successfully
manage the affairs of his organlza-
lion. Likewise the manager of a big
business, the community school su-
perintendent needs to be a recognized
educational expert. He should excel
as supervisor, executive and director
of schools.
A Unique County School Publication
Sentenced to live ten years in the
heart of Africa is the penalty i'm
posed upon citizen for filing an in
junction preventing the board of edu-
cation of his district from operating
a high school at the expense of the
taxpayers. Full details of the legal
proceedings in this fictitious case
form the subject matter for The Trail,
the 1925 high school commencement
annual of the Holmes County, Ohio,
public schools.
The plaintiff holds, in his petition
for injunction, that a high school edu-
cation causes young people to become
dissatisfied with farm life and that 1t
is waste of public funds. The de-
lendant, in his answer and cross petit
ton, denies the allegation. A large
part of the contents of the book is
made up Of the testimony, cross eX-
animation, and dispositions of wit
nesses The illustrations showing the
present graduating classes of the va
rious high schools of the county and
wi a
A survey of attachments of former
graduates of the hig hschools of the
county comprise Exhibit B. 1t is
shown that no high school graduate
of the county has ever been in prison
or in poor house and that almost
without exception they are persons of
whom the county can be proud.
The publication is interesting and
original both in the selection of it's
subject matter and in it's treatment
of the same. 1t is of educational sig
nificance because it furnishes, in its
development of trial, practical
problem in civics; and in the subject
of the controversy involved vital
theme for investigation. The produc-
ton serves as a wholesome publicity
agency to the community in present
ing convincing arguments showing
the necessity for high school train
ing.
An Important Service of Rural
Supervision
On occasions when rural super
Visors and teachers talk before par
ent-teacher associations on the work
Of the local schools they rightly refer
to the course of study and the text
hooks as greatly affecting this work.
Rural patrons begin to appreciate the
Importance of superior course of
study and suitable textbooks.
A number of recent state courses
OF study are well adapted in organiza-
tiOn and content to the needs of rural
teachers. Specialists in rural educa-
ton in state departments of educa-
ton are largely responsible for i'm
proved state courses. Some progress
nus also been made in providing bet
ter textbooks. Their quality tends
to improve rapidly wherever their Sc
lee lion is placed in competent hands. \
T EetteH certifcation laws are result
ing in professionally trained rural
teachers who have studied the state
course of study and textbooks in gen.
eral use during their preparation for
teaching. They have studied the
state course of study and textbooks
and desire to make skillful use of
them in their teaching.
Whatever their preparation or the
merits of the course of study or text
books in use, rural teachers unaided
fall far short of making intelligent
use of courses or texts. Rural SUI
pervisors help teachers to apply sug-
gestioEs in the course of study by
making careful assignments in the
texts; to connect the content of the
course of study and texts with the
experience afforded children by their
eavironn, mt; and to keep constantly
in mind he capabilities. needs and
interests of the children for whom
both course of study and textbooks
exist.