Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1949-04-02

part toward the accomplishment
Of this goal for better teach
ers. / commend you for what YOU
! have done. For instance, un-
derstand that during the past
four summers more than 1000
of You have attended workshops
conducted by the School Health
Division of the State Department
of Education and the State
Board Of Health. The informa-
ton you have received in this
project alone should be far reach
ing in the teaching of better
sanitary conditions and health
education to Negro children
throughout the state of Mississ-
! ippi. This is just one illustra-
ton of what many of you are
doing to prepare yourselves for
better service. Many others of
you have shown the same spirit
of progress and desire for
/ Improvement by attending sum-
mer school or by taking extern
sion courses or by some other
means of advancement. This is
the right spirit - the shirt
that will help in getting teach
ers and in really earning and
obtaining better salaries, and in
producing better educated pu-
pills in your classrooms. Even
though this is only one phase
of the whole school program.
it certainly is an important part
/ of the program and one which
you can readily see REQUIRES
time in its fulfillment.
However, along with better
trained teacher, We need better
organized school districts. Much
study is being given at this time
to the matter of establishing
school districts which will meet
the needs of the local commun-
ity and which will permit better
attendance and better instruc-
ton.
Along with this re-organiza-
ton of the school districts will
go more and better school build
ings. School buildings should be
planned and located only after
careful study and after it has
been determined whae plans and
locations shall best serve the
needs of all concernet. Right
mere, let me commend you for
the splendid response in many
communities where you have
taken advantage of the money
offered by the state and. have
raised funds for matching the
state grant, thus enabling those
communities to erect satisfac-
tory school plants. For instance.
you will find beautiful and SER
/ vlceable new Negro school
buildings at Yazoo City, Leland,
New Albany, Philadelphia. Lau-
rel, Biloxi, and many other pla-
les over the state. This is only
a beginning, and we shall do even
better in the furtore.
Along with better feathers.
better distrirts, and better
plants, we shall need more trans
poration and more Institutional
equipment. Again, I say. that
these things must be done as a
long-range program and we
are now on our way.
To emphasize the fact that we
are on our way, I want to en-
umerate a few things done for
you by last session of the Legis.
lature in 1913:
l. An increase of $1,000 900 a
year for teachers salaries in
which you are participating.
2. An increase of $4,000 900
for institutions of higher learn
ing, a good part of which goes
to Jackson College and Alcorn
College.
3. An increase of $25O,OOO for
vocational education which is
allotted for training Negro yo-
cational students on the same
basis as White students. Last
year 1861 Negro students were
enrolled in vocational education
classes.
4. An increase of $4,000 for
county agricultural high schools
of which you have seven in the
State.
3. An appropriation of $4,000
600 for school buildings for
White and Negro.
6. Re-appropriation of funds
for the establishment of the New