Evening star. [volume], February 23, 1926, Page 4, Image 4

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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4
DEANS OF WOMEN
NOLO 5 MEETINGS
Problems of High School and
College Coirrses for Girls
Discussed.
The department of deans of worn
•n. National Education Association,
held five meetings this morning and
afternoon at the Ward man Park Hp
tel and heard addresses from more
than 1& educators.
The morning session was divided
Into four sections—university, college,
normal school and teachers' college
and high school, while the afternoon
gathering was given over to general
business.
Speaking on the subject "The High
School Dean—Her Varied Oppor
tunity for Service.” Miss Margaret
M. Alltucker, assistant director, re
search division of the National Edu
cation Association, likened the daily
schedule of classes in any one of the
great cosmopolitan high schools to
“a great educational cafeteria with
Bo many educational viands set forth
that the incoming freshman needs
guidance in the selection of a well
balanced menu.”
Uses No Text Book.
The dean, declared Miss Alltueker,
uses no text book, "but her teaching
Is the most difficult of all the lessons
taught in our high schools and col
leges—namely, the development of
right attitudes and ideals.
“Business houses iind it profitable
to employ directors of personnel to
meet the Individual problems of their
employes. If grown men and women
need such assistance, how much more
do high school boys and girls need
guidance and the help that comes
from knowing that some one is per
sonally interested In them, and that
this person's specific Job is helping
Individual students solve their par
ticular problems." Miss Alltueker s
address was before the high school
section.
To ascertain "the aspiration of th©
Candida'© toward th© Intellectual
life, his concern for spiritual values,”
was Bet forth as the chief aim of the
personal interview me.hod of select
ing candidates for college by Dean
Raymond Walters of Swarthmore Col
lege before the college section. An
other aim was given as finding out
"how well the candidate knows what
he knows best.”
Dean Waiters said his study of reg
istration s.atistics has shown that
collegia'e attendance has Increased 18
per cent in the past five years. In
the problem of determining what can
didates to admit out of the grea
number who apply, the method of the
personal interview is valuable for the
small college and for the professional
schools of the large universities. At
Swarthmore. he added, where there
are four to six times as many appli
cants as can be accepted, the inter
viewing by faculty members of those
having excellent school records has
proved effective.
Training of Women.
Too many women are assuming or
being forced Into public positions for
which they are utterly unfitted by any
previous training, Miss Laura H. Car
nell. Temple University, Philadelphia,
told the university section. "It seems
peculiarly important,” she declared,
"that Just now many young women
Should take such courses as will pre
pare them for a clear understanding of
the world’s problems, ’so that when
they assume positions of leadership they
shall i»e prepared for them. Whether
we are to Bend women forth as trained
leaders from our colleges or not, de
pends not so much upon the subject
matter taught as on the way we
teach our students to approach and
handle subject matter, as to whether
we are giving them a chance to think
for themselves."
"Recent scholarly Investigations In
to the failure of higher education to
check the crime waves of the present
day show that educators have begun
to appreciate the importance of a bal
anced development in the human be
ing," Harriet Sartaln, dean of the
Philadelphia School of Design for
Women, declared before the afternoon
■e salon.
Dean Sartaln said: "Definite train
ing in the appreciation of beauty, if
It is to function properly in the ad
vancement of human happiness, must
be considered as a vital part in the
normal training of a child and not re
served for the talented few, or con
sidered merely as an accomplishment
for leisure hours/'
SCHOOL VENTILATION
CHANGE ADVOCATED
Tale Expert Wants Artificial Sys
tems Abandoned for Natural
Method.
Abandonment of mechanical sys
tems of ventilation in classrooms and
admitting fresh air by the windows
over deflectors which control drafts
was recommended to the National
Council of Education, meeting this
afternoon in the Hotel Powhatan, by
C. E. A. Winslow of the Yale School
of Medicine and chairman of the New
York State Commission of Ventila
tion.
Mr. Winslow declared it is "quite
generally agreed that the fan systems
of mechanical ventilations now re
quired by law in many cities often fail
to attain satisfactory ideal."
Mr. Winslow’s plan, lie said, hits
been approved by the American Pub
lio Health Association and has been
given a thorough test by the New
York State Commission on Ventila
tion.
E. S. Evenden. professor of educa
tion, Teachers' College, Columbia Uni
versity, declared "the public must de
cide whether it wishes the teachers in
its elementary schools to have two or
four years of training above the com
pletion of the high school."
F. B. O’Rear of the State Teachers’
College. Springfield, Mo., stated that
registrars in schools for training
teachers now are performing nearly
all types of administrative duties
other than those of president."
Thomas D. Wood, Columbia Univer
sity, reported for the Joint committee
on health problems In education and
other addresses were given by Ed
mund Prince Fowler. New York fctty;
Mary McSkimmon, president, National
Education Association. Brookline,
Mass.; Evelyn C. Schmidt, American
Dental Association. Chicago: John A.
Hoeveler, New York City, and Charles
McKenny, president. State Teachers’
College, Ypsilanti, Mich.
BARON BYNG IS SILENT.
Has Not Stated Whether He Will
Serve Again as Canada’s Governor.
LONDON, February 23 (^).—Baron
Byng of Vimy has not yet notified the
British government whether he will
accept an invitation, already extended
to him, to serve another term as Gov
ernor General of Canada, but It is un
derstood that in the event of his re
fusal Earl Beatty will be prominent
among the candidates.
While the Duke of York, King
George’s second son, is being consid
ered, it is said to be unlikely that he
will serve at this time.
“WHO’S WHO” OF N. E. A. REVEALS
WOMEN HOLD IMPORTANT POSTS
Miss Mary McSkimmon, President, Has Remarkable
Record in Education; Thumb-Nail Sketches
of Other Leaders Given,
BY ALICE ROGERS HAGER.
The span of 1925-1926 is "woman’s
year" in the councils of the N. E. A.
It is only recently that the plan of
alternating the presidency of the asso
soclation between
the man and the j _
woman members I
was adopted, but i
it already has 1
proved Itself a
position presi
teachers is no
small matter. Miss S.
the In- <%
rumbent, draws cj*:
her delegates from
local groups in
every State in
the Union, from Mira McSklmmos.
Alaska, from the
Canal Zone, from Guam, Hawaii, the
Philippines, Porto Rico, from the
Virgin Islands. And this year there
are 171 members listed as “foreign.”
No small Job! •
Miss McSkimmon is remarkable for
many qualities of mind and executive
ability, but the thing her associates
best like to tell about is her real and
unswerving devotion to the welfare of
the child itself. Through her many
years of teaching exi>erienee, with all
the honors that have come to her and
with all the arduous duties attendant
upon them, she has kept her direct
contact with the children in her own
school and her classwork with them.
For 25 years she has been principal of
the Pierce Grammar School in Brook
line, Mass., and it was here in 1895
that she helped inaugurate the Brook
line Education Society, one of the
e&rlelst parent-teacher organizations
in the United States. Her great aim
in life, as she says, was in "helping
other teachers to see. I felt that doing
my own job successfully was the best
way to accomplish that.”
Headed State Teachers.
Miss McSkimmon has held many
positions of responsibility before com
ing to her present one. For five years,
the full legal term, she was at the
head of the Massachusetts State Teach
ers. She has studied continuously;
has lectured at Wellesley, at Boston
University, and at the Normal schools
near her home. She has published
numerous magazine articles, and is
the co-author of "Citizenship and Pa
triotism.” This past year, in her of
ficial capacity, she has traveled all
over the country, lecturing and study
ing problems at first hand.
Next to Miss McSkimmon on the
roster of officers stands the name of
J. W. Crabtreee, executive secretary
since 1917 of the National Education
Association. Mr. Crabtree came to
Washington from the Middle West,
having been born in Ohio; getting his
M. A. from the University of Nebraska
in 1908; and weaving in and around
the various stages of his work as a
student his own teaching. He has
been a city superintendent of schools,
a high school principal, Instructor at
his own university, State high school
Inspector, President of the Peru State
Normal and the one In River Falls,
Wis.; State superintendedt for Ne
braska, president of the Nebraska
State Teachers' Association, member
of the National Council of Education
and the National Academy of Science.
And with all this, he has found time
for the writing of many books, pam
phlets and reports. He has been a great
organizer, and it is to his skillful and
continuous guidance that the astonish
ing growth of the National Education
Association from a membership of
only 8,557 in 1918 to nearly 160,000 in
1926 Is largely due.
Turning to the board of trustees, we
find the name of Carroll G. Pearse, an
other pioneer. Mr. Pearse is one of the
men who gives the exponents of the
theory of teaching being fit “only for
women and he-ladies" the lie direct.
Judging by his general bigness and the
amount he has accomplished in the
short lifetime so far, Mr. Pearse
should be able to hold his own in any
sort of an argument. He is the type
of person who chooses teaching be
cause he loves it and recognizes it as
probably the most vital profession out
of many that are indispensable. Ac
cording to “Who's Who,” he has been
a city school superintendent In Omaha,
Nebr., and In Milwaukee; a lecturer
and Instructor in normal schools In
Nebraska, Dakota, Montana. Michi
gan. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and
elsewhere, and president of the Mil
waukee State Normal from 1913 until
1922, when he joined forces with a
large publishing house in Chicago. He
was one of the group Instrumental in
bringing the N. E. A. from Ann Arbor
to Washington in 1917. He was its
president in 1912.
Miss Williams Notable.
Another past president is Miss Chari
Ormand Williams, formerly superin
tendent of schools in Shelby County,
Tenn., which Includes Memphis. Her
realization of the
needs of her
§ schools sent her
into politics, and
through her de
voted efforts
much favorable
legislation wq.s
secured in her
State, including a
large Increase in
education there.
In 1920, she was
sent to the Demo
cratic convention
in San Francisco
' tional committee
MISS WILLIAMS. woman In either
party. She was
later a vice chairman of the national
Democratic committee. Her great
work for suffrage climaxed in her
chairmanship of the Tennessee ratifi
cation committee, which swung that
State into line on the nineteenth
amendment, and in her office here
hangs the only original State docu
ment outside of the State archives, a
duplicate of the ratifying order, sign
ed by the governor and presented to
her by bin*- At present. Miss Wil
liams is the first woman to act as
field secretary for the N. E. A., hav
ing been appointed in 1923. In addi
tion to this, she has been in charge
of the education bill for the past three
and a half years, as chairman of the
subcommittee of the woman’s Joint
congressional committee. This is the
bill that would co-ordinate the educa
tional activities of The Federal Gov
ernment under a. department of edu
cation. with a secretary at its head
who would be a member of the cab
inet. Miss Williams has recently had
the honorary degree of doctor of
literature conferred upon her by
Southwestern at Memphis.
Joy Elmer Morgan, director of thb
division of publications and editor of
the Journal, also halls from Nebras
ka. having taken his degree at the
State university there, and another
from th© State Library School In 1920.
He turned his hand to teaching for
awhile, and was superintendent of
schools In Bloomington, Nebr., and In
Guide Rock; 1917-1918 saw . him at
Camp MacArthur as camp librarian,
and from there, in 1919, he was called
to Washington to be assistant to the
acting director of the Library War
Service. In 1920 he was made editor
of the Journal, and in 1921 added to
this a contributing editorship on the
staff of the Child Welfare Magazine.
He baa done much writing for gen*
THE EVENiyg STAB. WASHUTOTON, D. C.. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23. 1926.
eral and educational periodicals other
than his own, and haa been co-editor
of a book, "Selected Articles on Mu
nicipal Ownership,” and editor of an
other, "Selected Articles on Free Trade
and Protection.” During the school
year of 1923-1924 the publications of
the N. E. A., under his guidance, ex
ceeded 108,000,000 pages.
The first classroom teacher to be
appointed directly from that position I
to the executive
staff of the aaso- ■ i "————a j
elation Is Miss Ag- V
service. Miss Winn !
the*Seattle
Teachers’Club and uis»e ao.nw WYNN
she has been re
peatedly on the programs at national
conferences.
In her work now she assists local
associations in the planning of their
annual programs; stimulates interest
in the National’s projects and i
answers the many and varied ques
tions that come in from teachers all
over the country. She is first vice
president of the Washington Sorop
timists and recording secretary of
the League of American Pen Women,
District branch, which means, of
course, that she is a writer as well
as an educator. And she is also
a member of the woman’s Joint con
gressional committee.
Has Imposing Title.
Back of the present convention,
managing its Intricate and volumi
nous details, stands Sherwood Dodge
Shankland. with the impressive title
of administrative service and secre
tary of the department of superin
tendence. If the delegates who come
to comfortable hotel rooms by the
thousands in an already well filled
city; who find their numerous meet
ings at the places allocated at the
time set; who find exhibit after ex
hibit waiting for them, and the mass
of business detail running with a
smoothness and precision that makes
them seem negligible, would sit
down and do a little calculating, they
would have some Idea of the prepa
ration made for them. And Mr.
Shankland has been doing this since
1923. Before that he had been a
teacher, too. having first taken de
grees at Western Reserve and Teach
ers' College, at Columbia. He was
superintendent of schools at Wil
loughby, Ohio, from 1896 until 1900;
general manager of the Andrews' In
stitute for Girls from 1909 till 1922,
with a break back In 1906 (that lasted
until 1911) as member of the Ohio
House of Representatives. And he
was a trustee of the Ohio State Nor
mal College until he resigned to come
to Washington with the department
of superintendence.
CUES ADVAM
OF CONSOLIDATEDS
Minnesota Educator Declares
Plan Is Better Than Old
Rural School Idea.
An Indorsement of consolidated
schools and a plea for specially trained
teachers for the rural schools, were
made today by George A. Selke of the
University of Minnesota and Vera M.
Telfer, helping teacher, Belvidere, N.
J., before the depaxtment of rural edu
cation, State supervisors of rural
schools section, at a meeting in the
Interior Department Auditorium.
"Consolidated schools perform serv
ices that will otherwise not be ac
complished.” said Mr. Selke. “These
services are usually providing a bet
ter education than can be given by
the one-teacher schools which are dis
placed, offering rural children educa
tional opportunities comparable to
those urban children have, or having
educational Institutions that better
serve the enlarged rural community
of the present day.
Arguments Are Answered.
"We have passed from the propa
ganda period of consolidation to that
of evaluation. A mere statement of
the advantages of the centralized
school no longer passes unchallenged.
To the arguments that the consoli
dated school means better teachers,
longer terms, better attendance, trans
portation of pupils, Improved physical
conditions and the like, there Is the
contention that such a comparison Is
between a good consolidated school
and a poor one-teacher school. Poor
teachers, short terms, lack of trans
portation, irregular attendance, harm
ful physical conditions, and the like,
while more common among one
teacher schools, are not Inherent in
them.”
Miss Telfer said any one who has
really taught in a one-teacher school
knows what a difficult, complex Job
It Is—the most difficult in the whole
educational system. The teacher has
the responsibility of making good
citizens of from 5 to 50 boys and girls,
varying in size, intelligence and dis
position, ranging in aero from 5 to 15
or 16 years. She is expected to teach
everything from first grade to eighth
grade. She must be her own princi
pal, janitor, nurse, librarian, physi
cal training director—everything, in
fact. Quite a big Job for one person.
Cites Supervisors’ Duties.
"Because of the complexity of the
position to be filled, great care should
be taken In the selection of the
! teachers,” Miss M. Theresa Wledefeld.
i assistant State supervisor of ele
-1 mentary schools of Maryland, said.
I “The supervisor, as a teacher of
teachers, must consider the following-
I Problems of the group, and of the
Individual teachers and ways and
means of solving these problems. She
needs to know how to determine the
main objectives for the year and how
to plan procedures in the light of the
objectives. She must know how to
present new material to the teachers
how to drill teachers in principles and
procedures which need to be auto
matic, and how to help teachers apply
principles to their own situations.”
Missing Man Found in Hospital
Anxious to locate William P. Nolin,
resident of Manchester, N. H., a per
sonal friend, Representative Wasson
of New Hampshire, appealed to the
police to make an effort to find him.
It was known that Nolin had cut his
hand while working on his automobile
on the way here from Florida and had
gone to a hospital. Relatives were un
able to locate him, however, and had
Mr. Wasson appeal to the police. The
sick man was located In Georgetown
University Hospital.
EMPHASIZES VALUE'
OF KINDERGARTEN
Teacher Says Child Can Be
Studied Best in Its Pri
mary Years.
Asserting there was a time in the
history of education In this country
when research and constructive think
ing were left to specialists or to per
sona In authority over teachers, Julia
L. Hahn, supervisor of kindergarten
and primary grades, San Francisco
public schools, told a meeting of the
National Council of Kindergarten Su
pervisors at the Mayflower Hotel this
afternoon that “it Is now generally
recognized that the many problems of
modern education must be solved in
the classrooms."
Miss Hahn was followed by F. J.
Kelly, dean of administration. Univer
sity of Minnesota, who declared: “A
child may not be allowed to go along
without playmates and without prac
tice in overcoming his selfish habits
without risking the possibilities of
ever developing his altruism.
“This tendency can be more effec
tively overcome in the kindergarten
and primary years than at any other
time," said Mr. Kelly. “Men are Just
learning the lesson of co-operation by
finding ways of dining together In
dining clubs, playing together in golf
clubs and In other ways learning to
know one another as men rather than
as business rivals.”
The meeting also was addressed by
W. W. Charters. University of Chi
cago. and Zenos E. Scott, superintend
ent of schools, Springfield, Mass.
SPEAKER STRESSES
NEED OF RESEARCH
Says Universities Should
Turn Searchlight on
Own Activities.
"Although the universities have al
ways been the home of research, they
have been exceedingly slow to turn
the searchlight of research upon
themselves,” F. J. Kelly, dean of ad
ministration of the University of Min
nesota, declared this afternoon in an
address before the National Society
of College Teachers of Education,
meeting In Corcoran Hall.
Mr Kelly said: “Standards of meas
urement have been devised to check
up the work of the elementary
schools, and to some extent the high
schools, but to almost no extent have
these things been applied to college.
No unit of the educational system is
more In need of research concerning
its own organization, administration
and methods of teaching than Is the
college.
Falls Under Three Heads.
"Noted research falls under three
distinct heads. We need research to
determine the values of the activities
engaged In by students ouside of the
classroom. It Is charged that stu
dents get credits In their classroom,
but get their education outside. We
need to have some method of deter
mining the extent of truth of such a
statement. We need measures of
achievement.
“These are along the line* of
psychological and sociological Investi
gations. in which alms are defined and
measures of achievement in terms of
those alms worked out. Almost noth
ing has been done so far to determine
such measures. We need research in
the financial administration of higher
education. We need studies of cost
analysis, such as the one made by
Mr. Stevens of the University of
Washington and Mr. Elliot of Purdue
University.”
Fundamental Studies Topic.
Charles H. Judd of the University
of Chicago made a plea for funda
mental studies which he described as
being “necessary to find out the kind
of conscious processes that are In
duced in pupils by arithmetic, read
ing, handwriting and the other school
subjects.”
Thoms H. Briggs of the Teachers’
College, Columbia University, New
York City, declared the primary need i
In secondary education Is for an ac- j
ceptable philosophy rather than for j
research. 8. A.’Courtis, University of ;
Michigan: Ernest Horn, University of
lowa, and Fletcher H. Swift, Univer
sity of California, also spoke.
DECLARESTEACHING
IS GREATEST ASSET
Costly Plant Does Not Make School,
Maryland Supervisor
Says.
“The finest thing any school can
show is not palatial buildings, or
enormous enrollment, or park-llke
grounds, or costly equipment, but
good teaching,” Samuel M. North,
State supervisor of high schools. Bal
timore, Md.. declared in an address
today before the National Association
of High School Inspectors and Super
visors, meeting in the National Hotel.
“High school Instruction needs su
pervision at least as effective as the
supervision of elementary school in
struction,” he added. "It is a matter
of common knowledge that the ele
mentary school method Is far superior
to high school teaching procedure.
Elementary school teachers have had
normal school training, including prac
tice teaching, for several generations:
high school teachers have had train
ing In general and special methods
for barely one generation, but with
practically no opportunity for prac
tice teaching.”
Joseph S. Stewart, professor of
secondary education, University of
Georgia, said the rural child today is
not satisfied with a common school
education and “this Is a just demand,
and the State should provide the
opportunity.”
J. T. Giles, State high school super
visor of Wisconsin, also spoke.
NEBRASK/T“BREAKFAST”
Educators Arrange Affair at Wil
lard Tomorrow for Native Sons.
Nebraska educators in. attendance
at the National Education Convention
will give a breakfast at the New Wil
lard Hotel tomorrow morning at 7:45
o’clock. A large number of reserva
tions have already been made. Includ
ing the 80 delegates from Nebraska.
The Nebraska Club of this city also
will supply an additional number to
those who have registered already.
All local Nebraskans and former Ne
braskans In the city are invited.
Reservations should be made with
E. M. Hoeman, secretary of the Ne
braska State Teachers’ Association,
Room 210, Raleigh Hotel. M. C. Lef
ler, superintendent of schools at Lin
coln, will preside. Nebraska Senators
«od Representatives are expected.
URGES SUPPORT
OF RURAL SCHOOLS
Speaker Discusses Duty of
State Toward All Phases
of Education.
The outstanding need of rural edu
cation is a crystal-clear recognition
of the fact that the State Is an entity,
and that every one of Us parts has an
equity In and a fundamental respon
sibility for all phases of education
that fcave to do with the rural com
munities, Francis B. Haas, State su
perintendent of public instruction,
Harrisburg, told a meeting of the De
partment of Rural Education of the
National Education Association In the
auditorium of the Interior Depart
ment this afternoon.
State Program Stressed.
“The Btate program,” he explained,
“must be developed so that the Inter
dependence of the various parts will
be defined in terms of mutual Inter
ests, obligations and responsibilities,
and the so-called rural program
must be clearly visioned as an Inte
gral part of the State program.
“As part of such a State program
the rural program must challenge the
Imagination and deserve the support
not only of the rural community, but
of the urban community as well. The
various types of communities have
failed to realize that an Important
part of their own program is a clear
understanding of its relative value to
tlie general educational policy of the
State.
Types of Community Life.
“The Interdependence of the vari
ous types of community life that go
to make up a State must be clearly
recognized In developing a modern
educational program, and such a pro
gram from the very outset must real
ize that unequal opportunity for any
part means undesirable results for
every other part.
"A program will be sound and work
able In direct proportion as it results
from co-operative effort upon the part
of thoee having an equity in the re
sult.
“The program of education must be
professionally sound, financially feasi
ble, administratively workable and
possible of Interpretation to its bene
ficiaries.”
Orville G. Brim, professor of educa
tion, Ohio State University, and W.
L. Spencer, director of secondary edu
cation, State department of education,
Montgomery, Ala., also addressed the
meeting.
TALKSOFNEW TYPE
OF HONOR SOCIETY
C. C. Peters of Ohio Wesleyan
Discusses Methods in
School Discipline.
That colleges cater to their brighter
students rather than to their duller
ones “is the customary supposition,”
\C. C. Peters of Ohio Wesleyan Uni
versity, Delaware, Ohio, said in an ad
dress today before the Educational Re
search Association of the National
Education Association, meeting in
Corcoran Hall, George Washington
University.
“A knowledge of accomplishment
quotients in college and high schools
would be valuable.” Mr. Peters ex
plained. "in all cases of discipline that
turn at all upon the question of faith
fulness or unfaithfulness to college
duties; In deciding the number of ex
tra-curricular activities permitted or
advised for particular students; in de
ciding the amount of extra work stu
dents should be permitted to carry; in
vocational or educational counseling:
in deciding the question of the ad
visability of readmitting students to
college; in passing upon doubtful cases
for graduation; in deciding who should
be excluded from fraternities; In
determining eligibility for participat
ing In Interschool contests; In stimulat
ing competition in scholarship between
fraternities; in appealing to students
for increased effort, the appeal being to
reach a high attainment in relation to
ability; In setting, up a new type of
honor society based upon what stu
dents achieve in terms of their abilities
to achieve, which society would be
open alike to all who would try no
matter whether born long or short In
native endowment.”
Frederick Whitney, director of Edu
cational Research, Colorado State
Teachers’ College. Greeley, Colo., told
the meeting a decreasing number of
students in the States teachers 'colleges
are coming from families In the farm
and labor class and more from families
of business, the professions and other
like occupations.
BALLOUHEADING UNIT
OF N. E. A. CONVENTION
Presides Over Superintendence De
partment, at Same Time Celebrat
ing Birth Anniversary.
Dr. Frank Washington Ballou, pres
ident of the department of superin
tendence and superintendent of the
Washington school system, yesterday
celebrated his 47th birthday anniver
sary by presiding over the opening
sessions of the 66th annual meeting of
the department in sessions at the
Washington Auditorium.
Dr. Ballou was born on Washing
ton’s birthday at Fort Jackson, N. Y.,
in 1879. He has been superintendent
of schools here since 1920.
A luncheon was given in honor of
Dr. Ballou by the Education Associa
tion of the District of Columbia. Harry
English, president, at the Mayflower
Hotel yesterday afternoon.
SESSION ON NEAR EAST.
Teachers to Discuss Work in
Greece, Armenia, Syria Tomorrow.
Educational work In Greece, Arme
nia and Syria will be discussed ut a
breakfast conference of about 60
school superintendents at the Pow
hatan Hotel tomorrow morning at
7:30 o'clock with Senator King of
Utah, who has recently returned from
the Near East, and Allen W. Dulles,
chief of the division of Near Eastern
affairs of the State Department, as the
principal speakers.
John R. Vorls, who has had charge
of improving school work among or
phans in the care of the Near East
Relief, will speak on that subject. The
general discussion will be led by Ran
dall J. Condon, .superintendent of
schools of Cincinnati: William M. Da
vidson. superintendent of schools of
Pittsburgh, and Augustus O. Thomas.
Minister Simopoulous of Greece will
represent the department of educa
tion of his government, which has
sent out a call for 3.000 teachers as a
step in building up the school system
■of that country.
TOMORROW’S N. E. A. PROGRAM
7:80 a.m.—Committee on Standards and Training for Principals of the
Department of Elementary School Principals, Washington
Hotel.
7:80 a.m.—Near East Relief Breakfast. Powhatan Hotel.
7:30 a.m.—Nebraska Breakfast, New Willard Hotel.
7:45 a.m.—National Council of Administrative Women in Education
Breakfast, Raleigh Hotel.
8:00 am.—Arizona Delegation Breakfast, Raleigh Hotel.
8:45 a.m.—Department of Superintendence, Oeneral Session, Washing
ton Auditorium.
8:00 a.m.—National Council of Teachers’ Retirement .Systems, Metro
politan Hotel. ,
9:16 a.m.—Committee on the Teaching of Co-operative Marketing In
the Public Schools of the Department of Rural Education,
Boardroom, American Red Cross Building.
9:80 a.m.—National Association of Secondary School Principals, In
stallation of Chapter of the National Honor Society, Audi
torium, Central High School.
11:00 a.m.—National Council of Primary Education, Business Meeting,
Chinese Room, Mayflower Hotel.
12:00 m. Rotarlans In Education, New Willard Hotel.
12:30 p.m.—Dartmouth College Luncheon, Hamilton Hotel.
12:30 p.m.—Lions Club Luncheon, Mayflower Hotel.
12:30 p.m.—Joint Luncheon of National Council of Primary Education
and National Conference on Educational Method, Mayflower
Hotel.
1.30 p.m.—Department of Elementary School Principals, Washington
Auditorium.
2:00 p.m.—Department of Classroom Teachers, Gold Room, Hotel La
Fayette.
2:00 p.m.—Department of Deans of Women, Wardman Park Hotel.
2:00 p.m.—Department of Vocational Education, Auditorium, Ameri
can Red Cross Building.
2:00 p.m.—Child Labor Committee of the National Education Asso
ciation, Boardroom, American Red Cross Building.
2:00 p.m.—National Society of College Teachers of Education, Cor
coran Hall, George Washington University.
3:15 p.m.—National Council of Education. Powhatan Hotel.
2:15 p.m.—Department of Rural Education, Auditorium, Department
of the Interior.
2:80 p.m.—National Association of Secondary School Principals, Audi
torium. Central High School.
4:00 p.m.—Department of Deans of Women, Tea. National Headquar
ters of the American Association of University Women.
4:00 p.m.—Committee on Ethics of the Profession, Boardroom, Ameri
can Red Cross Building.
4:30 p.m.—Department of Superintendence, Special Feature, Program
of Old-fashioned Dances by a Group of Public School Pupils
from Detroit, Mich., Washington Auditorium.
ti:oop.m.—Harvard University Dinner, Raleigh Hotel.
0:00 p.m.—Peabody College Dinner, Raleigh HoteL
6:00 p.m.—University of Chicago Dinner, liauscher's Restaurant.
6:3op.m.—New York University School of Education Dinner, 'Wash
ington Hotel.
6:30 p.m.—Ohio State University Dinner, City Club.
6:30 p.ra.—Ohio Wesleyan University Dinner. Cosmos Club.
6:30 p.m—Teachers’ College, Columbia University. Dinner, Grand Ball
room, Mayflower Hotel.
HIGH SCHOOLS ARE CRITICIZED
FOR SUBSERVIENCE TO COLLEGES
Relation to Elementary Grades Declared Weak by
Chicago Official-Physical Training Instruction
Also Held Lacking in Efficiency by Speakers.
Criticisms of the school curriculum,
physical training courses and the ar
ticulation of the high school with the
elementary school were voiced by
sjteakers at an executive session of
the department of superintendence. Na
tional Education Association, In the
Washington Auditorium this morn
ing.
"An intelligent adjustment of the
curriculum will solve more educa
tional problems than any other at
tempt at educational reform.” E. C.
Broome, superintendent of schools,
Philadelphia, declared. George R.
Staley, superintendent of schools of
Rome, N. Y., told the session, “Our
courses in physical training all look
well on paper, but In actual opera
tion are likely to be weak on one
end, crazy on the other and clock
worked In the middle."
William J. Bogan, assistant su
perintendent of Chicago schools, de
clared: "A depressing feature of
the development of the American
High School is Its weak articulation
with the elementary school. Dom
inated by the college, the high school
overemphasizes the subjects demand
ed by the minority.”
Other speakers were: William J.
O'Shea, superintendent of schools,
New York City: E. C. Hartwell, su
perintendent of schools, Buffalo, N.
Y. ; Leonard M. Patton, master of
the Edward Everett School, Boston,
and C. B. Glenn, superintendent of
schools, Birmingham, Ala.
Urges Health Education.
Mr. O'Shea declared health educa
tion "is the one aim that should be
emphasized in the revision of the
course of study. We must give more
and better instruction in hygiene,
physiology and physical training,
place more emphasis on the building
up of health habits which shall func
tion throughout the life of the In
dividual.
The speaker placed strong emphasis
on the revision of the course of study
in history-, geography and civics and
current events, and said: “These sub
jects should be loved by children. The
material In them should have a hu
man Interest. It Is a sad commentary
on the work of our schools that adults
read so little of history and geography
In after life and are so poorly in
formed on civics questions and prob
lems. History should make good cit
izens of our pupils and should foster
love of country—real heart-throbbing
patriotism. In geography, the human
aspect should be emphasized—-the way
in which the great natural features of
the earth and the occupations of man
Insists Parents Have Right to Know
School Methods for Marking Pupils
Parents have a right to know the
progress of their children in school
and the marking system for passing
or falling should be such that it can
be easily interpreted by parents as
well as by educators. Bernard Ross,
principal of the Hast Hartford, Conn.,
High School, told the National Asso
ciation of Secondary Principals meet
ing in the Central High School audi
torium this afternoon.
"It seems quite evident,” continued
Mr. Ross, “that neither the number
nor the letter as used in our marking
systems has conveyed a like meaning
to the student, to the teacher and to
the administrator. Now if these
three sets of minds are not agreed
as to the meaning of the symbols
used to mark the results of instruc
tion. can the parents, who also have
a right to know the progress of their
children, interpret these symbols?
‘ In too many cases marks denote
one of two meanings—namely, pass
ing or falling. It seems only right
that marks should define various de
grees of achievement of school chil
dren. Since the common avenue of
communication is words, a marking
system using words about whose
National Crusade Against Illiteracy
Begun by Educators at Convention
A national crusade designed to
wipe out illiteracy in the United
States was given impetus yesterday
afternoon when a group of educators
attending the department of superin
tendence convention decided to open
headquarters here and selected Mrs.
Cora Wilson Stewart as director of
the campaign. Mrs. Stewart was a
recent winner of a $6,000 award for
work against illiteracy by a National
magazine.
Invitations to all the State com
missioners of education to act on the
National council were authorized at
the meeting yesterday.
William Allen White was elected
head of the illiteracy group and Jane
Addams and Glenn Frank, president
of the University of Wisconsin, were
named vice presidents.
The members of the board art:
kind make this earth 'the home of
man.’ ”
Mr. Hartwell advanced what in his
opinion should be the creed of the con
vention. It Included a reference to
the Ideal system of public education,
••which will give to every boy and girl
a sound, vigorous body, an Intelligent
understanding of the laws of health,
high ideals of useful service and the
capacity to render it.”
Mr. Patton emphasized the value of
citizenship training, but declared. ‘‘We
have no expectation of creating 100
per cent Americans by this plan of
teaching citizenship, but we believe
that, rightly used, it may raise moral
levels a little higher than the old way,
may lead pupils to study their en
vironment and society at large in a
little broader way than has been their
wont, and widen a little more their
ethical horizons.”
Work Urged for Help.
Mr. Glenn, in quoting the objective
of theassoclatlon to be "the develop
ment of character through work,”
declared, "We are convinced that one
way. perhaps the best way, to create
the proper attitude toward work is to
work, and that it is the duty of our
schools to provide systematically for
this and to encourage the pupils to
engage In It.”
Elaborating on his criticism of the
weak articulation of the high school
with the elementary school, Mr. Bogan
said:
“To use the figure of a famous
superintendent: Our educational sys
tem Is a huge cave In which the high
school Is a stalactite made from the
drippings of the college. The lowest,
but not in line with it is the ele
mentary school, a stalegmite made
from accretions of many kinds. An
educational plumber Is needed to wipe
the joint.
"The high school belongs to the peo
ple—to the majority. When the peo
ple learn that the education of the
many Is being sacrificed for the bene
fit of the few every educator will have
difficulty In accounting for his stew
ardship.
"Time and money are given lavishly
In the elementary schools to the
teaching of penmanship, arithmetic,
reading and other subjects, but in the
high schools little attention is given
to the conservation of this energy. Is
there any justification for discarding
the skill acquired In the grades?”
The session also was addressed by
David B. Corson, superintendent of
Schools, Newark, N. J., and Lawton
B. Evans, superintendent of schools,
Augusta. Ga. Albert Edmund Brown,
dean of the Ithaca Institution of
Public School Music, led In singing.
meaning there is no doubt should be
of much assistance in helping solve
one of our educational problems."
A worded system of measures was
suggested as a basis for marking a
pupil’s achievements in education as
follows: Preparation, application,
knowledge of subject, use of English
and progress.
C. V. Courter, head of the Flint,
Mich., High School, stated the princi
pal of a large, modern high school
must assume the responsibility for
the Intelligent and efficient handling
inside his school organization of large
sums of money, sometimes sums in ex
cess of SIOO,OOO In a single year. J. E.
Marshall, principal Central High
School, St. Paul, Min., reported "in
creasing attention is being given in ed
ucational discussions and writings to
extra-curricular activities,” and Ross
M. Young, high school principal of
Minneapolis, declared the school head
‘must be able to use the educational
microscope.”
Other addresses were given by John
Guy Fowlkes, University of Wiscon
sin, and E. B. Comstock, principal
North Dallas High School, Dallas,
Tex.
Ida Tarbell, Carrie Chapman Catt,
Lorado Taft. A. E. Winship, Mary
C. C. Bradford. A. O. Thomas. Ida
Clyde Clark. John H. Finley. Miss
Sally Lucas Jean. Josephine Corliss
Preston. Herbert Houston. C. O. Wil
liams, Robert I. Aley, Mrs. A. H.
Reeve, Minnie'C. Nellson, D. E. John
son. John W. Abercrombie. M. A.
Nash, M. L. Brittain. Gov. Thomas
Mcßae, Arthuh H. Chamberlain. Gov.
R. A. Nestoes, F. C. Button. Henry
J. Allen. A. Caswell Ellis. Mrs. Mar
garet Hill McCarter and Cora Wilson
Stewart.
• ■ ■ »-
Turkish women have become so
adapt at the sorting and grading of
tobacco leaves that one Constanti
nople concern now employs more
than 6,000 females on this kind of
work.
SPEAKERS STRESS
TEACHER TRAINING
College Courses on “Princi
ples of Investment” Urged
on N. E. A. Members.
Hißh standards for teacher-training
Institutions were urged by Edwin W.
Adams, principal of the Philadelphia
Normal School, and a course for
teachers in teacher colleges on the
Principles of investment was recom
mended by Frank W. Smith, Paterson
State Normal School, Paterson, N. J.
in addresses before the City Teacher
Training School section of the Na
tional Education Association at the
New National Museum auditorium to
day.
Outlines Courses of Study. 4
Mr. Adams outlined the new courses
of study which are being prepared
and put Into operation under his di
rection In the Philadelphia Norma!
School. “One hundred and fifty teach
ers have been engaged for a period of
two years in this project," he said.
In September of 1925 the new course
was put into operation for the first
semester with the entering class, re
placing courses some of which were
m ore than 30 years old. By February.
1927, an entirely new curriculum well
be in operation throughout the school."
“It is our hope," he concluded, “tha'
even when we have reached the point
where wo feel we may venture to p’r
the results of our efforts into print, i
will not mean that work has stopped *
and that we feel we have a finishes
product. It is otir thought that each
course should be printed as a loose
leaf pamphlet, so that there will be as
littie as possible in the way to hamper
or discourage constant study and re
vision in the light of every-day needs.”
"hat Teachers Should Learn.
‘"i eaciieis snould learn the prind
pies of sound investment and the ad
vantages of a broad field of invest
ment,” Mr. Smith explained. "An ele
mentary study of finance, industry
and commerce for a fundamental
knowledge of investments and invest
ment opportunities, to guide in mak
ing up a sound investment list, should
lie a part of every teacher’s educa
: tion.
"Teachers’ colleges should include a
course for teachers on the principles ,
of investment, so they may know the
whens and whys of investment and
how to make a supplementary salary
by wise investment. The pedagogical
and psychological reactions on the
teacher's work resulting from such
study and investment are marked.’’
ASKS NEW TECHNIQUE
OFTEACHING HISTORY
Speaker Before N. E. A. Unit
Would Require Child to Think
for Himself.
A new technique of teaching his
| tory—one that will require the child
to think for himself rather than mem
orize the thought of the author or
teacher, is “badly” needed in the
schools today, \V. J. Osborn, director
of educational tests. State Department
of Education. Madison. Wis., declared
this afternoon in an address before th°
Educational Research Association of
| the National Education Association,
j meeting in the Masonic Temple, Thir
; teenth street and New York avenue.
‘‘We need particularly,” he contin
I ued, “some means of realizing some
! exceedingly valuable aims that are
j not even touched upon at present.
] This will afford a basis for a much
I more intelligent supervision of his
j tory teaching than we have had in
j the past—especially in high schools. *
“Our history teaching is missing fire
i if the relation of the teaching to es
j tablish aims is used as a criterion. The
! dominant emphasis is upon the train
I ing of the memory and upon organiza
’ tion of the essay type. This is an ex
{ cellent illustration of the inertia of
’ educational practice. We are still
teaching history in accordance with
an educational philosophy which is
400 years old. The tabula rasa and
sponge theories are still exceedingly
alive in the current practice of teach
ing history in both elementary and
• high schools.
, “There also is evidence of the old
| faith in formal discipline. Whatever
j our present thedry may be, tho-e Is no
j doubt but what our current practice
J consists to a very large measure in
filling the child's mind with facts and
trusting to luck that he will remem
ber them and know when and how
to use them In his thinking. The fig
ures show- that some emphasis is be
| ln s placed on practice in forming
I judgments. This is encouraging as far
;as it goes. II e should have more
teaching of this sort. ,
“Emphasis on the value of histori
cal evidence occurs only occasionally
There is some emphasis also on his
tory as a background for literature
and science after we reach modern
j times. History teaching should bring
| out the good or bad qualities of na
| tions, discuss the fundamental and
j perplexing questions of the present 1-
j the light of the past and call attention
j *° Qualities of the great men an 1
i "onten of the past that are suitable
j for emulation by the children ”
S. A. Courtis, public schools. De
trolt. Mich.; F. P. O'Brien. University
! Kansas; Ernest Horn, lowa State 1
University; E. E. Keener, public
schools. Chicago, and Carleton W
u ashburne, superintendent of schools.
|l\ innetka, 111., also addressed the
| meeting.
TENDENCY TO PAGANIZE
AMERICAN LIFE SCORED
Speaker Before Education Body *
Believes Revival of Old-time Re
ligion Would Be Beneficial.
The general tendency “to paganize
our American life has affected the
schools in a very disastrous manner,
nor is half the harvest yet gathered,’’
Clarence E. Macartney of Princeton
University declared this afternoon in
an address before the Department of
Elementary School Principals of the
I National Education Association in the
I Washington Auditorium.
1 “A revival of the old-fashioned re
j ligion.” he explained, "yvould change
! the atmosphere in our homes and give
• us parents wtio will impress upon the
j child that he has been born Into a
world governed by moral laws the re
j wards of which are blessed and the
t recoil of which, if broken, is terrific.
| “Nothing in the schools can compare
i with high character in the teachers
i themseU-es.” he added. "Prominence
| should be given to moral instruction,
j We would be better off Vith less na
i tionalistic patriotism—how we ‘licked
| the British’ —and more of what some
I one has called the ’fourth R—
| Righteousness.’ “
The following educators ail
I dressed the meeting; Oris W. < 'aidwell,
'principal Lincoln School. Uolunibia
j University; Jesse M. Fink, principal (
j Palmer School, Grand Rapids, Mich.,
| and Warren A. Roe, principal Bel
uiout Avenue School, Newark, N. J.