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Journal of Education

Vol. XXVII.

MADISON, WIS., AUGUST, 1897.

No. 8

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO

THE enrollment at the Wisconsin Summer JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, School, including the class in Library Sci

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THIS first institute number of the JOURNAL contains a good deal of matter relating to different phases of the institute work. We have endeavored to show the most interesting phases of institute legislation in the different states, the most significant experiments and variations of practice in various commonwealths, some peculiar institute programs, the aims and ideals of institute work, and so on. feel sure that our readers will find a good deal that is suggestive and valuable in the matter which we have brought together on this subject. In our next issue James Fennimore Cooper will be the subject of the sketch in the American literature series, and we shall couple with this some suggestive matters relating to the reading and study of novels. We have on hand interesting notes from Japan, which came too late for use this month but will appear in our next.

ence, is at this writing one hundred and thirtytwo. It is easy to arrange those in attendance into four groups: teachers, mostly from high schools, who are aiming to expand their knowledge of subjects they are called upon to present, and of pedagogy; those who are seeking help upon subjects traversed by the state examinations; those who are working towards a university degree and wish to secure credit by summer study; and those who are preparing themselves for practical library work. Experience shows that the latter group is entirely distinct. Rarely does any one coming for the library work attempt any other study. In the expansion of the school which is in contemplation for next year it is hoped that it may give a wider range to its pedagogical instruction, extend valuable aid to grade teachers such as will attract a large number of them to the school (now there are several, but there ought to be many more from all our cities), and increase also the opportunities offered to the other groups. For those who can afford but a few weeks of schooling during the year there is no better place in the northwest to get it than at this summer school.

A SCHOOL OF EDUCATION at the University of Wisconsin, the first of the kind organized in any American university, ought to appeal strongly to the educational forces of the state. Its aim is a broad one, the training not only of teachers for the higher positions of school service, but also of superintendents qualified to study, supervise and direct our larger and more important school systems. It will aim to develop not only the history and philosophy of education, but also the study of educational practice, and the most modern lines of inquiry connected with it. Prof. O'Shea is specially trained for this sort of work, having had large contact with practice schools, child study, applications of psychology to teaching, and so on. On the philosophical side Professor Jastrow will contribute work in experimental and comparative psychology and logic, Prof. Sharp in ethics and philosophy, and Professor Raymond in sociology. The school, in short, will endeavor to promote

the serious and investigative study of education, and will offer opportunities for thorough preparation for the most important positions in educational work. Its establishment must be accounted a most important step in the educational development of the state.

A LARGE gathering, one of the largest ever held by the body, was that of the N. E. A. at Milwaukee. The heat was intense, but the city was probably as cool as any place in the northwest. The exposition building afforded ample accommodations for the general meetings, but with the stage at one end of the long hall it was impossible for those in the rear to hear many of the speakers. Why was not the stage placed in the middle of one of the sides? The accommodations were generally excellent and the exercises interesting, though perhaps hardly equalling those of some former years. Of the section meetings probably that of the Herbartians commanded the largest attention. Prof. Small's vigorous attack upon the prohibition of corporal punishment in the Chicago schools awakened lively interest. The effort to work out agreement as to the foundations of moral science in a crowded hall, with the thermometer above ninety, by means of a general discussion even under the vigorous management of Prof. F. M. McMurry, was necessarily a failure-but an interesting one. department of child study indicated decided progress towards definite practical aims and scientific methods, although profound platitudes and learned laxness were by no means lacking. Many expressions of disappointment over the report on college entrance requirements and the discussion upon it came to our ears. A certain high standard has been set by the reports of the committee of ten and that of fifteen which makes it incumbent on those who attempt to follow in their footsteps to eschew all verbiage and keep closely to what is vital and practical.

The

COMPLAINTS were loud and strong at the N. E. A. over the management of the ticket business. There were three counts in the current arraignment. First, going tickets at excursion rates were not issued after Tuesday noon. This worked special hardship for Wisconsin people, some of whom could not start on Monday, and hence were obliged to pay full fare if they went at all. Many such refused to pay membership fees and register at the headquarters, and there is reason to believe that the Wisconsin enrollment was seriously diminished from this cause. Probably that from neighboring states may have been somewhat affected in the same way. In the

second place it was impossible to get return tickets until Friday noon-originally the time was fixed at Saturday morning. This looked very much like a device to hold the crowd in Milwaukee for local profit. Whatever the motive for the arrangement may have been it was exceedingly ill-considered, and resulted in much vexation, and in disagreeable crowding and many disappointments, made more unbearable by the extreme heat, when the time for issuing the tickets came. Ten thousand persons cannot be attended to at once, and an arrangement which precipitates them all together upon the ticket offices is very hard to justify. Third, all excursion tickets were made from Milwaukee and return, so that every one was compelled to return there, no matter how much extra travel and delay was involved. This is an old cause of complaint in arrangements for the N. E. A., and is rapidly destroying the excursion feature of such gatherings. Complaint was sharper this year because every one taking an excursion ticket was required to deposit his regular ticket with fifty cents for taking care of it. Doubtless a considerable sum would be realized from this charge, but what would be the state of mind of the victims? One sufferer denounced it as "a case of highway robbery."

INSTITUTE LEGISLATION IN DIFFERENT STATES.

The Wisconsin law regarding teachers' institutes is exceedingly simple. It merely enacts that each county superintendent shall organize and conduct at least one institute

each year. There is a further provision authorizing the school board of any district to give to any teacher in their employ the whole or part of the time spent in attending a county institute without deduction from his wages. This large freedom left to those in charge of the work seems to us wise, because it favors adjustment of the institutes to changing conditions, and thus promotes a natural and healthy growth. We are at liberty to adopt the best arrangements which experience and study here and in other states may suggest. The policy of many other states has been different, and we believe that a statement of some of the most important provisions of law in this matter provided in other states of the union will be interesting to our readers.

Several of the states make attendance upon the institute compulsory. California, for example, requires all teachers to attend at least one county institute each year, but where special city institutes are held the teachers of the city may substitute attendance upon this for

the county institute. Similar provisions appear in the laws of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, and Nevada. Some states go farther. Kentucky, for instance, enacts that "every teacher of a common school, including teachers of the graded common schools in cities of the fifth and sixth classes who hold a state diploma, state or county certificate, or who contemplate applying for a certificate of qualification to teach in the common schools, shall attend the full session of the institute in his home county unless he is teaching in another county in which the institute is yet to be held, or has attended the institute of a county in which he has a contract to teach. county superintendent shall revoke the certificate of any teacher who shall fail or neglect to attend the full session of the institute" except for illness or disability. Similar provisions are found in the laws of Oregon and Washington, while in Montana and Louisana teachers. who fail to attend forfeit a part of their pay. Several states compel closing of all schools in the county during the session of the institute.

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The duration of the institute is sometimes prescribed by law. Arkansas requires that they shall hold twenty days, Kansas four weeks, Colorado not less than two weeks, Georgia one week, Delaware, Oregon and Washington three days. In some states they must be held with great frequency. Indiana provides: "At least one Saturday in each month during which the public schools may be open shall be devoted to township institutes or model schools for the improvement of the teachers. The township trustee shall specify in a written contract with each teacher that such teacher shall attend the full session of each institute or forfeit one day's wages for every day's absence therefrom unless the absence is caused by sickness." The law of North Dakota contains essentially the same provision.

Sometimes the statutes undertake to define the objects and work of the institute. Arkansas enacts: "The course of study shall consist of a thorough drill in the principles of the common school branches, history and constitution of Arkansas, and such pedagogical instruction as shall fully develop the teachers' professional, general, moral and social preparation for work in the public schools, special attention being given to organization, classification, use of text books, etc." The Kentucky law provides: "At each session of the institute every subject embraced in the common school course shall be brought before the institute, illustrated and described, and every feature of school organization and school management, together with the whole work of the

teacher, shall be considered, and the common school laws of the state read and expounded." Certain states recognize two kinds of institutes. In Nebraska: "For the purpose of allowing teachers an opportunity to improve themselves in the art of teaching, two kinds of teachers' institutes shall be held in the state normal institutes, to be organized by the state superintendent, and county institutes to be organized by the county superintendents." Other states recognize the city institute, for teachers in a given city, as distinct in character from the county institute for common school teachers. In the more sparsely settled states county boundaries are disregarded and special institute districts provided. Nevada is divided into two such districts and all are required to attend, a requirement certainly likely to impose considerable hardship upon some teachers. Colorado is divided into thirteen normal institute districts. The county superintendents of a district select an executive committee of three who, with the state superintendent, determine the time and place of holding the institute. S.

IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOL SUPERVISION.

The rapid development of superintendency in our public school system is a marked feature of its history. State superintendency may be said to have begun with Horace Mann in Massachusetts in 1837. There had been efforts at supervision previous to this, as in New York under Governor Clinton, but they had proved failures. Mr. Mann brought vigor and intelligence to his task, made himself a power for good in reforming the public schools, and thus revealed the value and possibilities of the superintendency. The first city superintendent was elected in the same year in Buffalo. The first county superintendents were elected in New York four years later. Thus it may be said that the office of school superintendent is yet hardly sixty years old. It has, however, rapidly extended, and is still expanding: in Massachusetts, for example, by the development of joint superintendency, by which two or three towns not large enough to employ a supervisor for each, unite in employing one for the group, who divides his time between them. This has worked so well in practice that, according to the last report of the state superintendent (secretary), ninetyone per cent. of the schools of the state are under supervision, and 93.8 per cent. of the pupils. The secretary now urges legislation which shall make compulsory what has become so nearly universal voluntarily.

In Wisconsin a move of much importance toward the improvement of the superintendency was made by the establishment of the county superintendent's certificate, and the requirement of minimum educational qualifications for holding the office. The list of city superintendents who devote their whole time. to supervision is steadily growing in length. There seems no good reason why the Massachusetts plan should not find favor with us; indeed we look for its initiation before very long. And when it comes we shall recognize its superiority over the election of a doctor, or lawyer, or man engaged in business, to the perfunctory position of superintendent; or the equally unsatisfactory plan of making the busy principal of a high school assume this nominal position. On either of these plans the position can be little more than nominal, inasmuch as such an official brings little special fitness to his task, and has very little time or energy to devote to it.

The superintendent then ought to be an expert, who brings special skill to his tasks and devotes his time and energy to them, as the experts in a large manufacturing plant do to theirs. Supervision is different from teaching, involves a line of duties complex and distinct from those of the teacher. The superintendent must be a good judge of teaching, and many excellent teachers are wholly incompetent to judge the teaching of others. He ought to be an intelligent student of schools, who understands the philosophy of education and its application to the practical problems of the schools, who is familiar in a large way with other systems of education and with the history of educational thot, who can recognize the problems deserving study which present themselves in the schools under his charge and devise satisfactory methods of working towards a' solution of them. One who has to look over school reports will be impressed with their formal character. They are cast, as it were, in one mold. Certain statistics are gathered, certain familiar conclusions are drawn from them, certain formal recommendations are made, certain complimentary things are said. There is not in them the insight, intelligent investigation, fruitful suggestions of genuine expert work. Problems enough there are in all schools, but not every one can see and Meantime the schools move formulate them.

on in a routine fashion. They suffer from want of intelligent guidance, they lack inspiration, unity of aim, devotion to high ideals. The early superintendents had to devote themselves to the material problems of organization, management, reports, etc.; the modern must de

velop the efficiency of the schools as means of training the young for life. His duties require wider knowledge, greater penetration, a larger capacity to study things and to think independently and prudently.

Our schools urgently need trained superintendents, as well as trained teachers, trained not only in the historical and philosophical principles underlying supervision, but also in the processes of investigation, in the art of judging and of applying principles and insights to the actual work of public education. We have done much for the training of teachers: it is now time to devote thought and effort to the preparation of skilled supervisors who are to occupy the commanding positions in the work of public education.

THE MONTH.

WISCONSIN NEWS AND NOTES.

S.

-Stevens Point high school graduated a class of sixteen, all but two of whom are ladies.

-In Dunn county three summer schools are in progress-at Downing, Colfax and Downsville.

-A. B. O'Neill and F. C. Howard conduct a summer school for five weeks, beginning July 5th, at Fond du Lac.

-Examinations for Teachers' State certificates occur at Madison, in the high school assembly room, August 10th, 11th, 12th.

-A five weeks summer school at Phillips, Price county, opened July 12th under the direction of E. C. Gotham and F. C. Wells.

-In Taylor county Principals J. H. Francis and John Bushey conduct a six weeks' summer school at Medford, beginning July 5th.

-A. S. Kingsford, who graduated at the university this summer, is conducting a five weeks' summer school at Monroe, Green county.

-Principals E. T. Johnson, L. S. Keeley and M. A. Bussewitz hold a summer school for Dodge county at Horicon, July 12th to August 13th.

-A. O. Wright's text book on the United States Constitution has been adopted for the State of Kansas, with a text on the Kansas Constitution written by Prof. W. D. Kuhn, of Campbell University.

-The Lodi high school graduated this summer a class of fifteen, of whom nine were boys.

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There were twenty-four tuition pupils in the school, which has outgrown its accommodations. The board has commenced the erection of an addition to the building to cost $5,000. Prin. R. E. Loveland has completed four years of service in the school.

-A list of institute conductors approved by the committee on teachers' institutes, as provided by law, is issued from the state superintendent's office. Besides the seven "regular conductors," one from each normal school, this list shows 151 persons authorized to conduct institutes in this state.

-In La Crosse county the regular county institute is, as it were, incorporated into a summer school, which holds three weeks after the close of the institute. The conductors are Prof. Watson of Whitewater, Principal C. E. Slothower of West Salem, Mr. C. M. Newton and Supt. C. E. Lamb. The institute begins August 2d.

-We note with sincere regret that Prof. C. H. Sylvester has been compelled by continued ill health to resign his position as institute conductor in the Stevens Point normal school. The board of regents have elected in his place Prin. J. W. Livingstone, of Sparta. He is so well known as an institute conductor in Wisconsin that the appointment will be at once accepted as the best that could be made.

-The superintendent of Bayfield county, Miss Jessie N. Smith, writes: "About two-thirds of our teachers are not residents of this county, hence we have our institute after they have begun work. It is the only way we can get all the teachers together and in touch with the county spirit. As the means of travel are poor many of the teachers cannot attend the _county associations.'

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-Sixty-three institutes are provided in the state list this year, forty-nine of which occur in August, six in July, three in September, three in October, and two in November. Thus August is clearly the institute month in Wisconsin. The largest number beginning on the same day is sixteen which open August 16th. Most of them continue five days, six hold ten days, four three days, and six two days.

-E. D. Smith, of Menasha, has just given to his city a tract of land for a public park worth $25,000 and also $25,000 in cash for a public library. The park is on Doty's Island, which lies between the business portions of Neenah and Menasha and belongs partly to each city. The park is thus so situated that it is equally valuable to both cities. Smith is a public spirited citizen who has made

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his money in manufacturing in Menasha, and now uses a part of his wealth for the public good of that and its twin city, Neenah. His example ought to be contagious.

-The great changes which the Platteville normal school undergoes this year in its faculty and policy makes the catalogue less interesting than that of the other schools. It is of different form, without illustrations, save the long time standing cut of the building, and contains 116 pages. This is the oldest of the schools, the first class having graduated in 1869, and its calendar is therefore a long one, showing 426 graduates.

-The total enrollment of the Oshkosh normal school the past year was 910, with sixty-one additional in the preparatory academy, which, it will be remembered, is a private institution. The total enrollment in the normal course was 662. The catalogue of so

large a school is necessarily somewhat bulky,containing 112 pages, with many interesting pictures of the building, rooms and work of the school. The departments of instruction for the normal classes are fully and intelligently set forth in this, and with a change from year to year which shows the progress of the school and its adaptation to the growing ideals of normal instruction.

-The following settlements of normalites graduates of the university have come to our knowledge-Miss Rose M. Cheney, a River Falls normal graduate who received a diploma at the last commencement of the state university, has been appointed to a position in the Platteville normal school. Miss Hattie L. Goetsch, Milwaukee normal and class of '97 in the university, has accepted a position as teacher of German in the Manitowoc high school. Miss Florence M. Averill, of the Whitewater normal and of '97 U. W., becomes teacher of Germaninthe Chilton high school. Miss Maud M. Averill, of the Whitewater normal and class of '97, is to teach mathematics. in the Platteville normal school.

-The Whitewater normal school shows a total enrollment for the year of 484, of whom 340 are in the normal room. The school has wholly outgrown its accommodations, and this summer extensive additions to the building are in process of construction. These will enlarge the assembly room, give additional library room and class rooms, and greatly improve the appearance of the building from the street. The catalogue has seventy-two pages and follows closely a style and arrangement which have prevailed for some fourteen years. The most noteworthy change is the addition

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