LB 
 
 3T. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 mm 
 
 
 m 
 
 .'W'5;bA0 
 
 4%W 
 
 «i 
 
 IUJ-i. li.-|)lMI>^U.uUIlV>.Ni J/\V />'A»intU»AK\VUUl'l'AVltMUtMi«Utur. 
 

 Book 
 
 / 
 
PRELIMINARY REPORT 
 
 CONDITIONS AND NEEDS 
 
 OF 
 
 Rural Schools in Wisconsin 
 
 RESULTS OF FIELD STUDY REPORTED 
 
 to the 
 
 WISCONSIN STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS 
 
 by the 
 
 TRAINING SCHOOL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE 
 
 AUGUST, 1911 
 
/ 
 
 PRELIMINARY REPORT 
 
 OS 
 
 CONDITIONS AND NEEDS ?.:£ 
 
 Rural Schools in Wisconsin 
 
 RESULTS OF FIELD STUDY REPORTED 
 
 to the 
 
 WISCONSIN STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS 
 
 TRAINING SCHOOL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE 
 
 AUGUST, 1912 
 
V 
 
 ^t1 
 
 D, OFD. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Letter of Transmittal 5 
 
 PART I 
 
 Factors wliirli INIake J'or Progress in l\nral Scliouls 7 
 
 PART It 
 
 Lax jMctliods of ControIIiiii;' Seliooj Iv\[)riii1if iircs 13 
 
 PAKT III 
 Sanitary and Edurational Conditions of Knral Schools 26 
 
 PAK'T iV 
 Some Serions Dcfccls of ( 'mini y Sn[icrvision 70 
 
 PART V 
 Some Serions Defects of State Snpervisiou 78 
 
 PART VI 
 
 Contrast between State Supervision of State Graded 
 
 Schools and State Supervision of Rural Schools 83 
 
 PART VII 
 Suggested Administrative and Legislative Remedies 87 
 
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
 
 In Novpmher ]911, it was annouiu'ed that a fund for a five- 
 year test of field training for public service had ])een raised by 
 Mi-s. E. H. Ilarrinian and that the New York Bureau of Muni- 
 cipal Research was to <'ondnct flie lest. 
 
 Of the five jiuriioscs named by flie donors the following sug- 
 gested the study, hert' icpoi'ted. of 1he Wisconsin rural schools: 
 'To qualify men to meet the growing need for students in ad- 
 ministralion com'petent fa) to test, and (b) to improve meth- 
 ods and results ot inunici]>al service." 
 
 Becausv 1.4()i».(i(H> nf Wisconsin's 2.5(10.000 people are in 
 rural crimnunilics. and l)ecause no field of public service more 
 needs to have its nieii and its uiethods tested tlian does the field 
 of public education, we were glad to accept the invitation to 
 collaborate with the Wisconsin State Board of Public Affairs in 
 studying rui'al school conditions and needs in Wisconsin. 
 
 In obtaining and inteq^reting the facts here reported we have 
 received the unstinted cooperation of state and county superin- 
 tendents, teachers and other individuals interested in public edu- 
 cation in all |)arts of Wisconsin. The findings, suiiuiiarized under 
 the seven headings notccl in the table of contents, arc based upon 
 a genei'al exaniin;,ticn of conditions in 27 counties in widel.y 
 Separated portions of the slate and upon a nioi-e detailed investi- 
 gation of conditions in 131 schools in 18 counties. Most of the 
 significant facts about rural school accounting were gathered by 
 P. S. Staley, field agent of the State Beard of Public Affairs, 
 now with the Training School. 
 
 To suppoi't tlie summary given in this prelitiunai-y report we 
 suliijiit a detailed, itemi/.ed description of the manner in which 
 the study was conducted ami the details as to each school visited. 
 
 As agreed upcn licfoi-e we undertook this study, our recom- 
 mendations, S(( far as the.v relate to steps which might need to 
 be varied accoi'ding to .-ui intimate knowledge of different parts 
 
6 Conditions and Xccds of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 of Wisconsin, have been made after review Ijy the State Board 
 of Public Affairs. While we make these recommendations with- 
 out reservation, we feel that their main worth is in the fact that 
 they represent tlie judgiiient not merely of our own investigators, 
 but of Wisconsin students and nftieei's of your ITonoi'able Board. 
 
 Foi; TIIH TKAININO SCHOOL Fob' I'URLTC SERVICE 
 
 Joiix V>. I'INE \Vn.i,i\.\[ If. Au.EN 
 
 Geouge B. Hopkins ' Director 
 
 Frank L. Polk S. G. Lindholm 
 
 Committee of Trustees A. N. Farmer 
 
 H. L. Brittain 
 
 Investigators 
 
PART I 
 
 Factors Which Make for Progress in Rural 
 
 Schools 
 
 1 — The law is raising standards 
 
 a — By ottVi'iiig sl^.tc ;ii(l it lias stiitmlatril many sdiciil districts 
 to g:i'ail(' tlii'ir scliddls. srciirc adiliiinnal and licltcr ttiach- 
 iTS, anil 111 rdiit'iiriii to slaiidards srI liy llir slate depart- 
 nii'til. 
 
 b — By granting;- roiidil ionally ^M a. year In caidi I'ural sclionl oL' 
 the first elass, heating-, ventil;ition and eqnipnient have 
 been improved 
 
 c — By setting aside ten eents per ehild of the state appropriation, 
 better library l)ooks are cii'eulating in the rui'al schools 
 
 d — By placing the state inspoctoi-s in a position to condemn 
 unfit school buildings, the erection of mod(!rn school build- 
 ings has l)een stinndated 
 
 e — By giving higher salaries, tenure of office, piotecfinn of the 
 civil service law to state inspectors-so long as efficient 
 service is rendered,-and greater responsibility to the state 
 superintendent it has enabled the state inspectors to gain 
 an increa-sing independence and fannliarity with school 
 management and inHnence npcii school boards, such as the 
 county supcrintrnilcnis, under llie present conditions, can- 
 not hope III attain 
 
 2 — The state superintendent is raising standards 
 
 a — B.v insisting on the use of the manual the courses of study 
 are gradualh' lieing standardized 
 
8 Conditions (Did Needs of liural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 I) — Hy luiblishiny: and distrilmtiiig iniuiphhjts aud eirculars of 
 information, interest in special activities such as tree plant- 
 ing, bird study, and agricultural teaching has been stimu- 
 lated, teachers have been advised in methods of school 
 management, and oilier help lias been given 
 
 c — By i)roiii()tiiig rouidy (■(juvi'iitioiis, schcDJ bo.ii-ds have been 
 instructed in their duties, a]-id,-as they sliow in conventions 
 and testify in ]>rivate convei-sations with iiivcstigalors,- 
 gi'eatly interested aud licjped 
 
 d — By enrorciug the coiuiilions ui)iiii wiiich state ;iid to state 
 graded scbddls has lieeii gi'Miilcd improvements are taking 
 place in Iht-iii at a rate which leaves tlu,' rural schools hope- 
 lessly behind : the teachers are better paid, the leaching 
 more efficient, tiie eiiniinnent more complete, tlie school 
 board more alert in following tlie recommendatious of the 
 inspector 
 
 3 — Leadership among individual superintendents and teach- 
 ers is playing an important part in raising standards 
 
 In spite of defects in organization, lack of authority and 
 inadequacy of clerical help, many instances have been found 
 where a strong personality has found ways of effectively direct- 
 ing the school boards, supervising teachers, starting instruction 
 in useful arts and helping teachers to be leaders in community 
 life. One striking illustration of such leadership is furnished 
 by Oconto c((unty. which ditfers not so mucli in the kind as 
 in the number of forw-ard steps taken, 'i'lie difference in this 
 respect is due, in part, to the fact that the county l)oard allows 
 the county superintendent an office a.ssistant at $20 a month for 
 nine months, only .$180 a year 
 
 The long list of conditions later mentioned will seem easier 
 of correction, as well as more in need of correction, if viewed 
 against the background of such. splendid service as is rendered 
 every day in Oconto county 
 
 a — Tniancy is actually supervised 
 
 (1) The teachers have been taught to undei-stand the pur- 
 pose of tbe li-iuincy law; to sulmiit intelligent, 
 accurate reports of aft(>n(lance ; to secure through 
 the children or by personal visits the reasons for 
 nonattendaiice and to sulmiit repoi'ts thereon; and 
 
Conditions and Needs of Rural i^ehdols in Wiseeinsin. 9 
 
 to coiipepate with the comity supcriutendent in se- 
 curing licttei" attendance 
 
 (2) Cases where the excuse U)v ;dii^ence i.s of doubtful 
 
 h'gality are investigated by the county superin- 
 tendent 
 
 (3) Parents wlio ai'e delini(uent in sending their ciiildren 
 
 are visited in person by the sheriff and warned not 
 to repeat the offense; a second offense is followed 
 by arrest 
 
 (4) Records of the action of the sheriff and the county 
 
 superintendent are kept in the superintendent's 
 office, as are notifications to teaehere of such action 
 
 (5) A visit to the office will enable the deputy of the in- 
 
 dustrial commission to check the enforcement of the 
 truancy law in this county 
 
 li — Teacliers are efficiently supervised 
 
 (1) Detailed records of observations made during visits 
 
 to scliools are kept on tile 
 
 (2) Records are kept of teacliers' school programs and 
 
 attendance at institutes and teachers' associations 
 
 (3) Records tliat are kept of suggestions in all lines of 
 
 school woi'k, and of results seen, form a complete 
 liistiiry (if the ti'acher's career 
 
 (4) Sjii'cial empliasis is laid on Avork in agriculture and 
 
 domestic economy 
 
 c — School boards are interested, informed and guided 
 
 (1) Letters are sent to school boards staling in detail the 
 
 conditions found at the visit to tlie school; praise 
 is given for improvement made since the previous 
 visit; and suggestions made as to what is immedi- 
 ately needful 
 
 (2) An annual letter Is sent to each school board calling 
 
 attention to things which are especially <]esirable in 
 its school, surh as cleaning the interior of the school, 
 tinting the walls, painiing the woodw irk, providing 
 stone or metal jars with faucets, card ratalognes, 
 bciok cases, repaii-iug of binding, building of out- 
 houses, fencing and improvement of school grounds, 
 introducing a new method of writing, etc. 
 
10 Conditions and Xccds of h'und ScJwols in Wisconsin. 
 
 d — Soci;il rciiti'i- ;iiul extension work is under way 
 
 (1) Teachers and school lioards are assisted in introducing 
 
 cooking and sewing into the schools, and in arrang- 
 ing corn contests, u.se of Babcock testers, spelling 
 contests and school entertainments 
 
 (2) School exhibits are arranged at county fairs, where 
 
 cooking, sewing, seed tests, w^riting and other 
 bi;;Mchcs are explained to parents and taxpayers 
 
 e — Piililicity is L,n\i'ti 1(1 .school facts 
 
 (1) 'i'lic tour loiiniy newspapers each devote columns to 
 a "Dcpartiiiciif of School News." School stories 
 of interest to the public are printed ; observations by 
 the, superintendent on conditions found while visit- 
 ing schools; letters from pupils or reports of special 
 scliool activities, such as the work of a sewing club, 
 a s|)clliiig contest or seed testing; the reports of 
 iiistilulcs. le;!cliers' inectings and social center work, 
 etc. 
 
 (2 1 'I'lii-oMgh this publicity iiilci'cst in school matters is 
 kept alive not only among parents, but among pupils 
 and tcaclicfs. Evci-y school, everj' teacher, every 
 pupil and even biiard members wish to appear in 
 llie scluKil ciiluiniis and are eager to do som'ething 
 re;illy noteworthy and of value 
 
 (.'5) Some of tile inlci'cst thus created has shown itself in 
 the offer by citizens of $50 for spelling prizes, of 
 $50 for growing seed peas, of two scholai"ships to the 
 winners of the com tests, of which a considei-able 
 number is held in the county and in which more 
 than :W0 childi'en ai'e enrolled 
 
 f — (^ther exani])les of what may Ik; accomplished by tlioi'oughly 
 live and intelligent county sujjervision are the following: 
 (1) In one connly the superintendent was interested in 
 having children taught to clean their teeth. Last 
 year she took up the matter with her teachers at 
 the sectional meetings of the teachers' association 
 and at the regular county institute. A company 
 manufacturing a tooth paste, supplied for all the 
 eliildien in the county cards giving directions for 
 the eare of the teeth as well as samples of the 
 
Conditions and Needs of Earal Schools in Wisconsin. 11 
 
 tooth paste, lu each of the four schools visited 
 in that county, all the ehiUlrcn reported that they 
 hrushed their teeth daily.' The county superin- 
 tendent stated that the ehildren throughout the 
 eountv were doing the same 
 (2) In another county a superintendent desired to have 
 the girls in the rural schools taught to make their 
 own" clothing. At every opportunity she talked 
 the matter over with her teachers. At the 1911 
 summer school held in her county, the superin- 
 tendent oi'ganized a class in sewing, drafting and 
 rutting simple garments. This class was taught 
 ),y a rural s.-hool teacher who was an unusually 
 skillful needlewoman. She served without pay, 
 there l>eing no funds avaihible to pay her. As a 
 ^■esult, the teachers taking this work are making 
 most of their own clothing and everyone of them 
 is teaching sewing in her schnol. The investigator 
 saw some of the work done. Am(mg the articles 
 made by the school girls were suits of underwear, 
 aprons, waists and simple .Iresses. All this was 
 accomplished after one year's work by the county 
 superintendent 
 (3) In one county :!,ni)l> children are enrolled m seed 
 testing and corn growing contests. To stim\ilate 
 interest in this work a two days teachers', pupds' 
 and parents' institute was held in December, 1911. 
 Everv rural school teacher in the county was pres- 
 ent on full pay. The children from the upper 
 fonn were invited and over 200 attended. With 
 tlu. ehildren came many parents. The program 
 .•oiisisfed of addresses by specialists in corn grow- 
 ing who gave demonstrations showing just how 
 and when seed corn should be selected, cared for, 
 and tested. Teachere gave their experience in 
 1,,„.hin- Ibis work and all protit.nl by the stories 
 ,,r Iheir su.M.esses and faihiivs. Tue meeting re- 
 sulted in much good. Througliout the county, the 
 formal te.xtbook instruction in agriculture has 
 been replaced by laboratory work of the most 
 practical kind, because of the study of seeds and 
 
12 Condiliona and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 seed testing in one of the schools of this county, 
 fanners discovered tliat llieir own seed corn was 
 poor and paid a higli price 1o get good seed. For 
 the first time in I lie histoi-y of this rather old 
 faniiiiig (•oiiiiiimiity seed testing is done in a 
 projx'r way. And this was taught them hy their 
 children who had learned the lesson in the rural 
 school 
 
 i 
 
PART II 
 
 Lax Methods of Controlling School Expenditures 
 
 1 — The biennial state reports of common school finances have 
 been inaccurate 
 
 If the balance reported on page 337, Fourteenth Biennial Ke- 
 port, to be on hand June 30, 1905, and all subsequent items of 
 receipts and disliui'sonients, be accepted as accurate, the last 
 reported lialance, June 30, 1910 of .$3,()49,r)47.71 is inc-orrect; 
 an over-statement of i|<39,561.57. 
 
 2 — The financial reports of town clerks are inaccurate 
 
 An analysis of finnueial reports submitted by town clerks to 
 the county superintendents shows that tlie irregiilarities orig- 
 inate in the district reports. Reports have been analyzed from 
 125 town clerks in four counties, covering tlie school j^ears, June 
 30, 1908 to June 30, 1911. 'flie aiiiinnl liahinces were taken as 
 tests 
 
 a — Of 479 lialances 227. ov 47.4' ,' . were stale(l im-oi'rci/tl}' 
 
 b — In 147 out of a possible 354, or 41.5% the lialances on hand 
 at the begiuniug of tiie fiscal year morning, July 1, were 
 different from those reported far the end of the preceding) 
 year, night, June 30 
 
 c — Aitiiouu-ji the iri-efTuiai-ilics must liave lii^eii apparent both to 
 the couut.N' suiiei'iiitcndeiits, and to the state superintend- 
 ent who suliiiiils tliciii as official reports to the legislature, 
 no evidence has been found that steps have been taken to 
 verify the accuracy of these financial reports 
 
14 Coiulitions and Xccdx of Jiiir<il ,^chooh in Wisconsin. 
 
 d — No evidence has Imh'ii found tluit insti'iielions liave been 
 issued lo school ofliccis e.\plaiMiii<r liow to keej) aceouuts 
 properly or how to discuvcr the causes of these irregu- 
 larities 
 
 3 — Great differences exist in per capita expenses 
 
 a — Ashland county, out of every .$100 for education paid in 
 39K)-1911, $4.83 for stdaries to the school board and $56.90 
 for teachers' salaries. "Winnebago county paid 45 cents to 
 the school board and $64.60 for teachers' salaries. Eight 
 counties, of which Manitowoc leads with 87.1%, pay more 
 . than 70% of their total school expenditures for teaching; 
 9 counties, of which Sawyer with 32.1% is the last, pay 
 less than 55%. For apparatu.s, school furniture and "all 
 other purposes" not itemized, Sawyer county in 1910-1911 
 paid $21.62 i)er school child; Forest' county $13.68; Wal- 
 worth county $13.10; Washburn county $4.45; Barron 
 $3.77 ; Wood county $1.99 
 
 b — No evidence has been found that the state or county super- 
 intendents have ever tried to learn why the expenditures 
 under "cost of equipment" and "other purposes" is so much 
 higher in some counties than in others 
 
 e — The analysis of financial reports indicates that pul)lic money 
 has been wasted either in collecting and printing inaccur- 
 ate and worthless accounts, or else in extravagant expendi- 
 tures in some counties and utterly inadequate expenditure 
 in others 
 
 4 — Investigation of district accounts reveals numerous short- 
 comings 
 
 To ascertain whether an audit of school accounts would be 
 advisable a study was m'ade of the school clerks' and treasurers' 
 accounts in 60 districts scattered throughout eight counties. 
 No discrimination was made in the selection of individual dis- 
 tricts except tliat suspicion pointed to the first county visited. 
 Conditions found in an examination of accounts for the school 
 years 1910-1911 or 1911-1912 are here summarized 
 
Conditio )).■■: and Xf(ds af liiind Srlnmls ill W isc.ininiii. 1') 
 
 a — In ouly 50% of the districts was any trace found of an ex- 
 amination of the records of the treasurer l)y the wliole 
 board or hy a cominittee appointed at tlie annual meeting 
 
 b — Wliere an audit was attempted, tlie auditing committee would 
 invariably report the l)ooks as correct 
 
 (1) One such auditing committee, including one auditor 
 
 wlio could not sign Ids name, hence "made his 
 nuirk" (X), found tiiat .tS<)r>.!)4+H;40+$:i47.41 
 totaled $1460.12. After the shortage was estab- 
 lished the treasurer was sent for. He reluctantly 
 admitted that jjossibly he was $40 short. Grad- 
 ually he saw his shortage increase, although he 
 protested vehemently and tearfully that he was a 
 perfectly honest man and the shortage was due to 
 emu's. When eonfi-onted with evidence that he 
 had nnlawfull.y appropriated $170.77 belonging to 
 the district he promised to make the district a lU'es- 
 ent of this amount 
 
 (2) In one district where the investigator found an uuns- 
 
 ual number of irregularities, the town clerk and 
 district attorne.y had made an audit of the books 
 and reported them "correct except for a slight 
 error." The nature of the error was not stated, 
 but a fee of $140 (of doul)lful legality) had been 
 accepted by the auditors 
 
 e — Financial irregularities overlooked by local audit and not 
 
 noted by county or state superintendents were of many 
 
 types 
 
 (1) Two schools in one town.ship were held in private 
 
 homes. In both cases the schools were attended by 
 
 one family only. In each ease the school board 
 
 ])aid to the owner of the house 
 
 $12 a month rent for room to school his own 
 children 
 $5 a mouth fuel for heating this room in his 
 
 own house 
 $5 a month janitor fee for cleani ig this same 
 room 
 In addition the family received $16 a month for 
 hoarding the teacher. In one case the schoolroom 
 
16 Conditions and Nccfls of h'liral School.'i in Wisconsin. 
 
 was ill au attic Ijut clean and tidy. The teacher 
 used it as a sleeping room. But one pupil was 
 enrolled. In the other case two pupils were en- 
 rolled. The schoolroom was in a log house which 
 was absolutely filthy, dark, dingy, unkept and 
 hardly fit for stable purposes. The room while 
 used for school puqjoses was used by the family 
 as if no school was there. The school officers de- 
 sired to transport these children nine miles to the 
 village school or pay for their board while attending 
 school in town. The state gives $50 a year state 
 aid to any district which thus transports its chil- 
 di-en to a graded .school of at least two rooms 
 
 (2) In the books of a village with a 4 room school en- 
 
 rolling .'ifl pupils the auditor found the following 
 expenditures 
 
 1 striking bag $8.00 
 
 3 pairs boxing gloves 21.00 
 
 1 wTestling mat 140.00 
 
 When the secretary was asked to explain the reason 
 for these purchases he said they were for the gym- 
 nasium. Previous investigation had brought out 
 the Jact that during January, 1912, a professional 
 wrestler had come to town and had given several 
 exhibitions in the school gymnasium. The secre- 
 tary of the school l)oard. the principal of the school 
 and the druggist who .sold these supplies to the 
 school board were pupils of this wrestler and fre- 
 quently engaged in wrestling matches with the 
 professional. The mats the school owned were 
 small. The $140 wrestling mat was bought at the 
 time these men were having their bouts, and while 
 it cannot be proven, it does seem evident that it 
 was liought to avoid the skinned elbows re.sulting 
 from not having a large mat upon which to wres- 
 tle. The school district is greatly in debt at this 
 veiy time, having paid $389.17 in interest during 
 the year 
 
 (3) In one district under the township system a school- 
 
 house of the usual type was built. The auditor 
 found that unusually large sums had been paid 
 
Conditions and Needs of Fund Schools in Wisconsin. 17 
 
 for inateriaLs, luiul)er, ele. The total sum paid for 
 these and designated "for the uew school" was 
 $4,000. The board members when asked the cost 
 of this building, were unable to tell, saying that 
 it was built by day labor. Asked to approximate 
 tlie eost their estimates varied from $600 to $1,000, 
 a lumber dealer "who knew the building and from 
 wliom a part of the lumlier liad been bought, stated 
 that $-1:00 was a fair allowance for materials. A 
 ])oard member when asked why his board did not 
 advertise for bids and contracts for the building 
 of the sehoolliouse stated they wished to give the 
 people of the district a chance "to make some- 
 thing." Ilowevei-. most of the money expended 
 for labor was paid to district officials 
 
 (4) In one disfrii-t township system it was found that 
 two tcacluTs liad been given 11 orders of $45 each. 
 The i'(>(-()rds sliowed that they had been engaged 
 for nine iiioiilhs work. Tlie two extra orders were 
 shown liy l)ills to be for "extra work." It was 
 possible to interview but one of these teachers, the 
 other one not lieing at home. The one seen claimed 
 that the board during tlie year had increased her 
 salary to $55 so tliat eleven payments of $45 would 
 just "make it". The minutes of the board did 
 not show this, and school board members denied it. 
 The clerk explained that this teacher had a veiy 
 hard school, that she was lonely, and taken all in 
 all lie thought she was entitled to one extra order 
 of $45. "When asked why he issued two extra or- 
 ders of $45 he denied having done so. When eon- 
 fronted by the cancelled orders signed by him he 
 ctillapsed and said, "Well, I didn't know I did 
 tliat. I sure made a mistake." This teacher was 
 the sister of tlu* clerk's wife. lie had no explan- 
 ation whatever for issuing the eleven orders to tlie 
 other teacher. The clerk admitted that neither one 
 had done any ' ' extra work ' ' 
 
 (5) "While auditing the records of one school with 52 
 pupils, the investigator found that the wife of the 
 
]S ComUtio)!.^ and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 secretary of the scliool board was receiving consid- 
 erable sums of money for services rendered: 
 $30.00 for "labeling books", 1908-1909 
 $80.00 for "clerical work," 1909-1910 
 $82.00 for "clerical work", 1910-1911 
 A personal investigation showed that "labeling 
 books" consisted of pasting gummed labels into 
 the books. There were but 130 books in the li- 
 brary. The board paid $20.00 to a teacher for 
 "cataloguing books". In every other district teach- 
 ers did this work without extra compensation. It 
 was impo.ssible to get any information from eitlier 
 the secretaiy or his wife as to the nature of the 
 "clerical work" for which she was paid. During 
 this time the secretary was not only receiving a 
 regular .salary of $75 per year but charged $3 for 
 every meeting attended and $3 for each visit to a 
 school 
 
 (6) In one district a school board having five schools in 
 
 a township under its control had within two years 
 purchased scve^i organs 
 
 (a) Five old and two new 
 
 (b) At prices from $30 to $100 
 
 (c) One of the new organs costing $100 had not 
 
 been removed from' the dealer's home in 
 June, although pui-cliased the previous 
 Septemlier; one was stored in the town 
 hall ; one was stored in the village school 
 and unused for the reason that the school 
 owned a piano; the other organs were 
 distributed among rural schools. The old 
 organs were poor and out of repair, al- 
 though the board had paid a total of $10 
 for repairs on them 
 
 (7) One treasurer refused to give up his records, stat- 
 
 ing in a letter that "they were ci'ooked". Finally 
 the books were brought in. The auditor found 
 the records in the worst possible shape. It was 
 impossible to strike a balance, the records failing 
 to show either dates when moneys were received or 
 dates when moneys were paid out. On one page 
 
Condiiions and Needs of liund. Schools in Wisconsin. 19 
 
 of his record of disbursements he charged tile same 
 order twice in eight cases. The following show 
 the amounts thus duplicated: $3.G5, $10.00, $3.00, 
 $11.50, .$3.20, $15.00, $2.75, $2.00 
 
 d — In I vrri/ dislrid innsfiaattd <-.rr( pi one, (h( nnnual financial 
 siatemenis hy elistrict clerks an reported to the county 
 superintendcnls were found to tie ineorr<et. When orders 
 are issued the ch'i-k iiuiUes no effoi't to show tlic i)urpose 
 for which they are drawn. When the time comes for the 
 annual statement, he has nothing but a record of the lump 
 sum of money expended during the year 
 
 (1) For no two places were the form's and records uni- 
 
 form. In most places the following records were 
 kept by the clerk: minute book, cancellation rec- 
 ord and stubs of orders issued 
 
 (2) In several places the records were not kept ui)-to- 
 
 date and in one di.sti'ict the clerk had for two 
 years kept no rocoi'd ofhcr than ihi^ stubs of orders 
 issued 
 
 e — The present loose system places no restraiiat upon a clerk 
 or treasurer who is inclined to be crooked. Knowing that 
 his books will never be audited by anyone who is com- 
 petent to do so, he can handle the ,s<'hool orders as he 
 pleases 
 
 (1) One treasurer adniilfed that he had bought up all 
 
 orders when (he town Mas short of funds, and 
 charged a lump sum, including interest at 7%. It 
 was impossible to verify the correctness of the in- 
 terest, as the length of time the orders were held 
 by him was not shown 
 
 (2) One bank charged $397 interest for one year and 
 
 another $47.98 and did not itemize dates nor orders 
 
 (3) Orders were "raised" so crudely in one district that 
 
 anyone could detect that the original sum had 
 been scratched out and another written in, yet the 
 treasurer paid them at the higher amount 
 
 (4) In four districts the treasurers charged the board 
 
 twice for thirteen orders amounting to $109.99, not 
 including the eight duplications of payment which 
 
20 Conditions and Nocds of liund Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 \vci'(' loiiiid nil one slieet of one treasurer's record 
 of ilisbiirseiiioiits, as sliowu above 
 (5) A certain treasurer received $450 "for paying over 
 money while treasurer". In conversation with 
 him' he made the following explanation: "You see 
 when I became treasurer I received a .certain 
 amount of money from my predecessor. After- 
 wards bills for work done before I took the office 
 came in and I paid them. These totaled $450. 
 I didn't lliiiik anything about it at the time but 
 later I got to thinking about it and saw that those 
 bills had to be paid out of my pocket as they were 
 incurred before I became treasurer. The other 
 officers thought so too and we had legal advice on 
 it, so the board allowed me the $450." An audit 
 (jT till' books showed tluxt this treasurer had charged 
 the disli'ict and credited himself with every order 
 issued by tlie clerk except two, amounting to $8, 
 including not only those is.sued during the treas- 
 urer's term of office but also those issued before 
 he was elected and which had not been paid by 
 the former treasurer. The predecessor of this 
 treasurer, a brotlier-in-law, was $196.40 short in 
 his accounts and was forced to make good, the 
 shortage having been .shown up by a local audit- 
 ing committee a few months after his term of 
 office had ex])ired 
 (G) In another district the treasurer had charged $20 
 withoTit showing a corresponding order or reason 
 for the charge 
 
 (7) In two districts the ti-easurer's records did not show 
 
 the proper balances on hand at the close of the 
 year 1910-1911, and they were short in their ac- 
 counts, $171.95, and .$336.77, respectively. In both 
 ])laces the treasurers admitted the shortage and 
 offered to make the sclmnl boai'd "a present" of 
 the amount short 
 
 (8) The treasurer's rccnvds vary as widely as do the 
 
 clerk's 
 
 (9) In but eight disfi'icts was it found possible from the 
 
 books alone to strike a balance for any fiscal year 
 
Conditions and Xccds of Rural ;:ichools in ^Yi:i(■onsin. 21 
 
 (10) The treasurers in enteriug paid school orders under 
 
 "disbursements", invarial)ly use the dates on which 
 Ihc orders were issued liy the chu'lcs, instead of 
 Ihe dales wlieu paid. It was therefore impossible, 
 when the balance could not be obtained from the 
 books directly, to get a liook balance for any fiscal 
 year, except in the few cases where the paid school 
 orders were preserved and dates of payment 
 stamped on them. In many cases the orders had 
 not been marked "eaucelled" or "paid" 
 
 (11) In eight districts bills were paid for different 
 
 amounts from those stated on the clerk's order. 
 In one district an overpayment of .'1*27.53 had been 
 made on fen orders 
 (12) In seven districts records did not slmw any dates for 
 money paid out 
 (1.3) In two districts the records did not show that any 
 money had been received 
 
 (14) In 12 districts bills were paid for contract work 
 
 when no records of contracts could he found in 
 1he minutes 
 
 (15) In oiic (listi-jcl, ;i lic-isurcr who served both as town 
 
 aJid scIkhiI (rcasurci-, charged 2'/,. for distributing 
 to (he nllirr treasurers school money received both 
 friim the cdunly and from Ihc slate 
 
 (16) In nine districts money was paid altliough no bills 
 
 had been presented 
 (17) In one district teachers were compelled to pay to 
 storekeepers 10% for cashing salary checks, as the 
 school treasui-;\' had no funds 
 
 (18) In one district the school was discontinued and yet 
 
 (he 1i(iai-d cdiiliiiued fur 1w(i years to levy and col- 
 lect, school taxes 
 
 (19) One treasurer repcrted that Jie had not received the 
 
 $50 state aid due the districts for school year 
 1909-1910, owing to the fact that the proper re- 
 piii't had not liceiL made to the state department of 
 public instructiim. After school election, the new 
 clerk wrote to the slate superintendent and found 
 out that the money had been pent to the treasurer, 
 and that his endorsement was on the back of the 
 
22 CondUioHs and Xcrds of Etind Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 cancelled cheek. Confronted by this statement 
 from the state superintendent he confessed that he 
 had received the money and gave the clerk an 
 order on his employers for the amount, $50 
 
 f — Boards as such participated in errors 
 
 (1) In 26 districts the boards allowed bills which had 
 neither been itemized nor audited according to law 
 
 (2) In 13 districts records do not show that an annual 
 
 settlement was made between the treasurer and the 
 board 
 
 (3) In three districts bills were paid on which the amount 
 
 of the indebtedness was not stated; the sum ap- 
 pearing in the cancellation record only 
 
 (4) In 17 districts the board membere made illegal 
 
 charges for taking the school census 
 
 (5) In six districts the board members made illegal 
 
 charges for posting notices of school meetings 
 
 (6) In two districts the board m'embers charged for liv- 
 
 er>- hire to attend meetings when they used their 
 own hoi'ses 
 
 (7) In 17 districts the lioard allowed themselves higher 
 
 comjiensation than the law prescribes although sal- 
 aries had not been voted upon at any annual meet- 
 ing 
 
 (8) In four districts board members received compensa- 
 
 tion for attending board meetings that were never 
 held or meetings when the minutes show that they 
 were not present 
 (!)) In four districts members charged from $2 to $4 for 
 attending school board meetings besides receiving 
 a regular salary 
 
 (10) In four disti'ic'ts the board members charged for 
 
 visiting schools 
 
 (11) In 1905 a certain school board bought from its presi- 
 
 dent a one-acre school site at a cost of $375. The 
 plot was a part of the board member's homestead, 
 partly cleared and located seven miles from a 
 village in a newly settled country. The price 
 of stump land in that section at the present time 
 is from $5 to $15 per acre. (In 1905 it could 
 
Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 23 
 
 not liave been more.) At the time of the sale, 
 this property was government land as the board 
 president had not proved np on it. This record 
 was obtained from the land office. The school 
 board paid fur digging a well on this school site. 
 None was dug there ; but on the home lot of the 
 board president, and within 400 feet of the schooj- 
 honse, a well was sunk at the time when the board 
 ])aid the bill for a well on the school site. The 
 sclh-r still retains the land 
 
 (12) In 18 districts board members contracted with them- 
 
 selves, a proceeding which the law prohibits 
 
 (13) In the purchase of wood for school use one board 
 
 paid .$1.75 to •^2.50 a cord when purchased from 
 individuals not connected with the board. In not 
 a. single case where wood was bought of board 
 members, their relatives or business associates, did 
 the board pay less than $4 per cord. One pur- 
 chase, amounting to 50 cords, was purchased from 
 the son of the board president. It was not cus- 
 tomary for tlie boai'd to measure wood when de- 
 livered 
 
 (14) In one disti'iet it was customary for school board 
 
 members on their trips to the neighlwring to\^Ti 
 to bring back supplies for their schools, and charge 
 expense of trip to the school board. In one case 
 the county superintendent assured the investigator 
 that a school board member after spending a whole 
 day in a town and becoming intoxicated, charged 
 and actually received $4.50 dra.yage for taking to 
 his scliool a box of crayons. During 1910-1911 
 the school board luud $13.50 for drayage in de- 
 livei'ijig supplies to schools 
 
 (15) Fn one district a school clerk was appointed by the 
 
 board at $3 a day to supervise the construction of 
 a school building, receiving $409 compensation for 
 this work. During the period when the schoolhouse 
 was being built this man was liusily engaged as a 
 lumber sealer and was also town clerk. Further- 
 more, he was not a builder or contractor and was 
 not qualified to supervise the construction of a 
 
24 Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 Iiiiildiufj:. The Ixijird in fact had already engaged 
 a head carpenter for this jiiirpose at a salaiy of 
 ijfi.SO a day 
 
 (16) On June 11, 1010 a, scIkioI \nr.u-d emlraeted for the 
 
 digging of a basement for a school building. $200 
 was the contract price. Immediately after award- 
 ing the contract the board appointed themselves a 
 committee of three to supervise the work. The 
 three board members i-eceived $120 in payment for 
 supen'ising the $200 joli. 
 
 (17) In one district $20.25 was paid to a notary for 
 
 swearing to affidavits of accounts, tiie district pay- 
 ing for this service at 2,5 cents per bill 
 
 g — In two districts only was it found that the county superin- 
 tendents had a.s.sisted the school boards in disentangling 
 their accounts 
 
 li — Almost universally the oftieers were eager to be instructed 
 in i^roper methods of keeping accounts, one clerk travel- 
 ing 28 miles to have his liooks straightened out 
 
 i — In many cases the treasurer desired a competent audit of his 
 accounts in order that tlie peuple might be satisfied as to 
 their correctness 
 
 5^The census of children of school age upon which the dis- 
 tribution of state school moneys is made, has been found 
 very inaccurate due to duplication and error invited by 
 the complicated method of reporting children to town 
 clerks 
 
 a — Some coiintii's are deprived of their just share of the state 
 appriipriiitiiin and (itliers are receiving too niuch 
 
 b — The number of children reported is usually exce.ssive in 
 towns where there are many joint districts 
 (1) One county leported on June 30, 1911, 8,304 chil- 
 dren of sclieol age; a recount of the census lists 
 showed only 7,790. The clerk had reported 514 
 children too many. At the present rate of appro- 
 luialioii the county received $1,379.00 too much. 
 Ill till' disli-icts (if this county which were not 
 
ConflUioiis (tiid Xi(ils III' 1,'iinil Srliuiils in Wiscoisiii. 25 
 
 joined w iili ciilici- (iisfricts. till' clerk rei)orted 4,292 
 cliildreii, '4 too in:iiiy, for tlie rei-oimt showed 4,28'J. 
 The cxepss ill th(^ clerk's Jiijiire.s is ahnost ex- 
 clusi\('ly ill the joint districts 
 
 (2) In Jiiiotlier eonnty llie clerk repoi'ted 6,778 children, 
 the recount showed fi,I)S() or an exc-es.s of 108 
 
 (:i) In 7 connties e\;iniiniMl the clerks I'eporled 1,932 
 more children tlnin round in the recount. In ad- 
 dition tile recount found 112 chiklrtin 20 years of 
 age and JW whose ages were not stated 
 
 (4) The exeessive muuher of children reported lowers 
 the ])roportion of the state apportionment coming 
 to each ehihl and the counties reporting accurate 
 tigures receive, tliei'cfore, a smaller share than 
 they are entitled lo and would receive, if the 
 otliei- counties were accurate 
 
 c — 111 reporting the luimliei' of chihlren of compulsory school 
 age, seven years and less than fourteen, even greater in- 
 accuracies have heen found. In the two counties men- 
 tioned, the clerk reports in the first, 713 and in the second 
 362 too few 
 
PART III 
 
 SaiiitaiT and Educational Conditions of Rural 
 
 Schools 
 
 1 — Lighting of school building's 
 
 ■■: — Only three one-room schools out oi' 110 visited and reported 
 .on for lighting were lighted from one side only 
 
 1) — Only two of these had snlifieient lighting area in proiDor- 
 tion to floor area ; 1.5 
 
 ( — lis selion'i-ooiiis were liglitetl fnuii the Iwo opposite sides, 
 eonipelling the eliihlren on one side of the schoolroom to 
 work in a major liglit coming over the right shoulder 
 
 d — In only 19 of these rooms was the ratio of lighting space to 
 floor space adequate 
 
 e — 14 schoolrooms were lighted from three sides, thus submit- 
 ting the children to trying ci"Oss lights and in some cases 
 compelling them to face the light 
 
 f — One schoolroom was lighted from all four sides. Yet even 
 in this room the ratio of lighting area to floor area was 
 only 1.6, the permissible minimum being 1.5 
 
 g — In many buildings the conditions were aggravated by im- 
 proper curtaining of the windows. Nowhere were trans- 
 lucent curtains (in addition to the regular opacjue or semi- 
 i)|);n|iic i-ni-taius') which would soften the direct rays of 
 liic soil whilr ,-iiliiiil1in<;- sufficient lijiht for scliool pur- 
 po.ses 
 
 h — The tinting and painting of most schoolrooms had evidently 
 been done without any reference to the principles of good 
 lighting 
 
Conditions and Needs of Eural, tScliooIs in Wisconsin. 27 
 
 i — Even iu tlie most I'ecently constructed buildings the most 
 common canons ol" correct lighting liave fi'eyuently been 
 violated 
 
 j — With hardly an exception the windows stopped short of the 
 ceiling by 1 to 3 feet, leading to a loss of reflected light 
 from the ceiling 
 
 k — 111 all bill, M buiblings the wiiidnws wd'c foo widely separ- 
 ated, (bus causing bai's of lialf liglil in the schdolrooius 
 
 1 — In many rooms the ceilings and walls were dingy and painted 
 a dark color 
 
 m — No district had the following miuiinum essentials which 
 every district ought to have : 
 
 (1) Windows on one side or on two adjacent 
 
 sides only with the major light coming 
 over the left shoulders of the pupils 
 
 (2) Windows pi'operly curtained with both 
 
 opa(iue and translucent shades 
 
 (3) Windows running pi-actically to the ceiling 
 
 (4) Narrowest piers possible between windows — 
 
 not over 15 inches 
 
 (5) White ceilings 
 
 (6) Walls tinted a soft light green or gray, 
 
 restful to the eye and nen'es and having 
 liigh reflecting quality 
 
 2 — Heating- of school buildings 
 
 a — 01' till' lOG scliculs ins|nM-liMl ,-is to beating conditions 
 
 (1) 8 were heated liy furnace 
 
 (2) 69 " " '• jacketed stoves 
 
 (3) 29 " " " uu jacketed stoves 
 
 b — As a riilr tlir si'lmol buildings were well heated, but par- 
 tiriilai'ly on rold ihiys unjacketed stoves did not heat suf- 
 ficiently the far corniMs of the room, while the temperature 
 of tbi' ail- ill till' iiiiiiiriliatr' vicinity of the stove was tropi- 
 cal 
 
28 Condilions and X(((l.s af h'liral ScIkuiIs in Wisconsin. 
 
 c — On ;i<'coui)l, of flie general absence of tliennoiiielei's and lack 
 ol' knowledge on the part of teachers, overheating is prev- 
 alent in mild and ordiniiry weatluT in winter 
 
 d — As a rule wooil was used in these stoves. it was 
 usually kej)! under cover and jnovided in sufficient C[uan- 
 tily, but t('n schools were found where the supply was only 
 a ilay oi- two ahead of tlie deniaud and where it was liable 
 to beciniie watei -soaked, In fiair schools great (liflii-ulty 
 was experienced in keeping the tires going 
 
 e — The large number of jacketed stoves is undoubtedly due to 
 the $50 a year subvention for three years to schools put- 
 ting in jacketed stoves and fulfilling certain other require- 
 ments 
 
 f — In some cases parents complained that children could not 
 warm' their hands at the jacketed stoves. In one case the 
 jacket was removed for this reason after the whole $150 
 had been collected: but one month's trial of the old condi- 
 tions was sufficient to nialce ever.vone willing to restore the 
 jacket 
 
 3 — Ventilation of school buildings 
 
 a — Of lOG schools 8 were ventilated by the gravity system in 
 connection with a hot air funiace; 69 had jacketed stove 
 ventilation and 2!) cnuld be ventilated by the windows and 
 deors onl\' 
 
 b — 'J'hese figures indicate a condition better than was actually 
 found, as in 11 schools the pure air intake was closed; 
 in 8 the foul air damper was closed, and in 3 both were 
 closed 
 
 c — In 15 schools visited either the windows or storm windows 
 could not be raised or were not provided with openings 
 
 d — AVlieic the jacketed stove system had been installed and 
 wJHTe the ventilation devices were rea'lly used the result 
 w;;s excellent. There is, however, among both teachers 
 and pupils a lack of knowledge about m'atters of ventila- 
 tion which gives the appearance of indifference 
 
Conditions and Xccds of Jiural t^rhnoJs in Wisconsin. 2D 
 
 e — ]Many teachers did uot undersUnul how tlie jacketed stove 
 ventilation in tlieir schools woi-ked. Apparently, none 
 had conceived the idea that the jacketed stove is an ex- 
 cellent piece of practical physical apparatus which could 
 l)c made of the s'i'c:dcst interest 1o [!Ui)ils. It was evi- 
 dently a new experience to the pupils when they saw the 
 paper, held below the foul air vent by the investigator, 
 whirled up the flue to the outside air 
 
 f — No sehool Avas found with all of the following minimum es- 
 sentials of ventilation, i. e., where 
 
 (1) The teacher understood the elementary principles of 
 
 ventilation and knew liow good ventilation might 
 be obtained in the srhcolroom and in their own 
 homes 
 
 (2) The boys and girls undcrslood the value of good ven- 
 
 filation jiiid knew Iniw gond ventilation might he 
 ol.lained in the sclioiili'oom and in their own homes 
 
 (3) The parents of boys and girls attending school were 
 
 alive to the importance of good ventilation 
 
 (4) The sehool was furnished with a good furnace or 
 
 jacketed stove ventilation 
 
 (5) Such apparatus was used 1o liie best advantage 
 
 (G) Windows wei'e o|icncd at rci'css, at noon and at 
 
 periods of exercise 
 (7) Windows were ])roviile(l with bnai-cis to dirc<;t the in-. 
 
 (•(iiiiiiig ;iir upwai'ds so as (o protect children from 
 
 direet draughts 
 
 4 — Care of school buildings 
 
 a — Of 131 schools inspected for this fact (he floors were scrubbed 
 
 (1) once a year in 35 
 
 (2) twice a year in 27 
 
 (3) four times a year in 25 
 
 (4) once a month in 30 
 
 (5) never in 3 
 
 (G) nobody knew when in 11 
 
 b — The serubljing was done by 
 
 (1) the janitor in 18 schools 
 
 (2) hired help in 9-t 
 
30 ConcUtions and Needs of Riind Scliools in Wisconsin. 
 
 (3) the teacher in 7 
 
 (4) in 12 schools the iiiToriiuiliou wiis not available 
 
 (• — Only 3U rural schools, where the floors were not treated 
 with non-di-ying floor dressing, were sciiibbed once a 
 nionlli — tlie ininiinum essential 
 
 d — No iiirul school wliere the floors were treated with non- 
 drying floor dressing received the minimum essential of 
 two applications of the dressing each year, after thorough 
 scrubbing with hot water containing alkali in solution 
 
 e — The floors were swept 
 
 (1) daily in 106 schools 
 
 (2) three times a week in 14 schools 
 
 (3) weekly in one school 
 
 f — The sweeping was done by 
 
 (1) the teacher in 83 schools 
 
 (2) the janitor in 27 schools 
 
 (3) hired help in 10 schools 
 
 g — Only ten of 94 teachers questioned said that they received 
 extra jiay for swcejiing their classrooms 
 
 h — Only 8 floors out of 131 inspected were treated with non- 
 drying oil 
 
 i — A sweeping compound or treated sawdust was used in sweep- 
 ing 27 buildings out of 131 inspected 
 
 j — The dust conditions in most schools were bad and in some 
 very bad. Matters wei-e made worse in some cases by the 
 use of soft crayons on the blackboards 
 
 k — Dusting was done 
 
 (1) daily in 96 schools 
 
 (2) three times a w^eek in 16 schools 
 
 (3) weekly in 5 schools 
 
 (4) never in one school 
 
 (5) at times unknown in 13 
 
 (6) with turkey duster in one school 
 
 (7) with a treated yarn duster in one school 
 
 (8) with cloths or untreated yam dusters in 4 schools 
 
Conditions and Needs of Tiund Sdiouls in Wisconsin. !31 
 
 5 — Water-closets 
 
 a — Out of 131 schools iDspeeted water-closets were scrubbed 
 
 (1) in 66 schools once a year 
 
 (2) in 13 schools twice a year 
 
 (3) in 29 schools never 
 
 (4) in 23 schools nobody knew when they were cleaned 
 
 b — No jn-oof was discovered in a single ease that the closets 
 were thoroughly cleaned out underneath at any time 
 
 c — The water-closets were inspected 
 
 (1) weekly in 85 schools 
 
 (2) monthly in 22 schools 
 
 (3) semi-annually in 3 schools 
 
 (4) never in 8 schools 
 
 (5) it was im'pnssililc to learn when the rest were in- 
 
 spected 
 
 d — The inspi'i'tiiin is ol'lcu |)erfunctory. Indescribable condi- 
 tions were found in some cases where frequent inspection 
 was alleged 
 
 e — Out of 106 cases where measurements were made the dis- 
 tance of the water-closets from the school buildings was 
 (1 ) under 20 feet in 13 cases 
 
 (2) from 20 to 30 feet in 23 cases 
 
 (3) from 30 to 40 feet in 17 cases , 
 
 (4) over 40 feet in 49 cases 
 
 f — Out (if lt)6 cases where measurements were made the water- 
 closets for boys and girls were 
 
 (1) under the same roof in five cases 
 
 (2) under 10 feet apart in 1 case '! 
 
 ( 3 ) from 10 to 20 feet apart in 5 cases 
 
 (4) from 20 to 30 feet apart in 25 cases 
 
 (5) over 30 feet apart in 65 cases 
 
 g — Out of 121 inspected, water-closets were 
 
 (1) screened in 89 cases 
 
 (2) unscreened in 32 cases 
 
32 ComUHons and Needs of Rural ScJiools in Wisconsin. 
 
 li — J 11 iiiiiny cases the screens were a mere pretense intended 
 only to comply with the letter of the law; tliey were too 
 low or nia<](' of lattice work with large spaces 
 
 i — In some cases the county supiM-intendent admitted that he 
 knew the law was being violated, witlioiit taking any ef- 
 fective steps to remedy the condition 
 
 j — No rural schools were found which conformed to all the fol- 
 lowing minimum requirements, i. e., where 
 
 (1) the water-elosets were scrubbed once a month 
 
 (2) the water-elosets were cleaned oiit thoroughly under- 
 
 neath twice a year 
 
 (3) the water-elosets were inspected once a day by the 
 
 teacher and once a week by a school officer 
 
 (4) the water-elosets were 30 feet apart 
 
 (5) the water-elosets were 30 feet from the school build- 
 
 ing 
 
 (6) the water-closets were thoroughly screened 
 
 6 — Care of grounds 
 
 a — The grounds are cleaned 
 
 (1) annually in 102 schools 
 
 (2) semi-annually in 8 schools 
 
 (3) never in 8 schools 
 
 (4) at times unknown in 13 schools 
 
 b — In most cases the cleaning is very perfunctory, being some- 
 times limited to cutting the grass before school opens in 
 the fall 
 
 7 — The common drinking cup 
 
 a — Individual drinking cups were found in 84 schools 
 
 1) — The common drinking cup was still used in 33 schools 
 
 c — One county superintendent asserted that there was no school 
 in his district where the connnon drinking cup was in 
 use, but four such schools were found within ten miles of 
 his offlee and all within his district. The teachers claimed 
 to have notified the superintendent of the fact 
 
Conditions and Nctdt: of liiind Schools in W isronsin. So 
 
 <1 — 01' the 84 scliools wliere tlie individual drinking cups were 
 
 in use, only two provided dust proof cabinets for the 
 
 <Mips. In tiie majority of cases the danger of infection 
 
 was not decreased liy tlie use of tlie individual drinking 
 
 • cup in jirtual prartice 
 
 f — In only two rural srhools were found tlicse luininuim re- 
 i|uireuients 
 (] I individual tlrinking cups 
 {'!] dust pro: f cabinets to contain them 
 
 8 — Use of individual pencils 
 
 a — In irK) sidiools childien either bought tlicii' own peni'ils or 
 were supplied with imlividual pencils 
 
 ]i — Pcui-ils were used iudisi-i'iminateU' in 14 sdiools 
 
 9 — Use of slates 
 
 a — Out of Kil rural si-hcols inspcctcii the s'ati- and slate pencil 
 arc still in use in 4!i 
 
 'I — In these sehools sanitary cinditions in the use of the slate 
 ^\■ere not maintained 
 
 10 — Age of school buildings 
 
 ■-: — 14 liuihlings were from ] lo ]() years old 
 
 ':< — 2U buildings were from !•• to 'I'l years old 
 
 e — 2-") buildings were from 10 to 2") years old and over 
 
 d — 24 buildings were very old. age unknown 
 
 e — 25 bui'dings wei'e of unknown age 
 
 f — In southeiMi counties old school buildirigs. ^vlii.'h have paid 
 their way and might well be replaced by modern struct- 
 Tires. are luunerous 
 
34 Conditions and .Wids of Rural Schools in Wisconsin, 
 
 11 — Floor area of school buildings 
 
 a — Xo sclioolrooin had a tloor area of less than 230 square feet 
 
 b — 33 schooli-ooms had a floor area from 250 to 500 square 
 feet 
 
 c — 51 Sflioolrooiiis liad a floor area from 500 to 750 square 
 
 feet 
 
 i\ — 22 schoolrooms liad a floor area of more than 750 square feet 
 or over 
 
 e — Every rural si-hool visited had suffioieut floor spaee for the 
 pupils attending 
 
 12 — Height of ceilings 
 
 a — The eeilings of 15 buildings were found to be less than & 
 feet high 
 
 b — The eeilings of 19 Imildings were found to be between 9 and 
 
 10 feet high 
 
 e — The eeilings of 13 buildings were found to be from 10 to 
 
 11 feet high 
 
 d — The ceilings of 55 buildings were 11 feet and over 
 
 e — Accepting 11 feet as the minimum permissible schoolroom 
 height of a ceiling, 55 Wisconsin schoolrooms out of 102 
 measured fell below the standard 
 
 13 — Vestibules of school building-s 
 
 a — Out of 80 schools visited and reported on for these facts 
 
 (1) 43 schools had good vestibules 
 
 (2) 24 schools had poor vestibules 
 
 (3) 13 schools had no vestibules whatever 
 
 « 
 
 b — Over one-third of the schools had no proper provision for 
 entries, so that in cold weather pupils at their seats were 
 flooded with cold air whenever a pupil arrived late, and 
 often when the doors were closed, cold currents swept 
 
Conditions and Xctds of Rand S<:hools in Wi.-iconnn. So 
 
 along the floor r'rom the rraeks under the doors, chilling 
 the feet of all the pupils for hours at a time 
 
 14 — Closets in school buildings 
 
 a — Of 100 schools inspected as to closet accommodation 65 had 
 no closets whatever 
 
 b — This resulted in many cases in giving a slovenly appearance 
 to the entry or corridor and the schoolroom itself owing 
 to lack of a proper pla.-e to store apparatus and supplies 
 while not in use 
 
 15 — Style of school architecture 
 
 a — The ordinary chalk l?ox style of sc-hool architecture prevails 
 
 I) — Except in rare cases where the building is kept well painted 
 and suiTounded by shade trees, rural school bull: . e 
 
 a very bare, mean and unattractive appearance 
 
 e — This general disregard of aesthetic consideration in original 
 construction finds its counterpart in the neglected condi- 
 tion of school grounds and buildings, and in the lack of 
 pictures and der-orations within the buildings. This con- 
 stitutes an invitation to children to disfigure school walls, 
 outbuildings and fences. — an invitation which is generally 
 accepted 
 
 16 — Size of school grounds 
 
 a — <)f 125 school grounds inspected and measured 
 
 li 18 are over 1 acre in area. 
 
 (2) 33 are 1 acre in area 
 
 '3i 8 are ^'i aci-e in area 
 
 (4 1 1 is "3 acre in area 
 
 i'5) 40 are i.o acre in area 
 
 (6) 3 are '^■^ acre in area 
 
 (7 I 11 are I4 acre in area 
 
 (81 11 are le.ss than '4 af'-"^ in area 
 
36 Conditions and .WuU of L'ural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 ■^ — Of 125 seliools inspeetc'd as many as 11 had grounds so 
 small that uot over oue-sixth of an acre was available for 
 the play of both sexes, rendering educational play practi- 
 cally impossible 
 
 c — In not one case were the srliool grounds used on Saturday 
 f. afternoons as a jihiy eenti-r for the youths of the com- 
 
 m'nnily who had iiiiislu'd school 
 
 d — Only one school had any |ihiygi-ound apparatus whatever 
 
 e — Not one rural schcol was I'ouiul with a field large enough for 
 a regulation baseball diamond where the youths of the 
 the community could play on Saturday afternoons and 
 where the adults of the community could gather to watch 
 the struggle of opposing teams 
 
 17 — Natural suitability of school sites 
 
 a — Of 125 school sites examined 
 
 (1) 62 were suitable 
 
 (2) 18 were fair 
 
 (3) 45 were poor 
 
 b — 62 rural schools out of 125 icportecl on were situated 
 
 (1) On at least a slight elevation 
 
 (2) "Where the soil would quickly absorb moisture 
 
 (3) Where it could be conveniently reached over good 
 
 I'oads from all parts of the district 
 
 (4) Where extra si^ace eould be obtained for playground 
 
 purposes 
 
 e — Of 103 school grounds inspected for these facts 
 
 (1) 51 had clay soil 
 
 (2) 8 had clay loam soil 
 
 (3) 8 had loam scil 
 
 (4) 9 had sandy loam soil 
 
 (5) 17 were sandy or gravelly 
 
 (6) 10 had a black loam soil 
 
 18— Ornamentation of grounds 
 
 a — Of 129 school grounds reported on only 25 were in any way 
 
 improved 
 b— Of 129 Rchools visited only one had a school garden 
 
Conditions and .V((</.s id Unnil Srhmds in Wisconsin. 37 
 
 19 — Blackboards 
 
 a — Of 105 sfhooLs iiispeeted for these fai'ts tliorc were 
 
 (1) Wood blackboauls iinly. in 15 
 
 (2) ('oinposition blarklioards oiil\', in IG 
 
 (3) Slate .blackboards only, in 63 
 
 (4) Wood and composition lilaekboards, in 5 
 
 (5) Wood and slate lplackb'>ards, in 3 
 
 (6) Plaster blai-kfoards, in 3 
 
 b — Of 102 sehools in whii-h nieasnreincuts wei'e made the black- 
 boards had an area of 
 
 (1) Under 30 scjuare feet in 4 
 
 (2) From 30 to 40 square feet in 3 
 
 (3) From 40 to 60 sqnare feet in 15 
 
 (4) From 60 to 80 sqnare feet in 32 
 
 (5) From SO to ]00 s.|uare fi'et in 22 
 (G) From 100 to 120 s(|nare feet in 14 
 
 (7) Over 120 sqnare feet in 12 
 
 e — Of 105 classrooms inspected for these fads lilacklioards were 
 fonnd 
 
 (1) In front only in 25 
 
 (2) In front and on one side in IS 
 
 (3) In front and on tw-o sides in 35 
 
 (4) In other eomljinalions in 27 
 
 d — Ont of 105 S(diools inspected for tliose facts only 20 provided 
 some blackboards situated nut over 30 inches from the 
 floor, so as to provide for tlie use of the boards by small 
 cldldren 
 
 e — Out of 102 schools inspei'ted for these facts the blackboards 
 were used by pupils and teachers 
 (1 ) Freely in 56 
 (21 Infrequently in 16 
 (3) To a fair degree in 30 
 
 f — Of 104 schools insjiected for these facts 
 
 (1) 80 used eoiiunon soft crayon 
 
 (2) 24 used d list less clialk 
 
38 Condiiions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 g — Of 105 schools iuspet-ted for these facts 
 
 (1) 16 were provided with all felt erasers 
 
 (2) 89 were provided with wood and felt erasers 
 
 20— Seating 
 
 a — 111 the 131 schools from whicli data was obtained there were 
 4265 sittings of which 
 
 (1) 94 were adjustable 
 
 (2) 4171 were noiiadjustable 
 
 b— Of these 131 schools 
 
 (1) Seats of assorted sizes were found in 123 
 
 (2) Seats of one size only were found in 8 
 
 c — The type of seating in which the seat of the desk in front 
 is attached to the desk behind is in general use 
 
 d — The practice of placing small sittings and large sittings in 
 the same row is practically univereal 
 
 € — This results in a high seat going with a low desk, or a low 
 seat with a high desk, a condition infinitely worse than 
 the use of nonadjustable seats 
 
 f — In half the schools visited double seats and desks only were 
 found 
 
 g — In one case such desks had been in use for 30 years 
 
 21— Libraries 
 
 a — Of 106 schools whose libraries were examined 
 
 (1) 7 had in their libraries less than 50 volumes 
 
 (2) 10 had in their libraries from 50 to 75 volumes 
 
 (3) 7 had in their libraries from 75 to 100 volumes 
 
 (4) 27 had in their libraries from 100 to 150 volumes 
 
 (5) 47 had in their libraries over 150 volumes 
 
 (6) 8 were not estimated 
 
 b — During the past year there were added to the libraries in 
 106 schools from w^hieh figures were obtained 
 (1) Less than 5 books in each of 17 schools 
 
tConditions and Xccds of h'liriil ScIkkiIs in Wisconsin. 39 
 
 (2) From 5 to 10 books in each of 33 schools 
 
 (3) Fi'om 10 to 15 books in each of 15 schools 
 
 (4) Over 15 books in each of 21 schools 
 
 (5) Noue in each of 20 schools 
 
 •c— Out of these 106 schools 
 
 (1) International dictionaries were found iu 66 schools 
 
 (2) (ieneral encyclopedias were found in 104 schools 
 
 (3) Other reference books were found in 24 schools 
 
 (4) No reference books were found iu 13 schools 
 
 ■d — Owiiicj to the law that all l)ooks must be selected from a list 
 authorized In- the state authorities, the libraries were 
 partii-Mihirly strong in the character uf their selections 
 
 •e — One library was kept in a soaji box. one was piled on the 
 tloor: 6 lii)rarics were otherwise improperly cared for 
 
 22 — Manual training and domestic economy 
 
 Not one iTJi-al school of the 131 visited had any equipment for 
 manual traiiiint;' or a si'wino' machine. 
 
 23 — Teachers' records of visits of supervisors 
 
 ?. — Out of the 131 seiiools visited 11 kept no records of the visits 
 of supervising officers ■ 
 
 b — In 76 sehnols tlieri' were no transfer cards foi' jiuiiils leaving 
 the district 
 
 c — In 106 schools no records were kept of the causes of absence 
 of pupils 
 
 d — In 1111 schools no records were ke[)t of the causes of tardiness 
 
 e — In only 59 schools were monthly reports made to the count.V 
 superintendent 
 
 L — Iu only 54 schools were teriii reports made to the county 
 superintendent 
 
40 Conditions and Xc(ds <if Txnrcd Scliooh in Wisconsin. 
 
 g — Not oue rural scliool teacher out of the 131 visited kept re: 
 ords and made reports adequate in all respects, i. e., 
 
 (1) Kept an accurate record of the causes and amount 
 
 of absences 
 
 (2) Kept an accurate record of the causes and amount 
 
 of tardiness 
 
 (3) Sent a transfer card giving information as to scholar- 
 
 ship, attendance, etc. to the new school of every 
 pupil leaving the district, and obtained where pos- 
 sible a similar card for every pupil moving into 
 the district 
 
 (4) Kept an accurate recoixl of the date and length of 
 
 visits of supervising officers 
 
 (5) JIade monthly and terminal reports to the county 
 
 superintendent on attendance and on condition 
 of the school in general 
 
 24 — Amount of supervision 
 
 a — Out of the 131 schools 
 
 (1) 17 were not visited during the year liy either slate 
 
 inspector or county superintendent 
 
 (2) 66 were visited once by the county superintendent 
 
 (3) 30 were visited twice by the county superintendent 
 
 (4) 8 were visited liy the state school inspector 
 f;j) from 18 the information was not available 
 
 I — In one school the records show that there had been no visit 
 by the county superintendent in six years. The teacher 
 who had served in this school for two years stated that 
 during her incumbency the county superintendent had 
 not visited the school. Not a pupil had ever seen the 
 cnnnty superintendent in the school. In the same county, 
 out of ten schools inspected, only two had been visited 
 by the county superintendent during the sclio il year 
 
 25 — Certification of teachers 
 
 a — Of 129 teachers visited and reported on 
 
 (1) 5 had life certificates 
 
 (2) 19 liad first grade certificates 
 
 (3) 50 second grade certificates 
 
 (4) 55 third grade certificates 
 
Condilions and Xccds of Bund Sili"i'l< in ^Vi^'■,,)l<ln. 41 
 
 26 — Lenglh of service in present school 
 
 a — Of 128 teacliers visited and reported on 
 
 (1) 56 bad taught in their present school less than 1 
 
 year 
 
 (2) 3!) had taught one year 
 (S) 20 had taught two years 
 
 (4) 9 had taught three years 
 
 (5) 4 had taught more than 4 years 
 
 27 — Total length of teaching service 
 
 a — Of 115 teachers visited and rei)orted on 
 
 (1) 31 had taught in all less than one year 
 
 (2) 19 had taught in all from 1 to 2 years 
 
 (3) 19 had taught in all 2 to 3 years 
 
 (4) 12 had taught in all from 3 to 4 years 
 
 (5) -5 had taught in all from 4 to 5 years 
 
 (6) 29 had taught in all 5 years or more 
 
 28 — Leng-th of present contracts 
 
 a — (>f 130 teachers visited and reixu'ted on 
 
 (1) 1 had contracted for less than a year 
 
 (2) 12() had contracted for one year 
 
 (3) 1 had contracted for two years 
 
 (4) 2 had conlracted for more than two years 
 
 29 — Salaries 
 
 a — Of 73 teachers visited and reported on 
 
 n * 2 were paid less than ^'M a month 
 
 (2) IS were paid between $30 and $35 
 
 (3) 20 were jiaid between $35 and $40 
 
 (4) 18 were paid between $40 and $45 
 .(5) 12 were paid between $45 and $50 
 
 (6) 3 were paid between $50 and $60 
 
 (7) were paid over $60 
 
 1i — Over 50% of the teachers visited received less than $40 per 
 month, janitor vork included in most instances 
 
42- , Condition.'! anil Xcals nf Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 30 — Cost of teachers" board 
 
 a — Of 123 teachers visited aud re{)orted on 
 
 (1) 20 paid less than $2.50 per week 
 
 (2) 50 paid between $2.50 and $3.00 a week 
 
 (3) 22 paid between $3.00 and $3.50 a week 
 
 (4) 11 paid $3.50 or over a week 
 
 (5) 20 did not state price of board 
 
 b — Of 123 teachers visited aud reported on 
 
 (1) 11 boarded at home outside the school district 
 
 (2) 15 boarded at hoine witliin the school district 
 
 (3) 95 boarded with others within the school district 
 
 (4) 2 boarded with others outside the school district 
 
 c — In all 13 teachers boarded out.side the district in which they 
 taualit. and of the 95 who boarded within the district, but 
 not at home, the majorit.y in thickly settled communities 
 went home for the week end 
 
 31 — Distance of teachers' boarding places from school 
 
 a — Of 111 teachers visited and reported on 
 
 (1) 73 lived l-^ mile from school or less 
 
 (2) 38 lived more than lo mile from school 
 
 32 — The teachers' study rooms 
 
 a — Of 117 teachers visited and reported on 
 
 (1) 98 were provided with rooms warmed sufficiently to 
 
 be used for study pui-poses 
 
 (2) 19 had no place where they could study beside the 
 
 common living room 
 
 33 — The attitude of teachers toward country life 
 
 a — ^As sliown in scliool work was not sympathetic in 32 cases 
 
 h — As shown in conversation with the investigator was not svth- 
 pathetic in 29 cases 
 
Conditions ami Xicds nj h'unil .S'r/(r<o/,s in Wisconsin. 43 
 
 34 — Part taken by teachers in community life 
 
 a — Of 131 rural teaehei's visited So took do part whatever in the 
 community life, i. e.. did not live with the community, 
 althousi'h they niio-ht live in it 
 
 35 — The personal equation of the teacher 
 
 a — Slarking on a standard whieh gave the teacher the benefit of 
 eveiy doubt, iriving credit for every indication of merit, 
 and making' all due allowance for the shortness of the 
 inspections, out of 118 teachers studied for this purpose 
 
 (1) ;n were found unsatisfactory in neatness 
 
 (2) 4R were found lacking- in vivacity 
 
 (3) 24 were found pliysically unfit 
 
 (4) 31 had poor address 
 
 (5) 26 showed an undesirable attitude toward visitors 
 
 (6) 47 showed an undesirable altitude toward child life 
 
 (7) .37 showed weakness in discipline 
 
 (8) 57 sliowed a lack of ability to instruct 
 
 36 — The rural school as a social center 
 
 a — Out of 131 school i-ooms inspected 
 
 (1) G were used for joint meetings of parents and 
 
 teachers 
 
 (2) were used for motliers' meetings 
 
 (3) 8 were tised for meetings of debating societies 
 
 (4) 31 were used for occasional social gatherings 
 
 (5) 8 were used for farmers' meetings 
 
 37 — Outside co-operation with school authorities 
 
 a — In but 2 of the 131 schools visited was there any evidence 
 whatever of cooperation of school patrons witli the school 
 authorities in bringing about better conditions as to 
 
 (1) Improved equiiunent 
 
 (2) Improvement of grounds 
 
 (3) Decoration of scliool building 
 
 (4) Improved sanitary conditions 
 
44 Conditions and Nenh of Bund Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 h — Several school j)atnius when asked why they did not make an 
 effort to improve couditious, said "it is up to the school 
 hoard " 
 
 c — One lady in response to a letter of inquiry as to the amoimt 
 of outside cooi)eration with the local school boards, wrote 
 that it was the business of the school board to run the 
 schools and for her part she did not propose to meddle 
 with their business 
 
 38 — Snap shots 
 
 -This is a school situated in one of the wealthiest fanning com- 
 munities in Wisconsin. Farm lands are rated at $150 
 to $200 per acre, until a buyer desires to buy, and then 
 he is likely to learn that he cannot buy the farms at all. 
 Every farm is well improved ; not only are there stone 
 silos, spacious bams and other commodious farm building 
 but even the farmhouses are well built and appear to be 
 most comfortable homes. The school ground was small 
 — 25 yards by 24 yards — uneven and unkept. The out- 
 house was unscreened. A board partition only separated 
 the boj's' closet from that of the girls'. The door on the 
 boys' side was hanging on one hinge. The interior was 
 indescribably filthy and unfit for iise. The school building 
 was a mere shack built 60 years ago, constructed of 
 matched lumber Avithout any siding. It was painted dark 
 green. The approach and steps were dilapidated and in 
 poor repair. The corridor was partly filled wath soft 
 coal; the dust had spread over the whole floor and was 
 being tracked into school. Entering the schoolroom, the 
 investigator found conditions within even worse than those 
 on the outside already described. The floor was littered; 
 coal dust and pieces of coal were scattered around the 
 old stove, the teacher's desk was in disorder; the room 
 was much overheated ; doors and windows were shut tight 
 to exclude the cnld and the air was so vitiated as to be 
 sickening. The lighting was unusuall.v poor. The four 
 small windows, two on the east side and two on the west, 
 were dirty and half covered by shades ; the walls and ceil- 
 ing were dark : tlie ratio of ^^^ndow area to floor area was 
 
Conditloii>: and Nods of Rnnil Srliooh in Wisrunsin. 4.j 
 
 1-17. The rhiklreii -weie dull, listless and drowsy. The 
 teacher wa.s simply helpless. Her .salary wa.s $28 a month, 
 the lowest paid any rural seliool teacher visited during the 
 investigation. I'hysically .she was u)ilit to teach school. On 
 aceonnt of her poor health, her inexperience, her lack of 
 training, the jdiysical conditions in which she was work- 
 ing, she was incompetent and hopeless'y weak. Eleven 
 children were enrolled, two had withdrawn, leaving nine 
 pupils. The i)rogram provided for -JT r(>eitations. The 
 school day <'onsists of: G hours— 1* to 12 A. il. and 1 to -i 
 P. ]M. Thii'ty minutes are used up for recess and 15 
 miunles tor opening exercises, leaving 5 hours, 15 minutes 
 for the :37 rei-itations or S 1 '5 minutes per recitation. De- 
 ducting three minutes for calling and dismissing elas.ses, 
 and taking into aeconut the usual interruption by pupils 
 at seats leaves less than 5 minutes per recitation. During 
 the recitations heard, the children showed no interest 
 whatever and so far as tlie investigator was able to .indge 
 the time wa.s ahsolutely wasle<l. The teacher used most 
 of it in scolding and nagging the children, to which fortu- 
 nately they had become accustomed and so eared but lit- 
 tle, if at all 
 
 -In the northei-n i)art of the state in the heart of the "pine 
 country" was found a brick school building built less than 
 two years ago. It was impossible to find out the actual 
 cost. The estimated co.st given by the directors, w\as "over 
 $2,000." This should have insured a model Imilding. bnt 
 these faulty conditions were found : 
 
 (1) The fuiiiace in the basement was not effective 
 
 (2) The shaft for carrying off the foul air was too small 
 {?,) The arrangement of the schoolroom made it impos- 
 sible to place seats so as to insure proper lighting. 
 The actual arrangement placed the major light in 
 the rear of the pupils wdiile they were forced to 
 face the light from two windows one in each cor- 
 ner 
 
 (4) In the arrangement of corridors and closets, nnich 
 
 space was wasted 
 
 (5) In clearing the site every shrub and tree was cut 
 
 down, although some splendid pines were originally 
 
46 ConcUlions and Xecds of Eitral Schools in Wisconsin. ' 
 
 on the site aud could have been left standing. This 
 situiilion is quite typical. Because of lack of su- 
 pervision inauy defects of school architecture re- 
 sult. School hoards iu the construction of school 
 buildings almost invariably strip a school site of 
 trees, leaving tlie grounds desolate and barren 
 
 e — In a school district located in ea.stern Wisconsin the school 
 liuilding was found in poor repair. Years ago, when the 
 sohoolhouse was constructed, an unusually large opening 
 was left for a door. The hinges supplied proved too light 
 to properly swing the door. The casings were injured in 
 the numerous efforts to remedy the defect, and much of 
 the time it was imjiossible to keep the door closed. At- 
 tempts have been made at the annual school meetings to 
 provide double doors or to appropriate a sum sufficient to 
 close up a part of the door space, so as to require a lighter 
 door. This was one of the chief issues before the annual 
 meeting for two years aud iu May, 1912, the factions were 
 preparing to continue the fight. The leaders of tlie fac- 
 tions were political opponents. Such examples of petty 
 aud personal differences determining matters of vital 
 school importance may be found some time or other in 
 eveiy district 
 
 d — One of the best schools seen was in charge of a young girl, 
 18 years old. just graduated from a nearby high school. 
 The pupils were alert, responsive and busily occupied. 
 The teacher was obtaining fine results in the usual school 
 subjects. The investigator incjuired as to her plans for 
 introducing agriculture, manual training' and the do- 
 inestic arts as a part of her work. She replied that she 
 did not know wliat was meant. After she had been told 
 of the plans, methods aud results gained by other teachers 
 in teaching these subjects, after she had been shown how 
 the school could lie made the social center of the com- 
 munity, after she realized the splendid possibilities of 
 creating a strong school spirit in the district by means 
 of parents' organizations, she said to the investigator, "I 
 shall certainly try to do these things; I only wish I had 
 known about it earlier in the term." This teacher was 
 
'Condiliotis aiul \((il.s of h'laiil Scluinls hi Wiscunsiii. 47 
 
 an lunisually eajtable young woman, with a personality 
 whieli enables her to organize and make effective any work 
 she determines is needed in her school district. She is a 
 t\pe teacher found in every eounty visited, and while 
 such teachers are in the minority they are the ones who 
 will heconie <|uii'kly rft'ei-tive in eveiy forwai'd step to 
 school betterment 
 
 e — la another school a young woman who had taught for five 
 years was found dciug rather ordinary school work. The 
 teaciiei- gave evidence of fine power and in some of the 
 work she showed great skill in her method of presentation, 
 in i-onveisation with her tiic investigate- incpiircd why 
 she was not making more of her opjiortunity as a teaelier, 
 why she did nut take greater interest in her school work, 
 why she did not make the school a vital factor in com- 
 munity life by organizing the activities in which the 
 patron.-i of the school would be greatly interested, why 
 she did not reduce the work in arithmetic, geography, 
 etc. to terms intelligible Ui the children. This teacher 
 was sufficiently intelligent and "well I'oad so that she un- 
 derstootl what was meant; she realized the importance and 
 the need of the w<irk suggested. Her reply, however, was 
 startling — ^"What difference would it niake if 1 did do 
 these tilings?" Who cares anyhow?" Asked whether the 
 eounty superintendent would not greatly appreciate such 
 Work, she replied that he "had not beeu around for over 
 two years." AYhen it was suggested that such w'ork would 
 lie n]>])reeiated by tlie people of the district she replied 
 that the people did not care so long- as the children were 
 taugiit the comm'on branches iii the usual way. "When 
 finally the appeal was made that as a teacher with her 
 natural ability she owed it to herself to do the work sug- 
 gested, she replied, with a twinkle in her eye, that she did 
 not expect to teach much longer 
 
 I — Tn another school a young woman educated in the country, 
 ■ was in charge of a school enrolling ten children, most of 
 whom were in the first, second and third reader grades. 
 This was the teacher's first teaching experience. In con- 
 versation with the investigator, she appeared greatly 
 interested in her work and showed a beautiful spirit. lu 
 
48 (Jondiiious and Xccds of h'xral Scltvi)h in Wisconsin. 
 
 her teaL-hing she was helpless. In teaching reading to a 
 group of fuur children all s^he could do was to point to 
 words and tell them what they were. The children had 
 been in school for live months, but apijareutly thej* had 
 accomplished almost nothing except to memorize several 
 pages of the primer. They did not know words isolated 
 from the sentences they had memorized. When the teach- 
 er "s attention was first called to this fact she could not 
 believe it to be true. When, however, she made the test 
 ajid satisfied herself that the children really could not 
 read, slie was greatly disap])ointcd and uuich grieved — 
 her own words were — '■And i thought these children were 
 doing so well." In teaching arithmetic she did much 
 better, but on the whole she was entirely lacking in ef- 
 fective teaching methods. She was a bright girl, anxious 
 and willing, but in lier met hods she was limited to w'hat 
 she remembered of the metliods used by her own teachers 
 in the rural schools. She told the investigator that the 
 county superintendent had visited her about a month 
 previous and iiad made no criticism or suggestion except 
 to explain Imw to fill out the blank tVii- reporting truancy. 
 She conii)laiued tliat there was no way by which she could 
 inipi'ove herself in feaclnng as siu^ lacked funds to enable 
 her to alfeiid a county training or noi'mal scln ol 
 
 g — In one district three public-spii ited citizens decided tliat 
 sduicthing had to lie done to improve th(>ir old tundiledown 
 building and to impi'ove the character of the instruction 
 in tlieir school. As a result the brard added twenty feet 
 to the fi-ont of the building making an euli-yway and cor- 
 I'idor '.) feet wide by 20 feet long and increasing the floor 
 ai'ea (jf the classroom by one-third. The building was 
 thoroughly jiainted on the outside and well tinted on the 
 inside. A jacketed stove and ventilation system was in- 
 stalled. A wood box was constructed so that wood could 
 lie ])ut in from the entry and taken out from' the school 
 room, thus reducing to a minimum the dirt, noise and 
 criufusion which usually ac-companies the daily replen- 
 ishing of tlie wood supply. Tight covers were provided 
 for the wood box both in the entryway and in the school- 
 room. A dust proof cabinet for individual drinking cups 
 
Conditions and X(<(ls nf Hindi Sclnmls in. M'iaconsin. i'.) 
 
 was built into the eiitryway and a larger water crock was 
 provided. A lioiiieniade but capacious sand table with 
 beautiful clean liuildiug sand «as pi'o\ided. An organ 
 was added to the eiiuipnu''Ut as well as a good bookcase. 
 Tlie closets were well screened and the school yard cleaned 
 up and partially graded. Good new hard pine floors were 
 put in. Then the beard hired a Icacher of two years' 
 practical experience who had taken all but 20 weeks of the 
 elementary normal school course. They paid her $50 a 
 month, a considerable increase over any salary previously 
 paid, in the district. The teacher was of good presence, 
 bright, energetic and prepossessing. Tlie children were 
 infected by the god sjurit of the teac-Iier. Everyone had 
 .something to do and was doing it with a will.- The teacher 
 is planning for a school garden in the spring and mothers' 
 meetings are under consideration. The class periods were 
 short, but much longer than usual, oidy one 'being as 
 short as ten minutes and two being as long as twent.v 
 minutes. The back of the r<iom was tlecorated by a 
 beautiful lai'ge Auun'ican flag ]iuri-haseil with money ob- 
 tained ]).v the sale of pins by tlu' chihlren. A box social 
 was soon to be held to purchase recitation l)enches. "What- 
 ever may be justly said concerning the parsimony of a 
 board which will not furnish sucli things irom the tax 
 levy, it certaiidy spoke well for the pulilic spirit of both 
 teachers and pupils that they were determined to have 
 these things anywa,v 
 
 h — "Within a lialf day's drive from this sriiool the investigator 
 fdiuid a, building not so old liut in n terribl.v dilapidated 
 condition. 'J'he buys had kicked ho'es through the clap- 
 boards and boarding. The school boai'd, having been 
 warned by the county superintendent that something must 
 be d(uie if lliey wished tii avoid cdndenuial ion proceedings, 
 replaced the old one-pane window on one side of the build- 
 ing by four-pane windows. The furniture and equip- 
 ment consist(>(l of four ma])S, a teacher's desk, a teacher's 
 cluur. a clock, an ancient stove a)id alleged seats for twenty 
 children. The teacher used the double negative in the 
 most artistic and unconscious wa.v. "When asked if the 
 school board would not supt'ly her with a sweeping com- 
 
50 Cond/itions and Si(.ds of Rural HckwAs in Wiscon^iin. 
 
 pound, she said that "they never got me nothing." There 
 was no ventilation save by the windows. The large boy 
 who kept the tire going did not bend his back before de- 
 positing the wood on the floor, to the great danger of the 
 building. When remonstrated with, he "sassed" the 
 teacher. The teacher was not provided w'ith desk copies 
 of the textbooks. In fact it was impossible to make a 
 list of the textbooks as seemingly there Avere as many 
 different kinds of books as there were pupils. All the 
 books were evidently heirlooms. The outbuildings were 
 Avell screened. Within a stone's thi'OAv of this building is 
 a very fine farm with remarkablj- fine farm' buildings. It 
 is commonly reported that the building for the hogs cost 
 $2,000. The school building might be worth $100. It is 
 safe to say that more money is spent in this district on 
 making hogpens comfortable for their occ-upants than en 
 school buildings — the return on hogs being nlore immedi- 
 ate than on children 
 
 i — One school inspected had a jacketed stove, good ventilation, 
 excellent hard pine floors, Avell shellacked, a water crock 
 and a fair equipment of apparatus. But the room was 
 dirty, the children listless and the teacher apathetic. The 
 teacher chewed gum steadily during the two hours the 
 investigator was in the room. She was uncultivated in 
 speech and coarse in appearance. There was a .good 
 plant wasted because the board had no appreciation of 
 what a teacher should be and do. An interesting side- 
 light on the situation is shed by the fact that the teacher 
 was in her fourth year of service in the same school at 
 a salary of $35 per month 
 
 39 — Course of study 
 
 a — The IManual of the Elementary Course of Study, i.ssued by 
 the .state department of public instruction, indicates 
 what portions of the various school subjects should be 
 taught in the different grades or forms. To the inexperi- 
 enced teacher the manual is of the greatest value. ]\Iany 
 teachers, however, pay no attention to the manual, pre- 
 ferring to follow the order of the textbook in use. This 
 
Conditions and Xt^ds of Rural Hchooh in Wisconsin. 51 
 
 is most unfoiluuate as the mauiial has attempted to adapt 
 school work to rural school needs and in a measure has 
 succeeded. Tlie l)cnetit which might come from such 
 study of the manual by the teacher as would result in 
 actually guiding her in lier teaching is lost as a result of 
 weak and inefficient supervision by the county superin- 
 tendent 
 il ' In one school the teaching of primary reading was 
 unusually ineffective. The investigator called the 
 teacher's attention to the suggestions on the teach- 
 ing nf reading on pages 21 to 3.3 of the manual, 
 yiie admitted that she had not read them. All 
 the children had the habit of following words with 
 the finger as they "bit them oft"" one at a time. 
 When a pupil was unable to name the word he 
 turned the bcok toward the teacher, the finger 
 just undci' the word, and she would pronounce it 
 for him. The investigator in his conversation with 
 the teacher called her attention to jiaragraph 27, 
 page 35 of the manual which is as follows: 
 "Tlie pointing habit" 
 
 'The pupil shoidd not be allowed to point to 
 the words as he reads. He should do as 
 the method descril.ied will start him in do- 
 ing: Ihat is. take in tlie sentence at a 
 glance and then give the thought. Teach- 
 ers are sometimes seen pointing to the words 
 on the blaeklioard one after the other, and 
 having the child call them in succession, 
 also allowing pupils to do the same with 
 finger or pointer. AVhile the child may 
 use his finger to guide his eye while he is 
 studying the sentence to get the thought, 
 when the time for oral reading comes, he 
 is to give thought smoothly and naturally 
 and not merel.v call the words separately. 
 This does not appl.v to pointing in cirill 
 exercises npon lists of words' 
 The teacher admitted she had paid no attention 
 to these and other suggestions 
 
•:i2 Conditions and Nads of Rural Schools in Wisconsin: 
 
 (2) In auotlier school a group of boys and girls were 
 attempting to solve some very difficult miscel- 
 laneous problems in the application of percentage. 
 The children floundered hopelessly in their at- 
 tempt to solve them'. Thej' eould not do so since 
 they did not understand the terms, "bond", 
 "above par", "true discount", etc., used m the 
 j)robleii]s. The teacher in lier attempts to explain 
 the problems to the children showed that she her- 
 self wa.s not at all clear as to their meaning. 
 The investigator called the teacher's attention to 
 the outline and suggestions on the teaching of 
 arithmetic on pages 169-180 of the manual. She 
 had read these and could give no reason for not 
 following the suggestions made 
 
 40 — The program of recitations and study 
 
 a — The short recitation period 
 
 (1) An analysis of thirty-one programs representing 
 schools in eight widely separated counties shows 
 the average length of the recitation period to he 
 thirteen minutes. Allowing for the time used in 
 calling and dismissing classes, and the time taken 
 up by interruptions of the recitations by the 
 pupils at their seats, the actual time taken for the 
 recitation is less than ten minutes. In so short 
 a period effective class teaching is impossible 
 
 b — Method of questioning 
 
 (1) Another factor seriously affecting the recitation is 
 the method of questioning used by the teacher in 
 the conduct of the recitation. Leading questions 
 prevail. If at first the pupil is unable to give the 
 answer the question is modified and repeated, the 
 answer sought being made more and more appar- 
 ent. These replies consist of single words, some- 
 times phrases. Rarely are they well rounded sen- 
 tences. Not in a single instance did the investigator 
 hear a topical recitation such as a first-class teach- 
 er teaches pupils to make. It was not uneom- 
 
^Conditions and'Xf,ds of II urn I Si-lmuU in Wisajn&in. 53 
 
 mou fox' pupils to answer with a rising inflection 
 of the voice indicating tlie pupils' doubt as to 
 the correctness of their answers. By this method 
 teachers use up most of the time in asking ques- 
 tions, calling for one word replies. The facts thus 
 brought out are isolated. Rarely do teachers even 
 attempt to establish the lieariugs and relations of 
 these external and detailed facts to the subject 
 ■of which tliey are a part. J\Iiich less do they 
 use them to exidain or light up everyday life and 
 •its problems as real teacliing should do 
 
 fa) In a small seliool, nine pupils were present 
 I 11 llie day of the visit. The program of 
 roeitalions was divided into 37 recita- 
 ti< n periods, not counting two fifteen min- 
 ute recess periods and two ten minute 
 periods for opening exerci.=es. The teach- 
 er was inexperienced, immature and with- 
 out professidiial training. She was earn- 
 est and eager to do well, but she simply 
 did not know how to manage her school. 
 Up to the time of the visit, the county 
 superintendent had not inspected her 
 school. The class consisted of a boy and 
 a girl apparently about fi iirteen years of 
 age. The lesson was on ' ' The Causes of the 
 American Revolution". The time for 
 the recitation 
 
 Teaeher: -Toliii, you may tell us the 
 
 causes of the Revolutionary War 
 John : f Looks glum and hangs his head) 
 Teacher: Don't you know the causes 
 
 of the Revolutionary "War? 
 Jolin: (Shakes liis head but makes no 
 
 reply) 
 At this point teacher gi es to back part 
 of room to tell a youngster the word 
 in his reading lesson whii-h he had 
 iwinted to and held up 
 Teacher: Can't you tell about the 
 Boston Tea Party? 
 
54 Conditions and Needs of liurcd Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 John: (Brightens up) Yes 
 
 Teacher: Tell it 
 
 John: They dumped the tea into the- 
 ocean 
 
 Teacher: Yes, but why did they do it 
 
 John: (Says nothing. At this point 
 several children in the back part of ' 
 the room' became noisy. A boy had 
 been annoying some of the other chil- 
 dren by throwing particles of snow 
 brought in from out-of-doors. This 
 led to trouble. The teacher much 
 annoyed scolded the children round- 
 
 ly) 
 
 Teacher: Anna, you may tell us, John 
 doesn't know his lesson 
 
 Anna: (Looks at the floor, apparently 
 much embarassed and remains silent) 
 
 Teacher: (The teacher was getting nerv- 
 ous, and ratlier sharply) Well, they 
 didn't want to pay taxes did they? 
 
 John and Anna: (Both assented that 
 "they" did not) 
 
 Teaclier : Then what happened 
 
 John: They had a war, didn't they? 
 
 Teacher: Yes, they did. For the next 
 
 lesson you may take to page 
 
 You must study your lesson better 
 for tomorrow. You didn't do very 
 well to-day 
 
 (2) Very few teachers were found so weak and helpless 
 
 as this teacher. But the same method was I'epeat- 
 edly used by the poorer teachers. Even the best 
 teachers at times resorted to leading questions 
 
 (3) It is a notable fact that the graduates of the county 
 
 training schools and of the New Richmond High 
 School Teacliers Training Department showed 
 much finer teaching ability than those who had 
 not had tliis professional training. Teaching ef- 
 ficiency in counties having training schools is 
 very much higher than in other counties 
 
Conditions and Nads of Eural Schools in Wisconsin. 55 
 
 c — Pupils do not learn how to study 
 
 (1) In the assignment of the lesson teachers fail to point 
 out definitely and clearly the essentials to be 
 sought by the pupil in the preparation of his 
 lesson 
 (2j During a recitation in a school visited the teacher 
 became impatient because the pupils did not re- 
 cite well. She was especially severe in scolding 
 one Iioy. He become resentful and retorted — 
 "Well I went over it three times". "To go 
 over" a lesson three times seemed to be the ac- 
 cepted standard of preparation in that school. 
 The teacher, however, informed him that he must 
 "go over it" again 
 
 d Tejiclicrs fiiil to iirovide profitable empbiyment to children 
 
 when they are not reciting 
 (1) In schools where skillful teachers were in charge 
 pupils were busy and tending strictly to busi- 
 ness. They had work to do and were interested 
 in doing it. This condition, however, prevailed 
 in not more than 30 schools out of 131 visited. 
 In the remaining schools there was a spirit of in- 
 difference and lassitude. Sometimes this was the 
 result of overheating and lack of ventilation. The 
 chief cause, however, was that pupils appeared 
 to have nothing worth while to do. This is es- 
 pecially true of the younger children. Frequently 
 they were busied in arranging grains of com, 
 playing with toothpicks, matches, or other wooden 
 splints. Sometimes children were told to make 
 words out of so called "word builders". Wlien 
 teachers were asked what the purpose of this 
 woik was they invaria])ly replied "it is busy 
 work". But what is "bu.sy work"— Then would 
 come the reply— "It is to keep them busy" 
 
 41 — Character of school work 
 
 a_Teachers fail to relate what they teach in school to what 
 the child does and learns outside of school 
 (1) From earliest years the child reared in the country 
 
56 Condition'! a»d .V"c7.< of Tlnnil ^(li<i<ih in Wisconsin. 
 
 becomes responsible for the performances of tasks 
 and chores whicli must be done regularly and at 
 definite times. Wcod must be cut, the pigs and 
 calves fed ; the cows must be milked and many 
 other similar duties mXist be done. Out of these 
 responsibilities grow trustworthiness, habits of 
 work, the power of concentration and applica- 
 tion. The child comes to the rural school vigor- 
 ous,, active with senses keen and a strong impulse 
 to do. He has accpiired considerable knowledge 
 of his environment. He has a splendid founda- 
 tion for the study of geography, Iwtanj-, zoology 
 He has some knowledge of soils; he knows why 
 one field is better than another for a certain crop ; 
 in his observations of farm life he has been stimu- 
 lated to reason upon causes such as wind, rain and 
 sunshine. He is acquainted with the topography of 
 the farm'. He is familiar with plants and weeds 
 on the farm'. He knows clover, corn, potatoes, 
 timothy and other plants and grasses. He knows 
 how they grow, how they are harvested and of 
 what use they are. He knows the farm animals, 
 the .trees, the flowers and many of the bii'ds. All 
 of these things have interested him because of their 
 usefulness and their power to increase the family 
 income. This extensive fund of information he 
 brings to the school. Here it does not fit in. 
 His introduction to school work is the traditional 
 "see the cat", "see the rat", "the cat sees the 
 rat" and other woi*se than useless twaddle. Ac- 
 customed to doing things full of purpose, he fails 
 to react under the stimulation of textbook material 
 to which his previous experience is unrelated. The 
 teacher has failed to capitalize the child's experi- 
 ence. As a result, he becomes listless, indifferent 
 and indolent 
 
 b — The story of several recitations heard in different schools 
 
 will serve to show the failui-e of many teachers to adapt 
 
 the work to the ability of the child and to the community 
 
 <1) Coming Into one school the investigator found a 
 
Conditions aiul Xttdx uf Eiinii Sclmols in Wisconsin. 57 
 
 class of two boys and oue girl reciting iu geog- 
 rai)liy. The ehiklreu ranged iu age fi-om' 12 to 
 15 years. The oldest, a boy, was asked to name 
 the exports and imports of England. He was un- 
 able to give any answer and although the teacher 
 struggled with him and with the other eliildren, 
 she failed to get the replies she sought. She ex- 
 plained that they were embarrassed because a vis- 
 itor was present. The investigator asked if he 
 might ask them' a few questions and the teacher 
 consented. Turning to the boy iirst called on by 
 the teacher, he asked him what the exports of his 
 father's farm were. The boy still hesitated, but 
 replied with the question, '"Do you mean what 
 we raise?" Encouraged by a partial assent, he 
 A\ent on and.Iiecam'e quite enthusiastic in telling 
 about the various crops grown. Another question 
 brought ovit what was retained on the farm 
 and what was sold. Asked as to imports he again 
 hesitated, not knowing tlie meaning of the word 
 "imjiorts". When asked what was needed on the 
 farm that tliey could not raise, he again started 
 off and gave a very clear statement, suggesting 
 farm machinery, groceries, harnesses and also 
 spoke of buying seed potatoes and seed corn. 
 This opened up a new field. Before leaving the 
 sidi.iect, the visitor asked the children to com- 
 pare ex-port and im-port asking them to give the 
 meaning of the words. "Without hesitation one 
 of the boys said ''Why exports means what you 
 .take off the farms and imports what .you bring in." 
 Other pupils modified this and gave the general 
 meaning. During the lesson the rest of tlie school 
 were interested and when at last the original ques- 
 tion was brought up the pupils were eager to re- 
 cite and did so intelligently. They now under- 
 stood what was wanted and were eager to tell all 
 they knew, and even more anxious to find out the 
 facts supiilied by the text 
 (2) A class of two lioys and three girls was reviewing 
 the subject in preparation for the county super- 
 
^8 Conditions and Needs of Rurul Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 intendent's examination for the common school 
 diploma. The pupils had been assigned ten prob- 
 lems selected by the teacher and written upon the 
 board. Following are some of the examples: 
 
 (a) What per cent above cost must a merchant 
 mark an article in order to sell it at a discount 
 of 16% of the list price and still make a 
 profit of 11% ? 
 
 (b) An agent sells 415 yards of woolens at 
 $1.52 a yard charging 2^/^% commission. He 
 invests the net proceeds in silks at $1.95 a 
 yard charging 33,4% commission. How many 
 yards can he buy? 
 
 (c) At what price must 4% bonds be bought 
 to yield 5% on the investment? 
 
 The pupils could not do these problems. The 
 teacher presented the solution, but the recitation 
 showed clearly that the pupils did not know the 
 terms discount and comnussion and liad absolutely 
 no idea of what a bond was. Neither did the 
 teacher. Asked why she had selected these prob- 
 lems, the teacher explained, "they were in the 
 arithmetic book". Curious to know whether these 
 children understood the very simplest problems in 
 profit and loss, the investigator asked them to 
 solve the following: "If you buy a pencil for 2c 
 and .sell it for 3e, what per cent do you gain?" 
 They took all the time they wanted for the solu- 
 tion. The.se are the answers they wrote on slips 
 of paper, 1%, 50%, 331/3%, 1/2% while one had 
 1/2 or 14%- ^^o one could explain how his result 
 was obtained. When asked to give the equivalent 
 per cents for i-.. I3, V^. if,, they not only could 
 not do so but they did not know what was meant 
 (3) Contrast to this some arithmetic work done during 
 a recitation in agriculture. Entering the school 
 the investigator found a class of seven children 
 ranging in age from 11 to 16 determining at the 
 blackboard the value of milk product of three 
 cows owned by parents of some of the pupils. 
 Following are the facts given : 
 
■Condiiiotis and Xnds uf liiiral i<cltool.s in Wificon^in. 59 
 
 Cow No. 1 gave 220 lbs. milk during week test- 
 ing 31/2 /i 
 
 Cow No. 2 gave 196 lbs. milk during week test- 
 ing i% 
 
 Cow No. 3 gave 250 lbs. milk during week test- 
 ing 3% 
 How much was realized from each cow for the 
 week, butter fat being worth 28c a lb.? Later in 
 the same session, boys were determining the act- 
 ual amount of corn, on an ear. They weighed the 
 ear of corn, shelled it and weighed the corn and 
 cob separateh' and found what per cent of the 
 whole, the cob and the corn were. One little fel- 
 low discovered and seemed delighted to announce 
 that "you can't tell by the size of the ear how 
 iiiueli corn it has; it may be mostly all cob." No 
 comment is necessary as to the relative value of 
 these two recitations: neither is it necessary to 
 call attention to the deadening effect of the first 
 and of the splendid stimulation of the pupils re- 
 sulting from the second 
 (4) A class in civics in another school consisted of two 
 boys nud a girl apparently fourteen or fifteen 
 years of age. The teacher was struggling to teach 
 the three departments of government — the execu- 
 tive, legislative and judicial. The pupils had 
 "gone over" the lesson in tbe textbcok but could 
 give uo answers to the teacher's questions. Upon 
 a.sking them to open their text books and read the 
 lesson, the investigator found that they were not 
 only unable to get any thought but they actually 
 could not pronounce some of the words of the 
 lesson. One boy pronounced "executive" ex-e-eu- 
 tive and failed utterly to pronounce "judicial". 
 Seeing how useless it was to continue with this 
 lesson the visitor was curious to find out whether 
 they knew anything of local and state government. 
 The girl told him that La Follette was now gov- 
 ernor and one of the boys insisted it was Taft. 
 They had never heard of IMcGovern. "When asked 
 as to the school district, thev knew how member* 
 
60 Conditions and Xt(ds of h'und Schouls m Wisconsin. 
 
 of the scliool board were elected, and they knew 
 what some of their duties were. They knew noth- 
 ing of how the money required for maintaining 
 the school was raised although they had studied 
 "taxes" in arithmetic. Asked as to the duties of 
 the county superintendent, a little girl said that 
 his duty was to visit the schools and a boy sug- 
 gested tliat the "county superintendent made chil- 
 dren go to school". Tliese same questions were 
 repeated in many other schools and rarely were 
 the correct answers given 
 (5) Other recitations could be described, but those given 
 are typical. Much of the work is meaningless and 
 unrelated to any of the child's pre\'ious experi- 
 ences. Good work was found but W'as so excep- 
 tional as to be almost a negligible quantity when 
 the work of the rural schools as a whole is Con- 
 sidered 
 
 c — Teachers fail in the teaching of reading 
 
 (1) Power to read is fundamental, and yet pupils are- 
 
 rarely found who are able to pick out the essen^ 
 tial facts of a paragraph. Failure to do this makes 
 it impossible for the student to gain results in 
 the subjects requiring him to get his information 
 liy reading. Even in the solution of arithmetical 
 ])roblems most of the trouble arises from the in- 
 ability of the pupil to read the problems so as to 
 understand the conditions named. Most of the 
 reading consists in the mere calling of words; it 
 is a mechanical process, in whicli thought-getting 
 is not the end sought 
 
 (2) The actual situation is best shown bj' the following- 
 
 incidents : 
 
 (a) In one school the older pupils were found 
 reading out of a liislory. One para- 
 graph contained the following: "Andros- 
 was given power to deprive all the col- 
 onies of their old charters and to give 
 them a new government"— Stumblingly 
 , a fifteen year old bov read along "Andros 
 
CuiiJitiiins and Needs of Bund ScJiooh in Wisconsin. Gl 
 
 was give power to deprive all the col- 
 onies of their old eharaeters and to give 
 them' a new goveriuiient". 'This was un- 
 corrected and another pupil read ou in 
 a most laborious way. The following sen- 
 tence appeared in another paragraph — 
 "During- the leign of King George III, 
 British troops were stationed at Boston 
 and the presence of the red coats was 
 displeasing to the citizens"*. This time 
 a girl read, with tiie following result: 
 '"During the region of King George HI, 
 British troops were sfatirned at Boston 
 and the presence of the red coats was very 
 tlisjilacing to the citizens". The really 
 vital thing fo lie considered is not that 
 these pupils miscalled llie wcjrds reign, 
 ciuirter and displeasing, but rather that 
 the readers were alisulutdy unconscious 
 of tlie fact that changing the \v(n'ds com- 
 pletel.^' destro.ved the thought of the sen- 
 tence. The.y had not developed a read- 
 ing consciousness. So long as reading is a 
 mere calling of words and not an eft'ort to 
 get thought, what can be gained from the 
 study of historv, geography, literature or 
 any other subject requiring the reading 
 of text books for the information de- 
 sired? This inability readily to recog- 
 nize ordinary words is very common. 
 Even in the better rural schools pupils 
 do not read easily and with facilit.v 
 (b) Another rending class consisted of two girls 
 and a boy. They had been in school 
 fourteen months. They wei'e reading in 
 one of the standard primers, the saiiv- 
 book in which they had sta"ted when fii'.Ti 
 coming to school. The child called on 
 began to pronounce words : when he hes- 
 itated the teacher named it for him. In 
 this way the teacher pronounced OA'er one- 
 
62 CondilioH.s und Xnds of Rural Schools in ^Visc■onsin. 
 
 tliii-d of all the words, by actual count. 
 There was no attempt to group words, 
 into phrases or sentences, so as to get 
 the thought 
 (c) Another class of children who were doing 
 third year work was found reading the 
 "Story of the Three Bears." Labori- 
 ously the pupils struggled through sev- 
 eral paragraphs. "When asked to repeat 
 the stor.y they had read, they were un- 
 able to do so. The visitor then said to 
 one of the children "Can't you tell the 
 story of the three bears?" Immediately 
 the child's face lighted up and eagerly 
 he told the story. Upon inquiry the 
 visitor learned that the teacher had told 
 them this story some da\-s previous for 
 a language exercise. It was apparent 
 that although the children were reading 
 the very story told them by the teacher 
 they had failed to recognize it in the 
 lesson 
 
 d — It is notable that the graduates of the County Training 
 Schools were nuich more effective in teaching reading than 
 the teachers who had bad no training 
 
 e — Those who had graduated from the New Richmond High 
 School Training Department, five of whom were seen, 
 were unusually strong and effective in their teaching due 
 to the fact that in this school unusual care is taken to 
 teach their students methods in trachiug reading and pri- 
 mary work generally 
 
 42 — How teachers obtain their positions 
 
 a — In conversation with school dii'ectors the investigator re- 
 peatedly inqnii-ed as to the method used in engaging 
 teachers. In the school board conventions the investiga- 
 tor had a fine opportunity for meeting and conversing^ 
 with school directors 
 
Conditions and Needs of Fui-<ii Sclidoh in Wisci'nsin. 63 
 
 (1) The following interview with one school member 
 is typical of many others: How do you hire your 
 teacher? "Well, tliat depends". Depends on 
 what? was asked. "Well, it depends on whether 
 we have many trying to get the school or not". 
 AVhat do you do when you have no applicants? 
 ''Well, we have to write to the count.y . superin- 
 tendent then, and he gets us a teacher". But 
 what do you do when the teachers apply to you 
 in person? "Why, we talk to her and if she 
 looks good, we in-omise her the job." Do the 
 three school direc-tors ever get together to talk 
 over the merits and qualifieations of different ap- 
 jilicants? "No, we don't. You see we don't have 
 to. She usually conies to see each of us separately 
 and we tell her". How do you know whether 
 the teacher is the kind you want? "Wlaat do 
 you mean?" Don't you know that there is a 
 gi'eat difference in teachers? That some manage 
 their schools in such a way that the.y do the chil- 
 dren more liarm than good? That some accom- 
 plish more in one term than others do in five? 
 How do yoii know what kind you are getting? 
 "Well, if she has had experience isn't that enough? 
 She can tell us how much she has taught, can't 
 she?" 
 
 1) — This interview tells the story. Scliool board members do 
 not select teachers intelligently. Personal considerations 
 usually determine the I'hoice. A good looking girl with 
 a winning way can easily gain the directors' approval. 
 Even if she is not particularly pleasing in personality, 
 prevailing human nature makes it ditificult to arbitrarily^ 
 say to an applicant that she can't have the position. 
 AVliat the director usually says if not entirely satisfied 
 with the applicant's appearance, is that if the other di- 
 rectors do not object, he won't. Having gained the com- 
 plete or partial consent of the first board member seen, 
 she goes to the second. To him' she tells of her inter- 
 view with the first member. The second member takes the 
 position that he is willing if the others are. To gain the 
 
64 Conditions and Needs of h'ural Schools in Wis 
 
 isconsi It. 
 
 consent of the third director is easy, as the teacher can 
 say to him that the other two liave no objections 
 
 c — In conversation with tcadiers tlie investigators verified the 
 facts as given above. Teachers stated that unless some 
 neighborliDod quarrel complicated the situation, the 
 method of procedure described prevails generally where 
 sehcol board members select the teachers 
 
 (1 — In some counties, the superintendent has succeeded in con- 
 vincing school board members that they are not in a posi- 
 tion intelligently to select teachers for their schools, that 
 they should contract with no one not recommended by 
 him for the position. In one county careful inquiry 
 showed that for two years past no rural school teacher had 
 been employed -without the advice and consent of the 
 county superintendent. In every county visited, county 
 superintendents to a greater or less degree are asked by 
 school boards to recommend teachers. It was im'possible 
 to determine just to what extent this was done as count.v 
 superintendents kept no record showing the facts 
 
 43 — The lack of efficient supervision 
 
 a — Many teachers were found who in their teaching fell far 
 short of what they could have accomplished, had they re- 
 ceived the benefit of intelligent direction and of con- 
 structive criticism. While but comparatively few teach- 
 ers could equal the best described, either in scholarship, 
 aptness in teaching or in fine personal qualities, yet all 
 the teachers seen with liut few exceptions displayed such 
 an earnestness and eagerness to do the mcst possible for 
 their schools, that iinder the stimulating leadership of a 
 county superintendent who was earnestly trying to work 
 out a definite constructive program for improving his 
 schools, these teachers would have greatly increased their 
 teaching effieienc.v. Taken as a whole the quality of school 
 work seen was poor. This is due not so much to the lack 
 of interest or unwillingness on the part of teachers, but 
 rather to the fact that they do not know what to do nor 
 how to do it. Through no fault of theirs they are lacking 
 in school ideals: they have little or no appreciation of 
 
a- 
 
 Condiiions and Needs of Riinil Nc/c/rV.v in ]Visco)isin. 6") 
 
 what a rural school should accouiplish aud how it should 
 Diiuister to tlie needs of tlie school community. They are 
 teaching as they were taught, handling the usual subject 
 matter in a lifeless aiid perfunctory manner. The one 
 thing most needed to lift school work from the rut of 
 mediocrity into which it has sunk is intelligent leadership. 
 Teachers need lielpfnl suggestion, encouragement and the 
 stimulation which conies from appreciation of results ac- 
 complished 
 
 -Where there is leadcrsliip and sympathetic cooperation with 
 teachers by superintendents, teachers do respond and be- 
 come tremenduously effective in earning out a superin- 
 tendent's constructive jirograni. There is much poor work 
 and a great deal of wasted effort in the rural schools in- 
 spected. Teachers are severely criticised and held respon- 
 sible for the conditions found. Apparently they are to 
 blame. Actually the responsibility lies with county super- 
 intendents who fail to use or to make the best of their 
 opportunities 
 
 (1) to develoj) tlie latent powers of their teaching corps 
 
 (2) to arouse among school patrons a healthier school 
 
 spirit 
 
 (3) to point to l)etter scliool ideals and in other ways 
 
 become the cdui'ational leaders of their counties 
 
 44 — Training of teachers for rural schools 
 
 -Four county training schools were inspected 
 
 (]; One was in the same liuilding with a county agri- 
 cultural and doiDcstic science school. There seemed 
 to be practically im cooperation between the 
 faculties of the two schools. The young men stu- 
 dent teachers did not have the use of the manual 
 training equiiiment downstairs belonging to the 
 agricultural school. The young women student 
 teachers did not use the cooking equipment of the 
 domestic science sciiool. The instruction in music, 
 drawing annd calisthenics was particularly good. 
 The practice teaching department was efficiently 
 managed although all tiie practice work had to 
 
OG CuncUtiotts a\id Needs of Rural Schnols in Wisconsin. 
 
 be done in graded city schools. Tlie teacher in 
 charge of this department took out her pupils in 
 groups to observe in nearby rural schools. The 
 lighting of the building, the ventilation and in 
 fact all the sanitary arrangements were above the 
 average. The classrooms were adorned with good 
 pictures and statuettes. The school possessed an 
 electrical stereoptican and reflectroscope. In 
 spite of its shortcomings, the influence of this 
 school was incalculable. On entering a rural 
 school in the vicinity one could always tell whether 
 the teacher came from the nearby training school 
 (2) Another county training school, which in its pros- 
 pectus called itself a normal, occupied its own 
 building. The building cost $30,000 and was up- 
 to-date in almost every particular. The ratio of 
 window ai'ea to floor area was 1 -A. Good ventila- 
 tion was insured by powerful fans. The air, how- 
 ever, was so dry as to make speaking difficult 
 and teachers frequently complained of sore throat. 
 Although the conditions might easily be par- 
 tially corrected at little expense nothing has been 
 done. The school possesses an anemometer, which 
 the principal could not read. He holds the in- 
 strument in front of the fresh air inlet, and if 
 the wheel goes around rapidly, he decides that 
 the ventilation is all right. The staff averages 
 over 10 years in experience. Two have university 
 training and the others noiinal school training. 
 Only one has had experience in rural school teach- 
 ing and administration. The tenure of office of 
 members of the staff varies from: two to nine years. 
 The school enrolled an unusually large proportion 
 of high school graduates, 21 out of 70. The prac- 
 tice teaching department was strong but all 
 jirnetice teaching and observation was done in 
 graded classes. There are rooms for manual train- 
 ing and domestic economy but they are not 
 equipped. Except for a very little agriculture, 
 the instruction. is in the traditional subjects, but 
 this, on account of the good equipment and the able 
 
Conditions and Needs uf Rur(d Schools in Wisconsin. 67 
 
 staff, is of a high order. The school has an excel- 
 lent library, piano, numerous pictures and statu- 
 ettes presented by gi-aduating classes, and the be- 
 ginnings of an excellent mtisemu 
 
 b — Two normal schools with courses for country teachers were 
 visited 
 
 (1) One such course is given in a normal school in a 
 
 small third class city. The country lies all around 
 and near at hand. The normal school has adopted a 
 real rural school, at some distance froni the town, 
 for i)ractice pui-poses. This school is efficiently 
 taught by an experienced teacher. Tliere is a 
 proposal that this school be moved to the nonnal 
 school campus in order to obviate the difficulty 
 of transporting practice teachers. This would de- 
 stroy the opportunity of making the present school 
 • a real rural school center and of thus placing an 
 object lesson in community work before the eyes 
 of the student teachers 
 
 (2) Another normal school which gives a course for 
 
 rural teachers had also adopted a one room un- 
 graded school as a practice school. It was, how- 
 ever, a rural s<-hool in name only. Out of 30 chil- 
 dren only one lived on a farm. The teacher said 
 veiy pointedly that he had no use for eountrj' 
 life nor sympathy with it. Neither was he willing 
 to give any time or effort to social center work. It 
 might be all right for those who liked that sort of 
 thing, l)Ut for himself he found social relations 
 with such people as he would have to jneet very 
 distasteful. At any rate he hadn't any time to 
 give to outside work. The influence of this young 
 man was sufficient to neutralize a great deal of the 
 advantages resulting from good eciuipment and a 
 trained staff of instructors 
 
 c — A training department for rural school teachers in connec- 
 tion with a high school was visited 
 (1) This school is in the heart of a wealthy agricultural 
 community. The high school has an attendance of 
 250 pupils, ,130 of whom come from neighboring 
 
68 Condiiionfi and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 rural districts. The high school does unusually 
 strong \vork, due largely to the excellence of the 
 teachers and the fact that the boys and girls from 
 the county are earnest and eager to make the most 
 of their school opportunities. They must pay 
 tuition aud hoard. The incidental expenses added 
 to these inakes the total close to .$25.00 a month. 
 The children realize that this is a considerable sum 
 and they feel that only by doing their best will 
 such an expense be justified. Such modern 
 branches as manual training, cooking, etc., are 
 entirely lacking. Many young people com'e to the 
 school so a's to fit themselves for teaching in rural 
 schools. It is a mark of distinction to be allowed 
 to take the work in the teachers' training depart- 
 ment as only those who have done strong work 
 during the first two years of their high school 
 course are allowed to register for the teachers' 
 training course. The pupils in this department 
 are given strong courses in the subjects usually 
 taught in tlie rural schools and in addition they 
 are given some splendid work in practical agri- 
 culture. It is the purpose of the principal of the 
 school to give a course the coming year showing 
 these prospective teachers how the rural school 
 m'ay become the real social center of the community 
 and what a teacher may do to bring this about. 
 The practice teaching is in charge of an unusually 
 fine teacher, who is also principal of the primary 
 grades in the city schools. The practice work is 
 done in the fii'st, second, third and fourth grades. 
 Some little practice teacliing is done in nearby 
 rural schools and a considerable amount of ob- 
 servation. The teaching by the pupils is done 
 under the direction and supervision of the prin- 
 cipal of the practice department. Not only do the 
 practice teachers take charge of entire classes in 
 a i-oom l)ut they frequently take small groups of 
 pupils into the halls where they drill pupils in 
 such parts of the work as the pupils need especially 
 to review.. In this way pupils who are backward and 
 
Conditiotis and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin, (il) 
 
 who ordinarily would become laggards are given 
 just the help they need and so saved from becom- 
 ing "repeaters." The halls are spacious, fitted up 
 with blackboards so that this group teaching can 
 be effectively done. Teaching these groups is more 
 like actual country school teaching than the usual 
 instruction of a class enrolling from 20 to 40 
 jiupils. Five schools in which graduates of this 
 training school were teaching were visited by one 
 of the investigators. In one school inspected, the 
 strongest work seen by this investigator in any rural 
 school in Wisconsin was observed. All the other 
 teachers were far beyond the average in ability. 
 They showed in their teaching, their management 
 of the school, their attitude to the school district, 
 the effects of the training they had received 
 
PART I\ 
 
 Some Serious Defects of County Supei'visiou 
 
 1 — The supervision of schools by county superintendents is 
 hopelessly inadequate 
 
 a — Visits to the schools are made too infrequently 
 
 (1) Prom records in the county superintendents' offices 
 
 it has been found that more than one visit to the 
 same school in one year is infrequent 
 
 (2) From a careful inquiry in 13 counties, in which 131 
 
 rural schools were visited during the period from 
 February to June, it was found that in only one 
 county had more than two visits been made to any 
 one school ; that the average to all schools was only 
 one, and that 17 schools had not been visited dur- 
 ing the year 1911-1912 
 
 (3) Of eight rural schools seen in one county, only two 
 
 had been visited within a year; one had been vis- 
 ited three times in five years; one had not been 
 visited in two years; three in three years and one 
 in five years 
 
 b — The large number of schools that many county superinten- 
 dents have under their charge now makes it necessary to 
 cut the visits so short as to be almost futile, if they visit 
 each school twice a year 
 
 (' — 'Rural schools in Wisconsin are in session from 160 to 180 
 days; but the superintendent cannot visit on all of these 
 days because 
 (1) The roads are often bad and weather is often in- 
 clement 
 
Conditions and Needs of Uiiral HeJiooIs in Wisconsin. 71 
 
 (2) Press of clerical duties and office routine frequently 
 
 keeps him at home 
 
 (3) Visiting is in many cases not desirable on afternoons 
 
 preceding or forenoons following holidays 
 (-1) Visiting during the last few weeks of the year is 
 comparatively ineffective. On the whole, county 
 superintendents might fairly be expected to spend 
 100 days per year in visiting schools. The fol- 
 lowing table gives an idea of conditions in 13 
 counties : 
 
 County 
 
 Numbei 
 
 :• of Buildings 
 
 Numbei 
 
 • of Teachers 
 
 1 
 
 
 78 
 
 
 
 90 
 
 2 
 
 
 31 
 
 
 
 52 
 
 3 
 
 
 59 
 
 
 
 75 
 
 4 
 
 
 92 
 
 
 
 118 
 
 5 
 
 
 190 
 
 
 
 235 
 
 6 
 
 
 71 
 
 
 
 172 
 
 7 
 
 
 119 
 
 
 
 155 
 
 8 
 
 
 127 
 
 
 
 187 
 
 9 
 
 
 75 
 
 
 
 95 
 
 10 
 
 
 135 
 
 
 
 197 
 
 11 
 
 
 191 
 
 
 
 236 
 
 12 
 
 
 234 
 
 
 
 319 
 
 13 
 
 
 116 
 
 
 
 194 
 
 On the basis of a 6 hour school day, the theoreti- 
 cally possible length of visits varies from ly^ 
 hours in a thickly settled southern county to 5 
 hours and 45 minutes in a thinly settled northern 
 county. The figures given are only theoretically 
 possible in many northern, counties where dis- 
 tances between school buildings are great and 
 where roads are bad. In many other counties, 
 where visits of two or three hours are practically 
 possible, the visiting falls far short of 100% 
 efficiency 
 (5) Supervision becomes perfunctory and but little time 
 is given to personal conference with either the 
 teacher or the school board 
 
72 Conditions and Xcrds of Kunil .sV/zno/.v ('/( Wisrun.tin. 
 
 ( 6 ) " This is the first time that my school has ever been 
 
 inspected", has been the frequent remark of the 
 teacher to the investigator 
 
 (7) Every year 1.500 young girls of common school educa- 
 
 tion and M'ith only six weeks training in methods of 
 teacliiug and school administration are facing their 
 first school, yet the only supervision they receive 
 is the brief visit of the county superintendent and 
 the conferences at the institutes 
 
 (8) The state superintendent says in his fourteenth bi- 
 
 ennial report (page 3) "There is no adequate su- 
 pervision of these schools. As a rule the county 
 superintendent finds it impossible to visit the 
 schools more than once a year and then for a brief 
 time. Many of these visits come toward the end 
 of the school year. The teacher is thus thrown 
 almost wholly upon her own resources, and one out 
 of every three or four teachers on the average is 
 doing her first year's work and in many cases 
 never saw the inside of a country school before" 
 
 2 — The unrestricted powder to certificate teachers, held by the 
 county superintendent, is a source of great weakness 
 
 a — The standard of marking examination papers varies from 
 county to county. A grade of 50 is acceptable as passing 
 mark in some, 60 and even 70 is required in others. Of 
 47 superintendents answering the question, "Would the 
 free selection of teachers from other counties improve your 
 .schools?" 34 answered, "No," meaning to express distrust 
 in the judgment of other superintendents 
 
 b — Tile questions used in the examinations are frequently un- 
 suitable for testing the candidates' abilities. In some 
 cases questions are bought by the superintendent already 
 printed from school supply houses and used without pre- 
 tense of adapting them to local needs 
 
 c — Too many opportunities are offered for favoritism and undue 
 influence from outside 
 (1) One count.v superintendent remarked to the investiga- 
 tor that a predecessor in office would issue a license 
 
Conditions and Xccds of Rural Hchooh in Wisconsi)}. IW 
 
 to any candidate he would name, "even if it were 
 a two-year old child" 
 (2) It is coninionly asserted even by county superinten- 
 dents that from certain other superintentents 
 "anyliody can get a certificate who is related to 
 one or more voters" 
 
 3 — Anxiety about re-election is a bar to higher efficiency 
 
 a — It leaves the superintendent directly responsible to no one 
 
 (1) His responsibility to the state superintentent or to 
 
 anyone who can judge the efficiency of his service 
 is negligible 
 
 (2) Kespousibilily to the electorate can be evaded through 
 
 the usual method of "politics" 
 
 b — If femjifs liim to curry favor with the politicians instead of 
 insisting upon good schools 
 
 (1) The very people whom he should condemn for fail- 
 
 ure to provide decent schools and equipment are 
 those who can oppose his re-election 
 
 (2) The greater the need for vigorous action, the more 
 
 dangerous it is for the county superintendent to 
 do his duty 
 
 (3) Having spent, as practically all must, several hun- 
 
 dred dollars in canvassing for election, he is natur- 
 all.y timid about losing the advantage once gained. 
 (One county superintendent declared to an inves- 
 tigator that it cost him $400 to be elected and his 
 opponent $1,000 to be defeated) 
 
 4 — The salaries are insufficient 
 
 a — In 1911 the salaries paid to county superintendents were: 
 
 Less than $800, 5 
 
 $800 to $1.000 33 
 
 $1,100 to $1,200, 25 
 
 $1,300 to $1,400, 4 
 
 $1,500, 4 
 
 $1,800, 1 ■ 
 
 b — The best equipped men accept the salaries under $1,500 only 
 as a stepping stone to other professions or to politics 
 
74 Conditions and Xccds of Rural ScJiools in Wisconsin. 
 
 5 — The enforcement of the truancy law is not effective 
 
 a — Coi)|)('r;iti(iii is hickiiiL;- l>ct\veen departments and between 
 ofificials 
 
 b — Confusion exists ;is to wliose duty it is to enforce the law 
 
 e — Many county suptTinlendeuts content themselves with send- 
 ing to tlie industrial commission or to the sheriff, or both, 
 lists of chiklren, wlio liave been reported by the teachers 
 as absent one or more days, and take no further action 
 
 (1) The cause of absence is not always stated 
 
 (2) These county superintendents hold that the respon- 
 
 sibilit.y of bringing the children to school rests 
 with the industrial commission 
 
 (3) The fear of getting into trouble with his own con- 
 
 stituents makes the county superintendent eager to 
 shift upon tlie industrial commission the burden 
 of enforcing the law 
 
 d — Representatives of the industrial commission contend that 
 it is the duty of the county authorities to enforce the 
 truancy law, and that its own function is primarily to see 
 tliat the county superintendent, the sheriff and the dis- 
 trict attorney are diligent in enforcing the law, and that 
 the power it may have to pi'osecute individual eases is 
 rendered nugatory by the lack of appropriation therefor 
 
 e — No .system has been devised giving such supervision. (Since 
 tliis was written the industrial commi.ssion has taken steps 
 to remedy this defect) 
 
 (1) In the office of county superintendents as a mle 
 
 there are no records of actions taken in regard to 
 delinquent parents, nor of children who are re- 
 turned to school a.s a result of such action 
 
 (2) Without such records, any supervision by the in- 
 
 dustrial coiiiiiiission is impossible 
 
 f — Neither from tbc office of the state superintendent nor from 
 the industrial commission have definite instructions been 
 issued as to the ]iolicy of enforcing the truancy law 
 
Conditions and Needs of Rural Scliouls in Wisconsin. 75 
 
 g — The attempts of the sheriii' aud district attorney to enforce 
 the truancy law are generally perfunctory 
 
 (1) The usual procedure is for the sheriff to notify the 
 
 delinquent parents by mail that they have failed 
 to comply with the law 
 
 (2) In one county the sheriff stated that he had, during 
 
 the school year 1911-12, sent out 145 notices, of 
 whicli only 11, most of them' in the city, had been 
 investigated by him or his deputies. The records 
 in the county superintendent's office seemed to 
 indicate — the records were somewhat indefinite — 
 (hat 283 names had been reported to this sheriff. 
 In no case had an attempt been made to inform 
 the teacher of the sheriff's action and no records 
 of results were kept. 
 
 (3) Teachers are not infonned of notices sent to parents. 
 
 The county superintendents rely upon the teach- 
 ers' monthly report to see results 
 
 (4) In one count.v lists of truant children had been 
 
 regularly sent to the district attorney, who, upon 
 inquiry late in the spring, stated that he had mis- 
 laid the papers and forgotten about them 
 
 h — In two counties visited the delinquent parents were arrested 
 because the warning notice sent upon the first offense had 
 not been heeded 
 
 6 — Systematic use is not made of records in supervising 
 schools, attendance and teachers 
 
 a — Cnnuilativc records of visits describing conditions of school 
 buildings in need of supplies and repairs, of I'ecommenda- 
 tions submitted to school boards, of improvements made 
 and of progress of the school as shown in better attend- 
 ance, etc., are conspicuous bv their absence 
 
 li — In 110 ciiunty superintendent's office has a complete set of 
 last year's census lists been found 
 (1) One supei'iutendent had received during the year no 
 report of the names or the number of children at- 
 tending the various schools, and had no m'eans of 
 knowing what jtroportion of children were enrolled 
 
7G Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 or how man}' of compulsory age ever came to 
 school 
 1,2) Kepeated reciiiests for teachers' reports for truant 
 children were met with the reply that these re- 
 ports must have been misplaced, as they could not 
 be found 
 
 c — Ouly in six counties seen were records of the teachers' legal 
 qualifications found, although the county superintendent 
 certifies to the state superintendent that none but quali- 
 fied teachers are engaged. Most county superintendents 
 obtain this information, if at all, at their visits to the 
 schools. Records showing the standing received by teach- 
 ers in examinations for certificates have l)een found in all 
 counties 
 
 d — Keeord of teacliing power, skill in school management, at- 
 tendance at professional schools or institutes is rarely made 
 
 e — ;\lodern office equipment, such as filing cabinets, card cata- 
 logues, etc., are only sparingly or not at all supplied by 
 the county boards 
 
 (1) In one of the counties seen, the superintendent had 
 
 been provided with an office, but the only indica- 
 tion of equipment was her own typewriter 
 
 (2) One superintendent who kept systematic records of 
 
 his work was compelled to file them in pigeon- 
 holes and drawers of his desk. To find any of 
 them he wastes considerable time, which a filing 
 cabinet would save for better use 
 
 f — Reports and form's u.sed are not standardized as to size; 
 therefore in consulting important documents so much unty- 
 ing of bundles, folding and unfolding of papers is re- 
 quired and time wasted, that such consultations are nat- 
 urally infrequent 
 
 g — When a new superintendent is elected, he steps into an office 
 that furnishes him with scanty or no information. Of 
 the official acis of his predecessor he has no records. He 
 must spend a year or more in getting acquainted with the 
 schools before he can enter intelligently upou his duties 
 as a superintendent 
 
Conditions and Needs of Riiral Srlidals in Wiseonsin. 77 
 
 -No provision is made by the state department to instruct a 
 county superintendent in the performance of ofSce duties, 
 althougii efficient administration requires s.ystematic rec- 
 ord keeping 
 
 (1) Instruction in methods that prevail in an up-to-date 
 
 business office, and proper forms and systems of 
 records could legitimately come from' the state de- 
 partment 
 
 (2) Properly systematized, most of this work could be 
 
 done by a clerk and the superintendent find in- 
 creased time for supervision of schools 
 
 -The lack of sj'stem in keeping records and the neglect of the 
 county boards of supervisors to provide him with office 
 help, compel the county superintendent to waste time that 
 should be spent in visiting schools, the most important of 
 his duties 
 
 (1) A clerk relieves one superintendent of much of such 
 
 duties as checking, sunnnarizing and filing, keep- 
 ing track of correspondence with school boards 
 and teachers, giving routine information, distribut- 
 ing pamphlets and circulars 
 
 (2) "Without a. system or method the county superin- 
 
 tendent finds the performance of this clerical work 
 an excuse to remain unnecessarily in his office and 
 to postjione and omit school visiting 
 
PART Y 
 
 Some Serious Defects in State Supervision 
 
 1 — The responsibility of county superintendents for the super- 
 vision of rural schools is not clearly defined by law 
 
 a — The state superintendent eannot, for instance, remove from 
 ofKee a county superintendent for laxity in visiting schools, 
 for issuing certificates to incompetent teachers, for per- 
 mitting unsanitary conditions to continue in schools 
 
 2 — Present powers of the state superintendent have not been 
 adequately exercised 
 
 a — He has the power — and tlie duty — to demand reports of 
 work perfornied and results accomplished and the oppor- 
 tunity of using publicity in comparing those results 
 
 (1) "It shall be the duty of eveiy county superintend- 
 
 ent * * * from time to time (to transmit) 
 siich other facts relating to education in his dis- 
 trict as the state superintendent shall require", 
 (page 100, School Laws of Wisconsin) 
 
 (2) "It shall be the duty of said (state) inspector (of 
 
 rural schools) * * * to procure informa- 
 tion concerning the rural school districts * • * 
 (and) to confer with each count}' or district su- 
 perintendent concei'ning the conditions of the 
 schools in his county or district". (Page 306, 
 School Laws) 
 
 1) — Regular inspection of the offices of county superintendents 
 or of the records contained therein is not made 
 
CondUions and Xccds uf liiind (ScAoo/.s- in Wisconsin. 7'J 
 c — PublioiitidU of findings is therefore impossible 
 
 d — Comparison of coiiuty witli county, sliowing the condition 
 of tile schools and the etificiency of county superintendents, 
 is not presented to the people by the state superintendent 
 
 e — No ri'gular system is devised by which the work of an effici- 
 ent county superintendent is brought to the attention. of 
 other superintendents 
 
 1' — The eft'ective work described en pages 8-10 in this report 
 as done by one county remains prnctically. unknown in the 
 rest of the state 
 
 3 — Low standards of certification frustrate the efforts of the 
 county training schools 
 
 a — The rural school is m;;de a training held for graded and 
 city schools and a dumping-place for untrained and un- 
 successful teachers 
 
 1) — The supi)ly of inexperienced girls who are now legally quali- 
 fied to teach keeps the salaries at a rate which no com- 
 petent teacher is willing to continue in school work 
 
 c — The law that "cheap money always drives good money from 
 the market" is as inexorable when applied to teachex'S as 
 it is in trade. So long as the standards of salaries is set 
 by the untrained teachei's, the graduates of the training 
 schools will, in spite of the exhortations of the principals, 
 go to graded or village schools after tliey have served with 
 success a year or two in the ungraded schools 
 
 d — As long as a certificate, ol.)tained after a six weeks training 
 course, qualifies for teaching, the purpose of establishing 
 training schools, namely to suppl.y the rural schools with 
 trained teachers, will net lie attained 
 
 e — The -short time in which teachei's stay in the rural school — ■ 
 the bi-ennial school report of IDIO fp. 35) states that 
 from oue-fourlh to one-third are new each year — is a strong 
 indication that many of the teachers fail to retain their 
 position in a school ; or as the report expresess it (p. 33) ; 
 
80 Comlitions and \cids of h'tifal Scliooh in Wisconsin. 
 
 "llaiiy young ])eople have taken up tliis work not be- 
 i-auso tlicy were especially adapted for it, Imt because it 
 was the only thing they could do with their limited amount 
 of preparation" 
 
 4 — Reports of school facts are lacking in intelligent purpose 
 
 a — The purpose ol' ihc ])res('nt collection is chiefly to furnisli 
 iuforniation for the distrihution of school money 
 
 b — School reports offer very scant assistance to those whose 
 duty it is to supervise truancy, to fit courses of study to 
 the maturity of children in the school, and to know how 
 far the schools minister to the needs of the children 
 
 c — Fundamental questions arc left unanswered, such as the age 
 at which children enter school, the age at which they leave, 
 how many comiiletc the work of the grades, the number 
 of days they attend 
 
 d — No cori'elation is made between the number of children on 
 the census returns and the number in school, and one is 
 at a loss to kiiow how numy children should be in school 
 but are not 
 
 e — The facts concerning the rural schools, graded schools and 
 high schools are ])ut into one basket, shaken and summar- 
 ized into one total 
 
 f — In the table of teachers' salaries the last bi-ennial report pre- 
 sents a roseate view of substantial salarj' increases during 
 the last decade but fails to state how far the graded and 
 high schools, which to-day constitute a much larger per- 
 centage of the total number of schools than they did ten 
 year's ago, have contributed to this increase 
 
 g — To justify the expenditure for school needs, opinions only, 
 not facts, can be quoted. The people are left in unneces- 
 sary ignorance of the needs, shortcomings and gains of 
 their schools 
 
Conditions and Needs uf Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 81 
 
 5 — The distribution of school funds is not equitable 
 
 a — Tlie aliotnieut-of public uiouey to the educational depart- 
 ments, as public instruction, normal schools, university and 
 libraries, or to tlie various branches of any one department, 
 as rural schools, city schools, high schools, etc., of the de- 
 isartmeut of public instruction, is not based upon a care- 
 fully prepared budget sliovving tbe needs ol' tbe various 
 departments or branches 
 
 b — Apportioning state money among the towns according to the 
 number of children over 4 years of age and under 20 
 does not consider the economic power of the district to 
 support schools 
 (Ij It imposes upon a poor district with 10 children the 
 same burden of paying teachers' salaries and build- 
 ing a school, as upon a more pojiulous district with 
 40 or 50 children 
 
 c — "Taxation for school purposes in tbe country is very un- 
 equal in the different districts" 
 
 (1) "Some districts do not tax themselves at all, but 
 
 depend on the state and county money to run their 
 schools" 
 
 (2) "Cases have been found in which the district has 
 
 thus accumulated a large bank account in addi- 
 tion to running the school" 
 (S) "It should be added that in such cases the school 
 is usually run on a cheap basis". (Fourteenth 
 Biennial Report, p. 3) 
 
 d — An exhaustive study of the present method of providing for 
 rural schools lias not been made, but the investigators 
 have, on many occasions, seen evidence of wastefulness 
 and injustice in the present distribution 
 
 6 — The distribution of school funds is not the factor it should 
 be in effecting educational improvement 
 
 a — It gives no premiums to efficient schools 
 
 b — It offers no inducements to the districts to bring all children 
 to school who should be there, or keep them in school after 
 they are enrolled 
 
82 Co7)diliovs and Xccds of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 c — It disregards the necessity of efficient teaching 
 
 d — It permits tlie expenditure of scliool money without pro- 
 viding adequate control that tlie purpose of the expendi- 
 ture shall be accomplished 
 
 e — It supplies tlie inacliiiiery of education but ignores the pur- 
 poses 
 
 I' — As long as the state demands that all children of school age 
 must attend school, it assumes the responsibility of fur- 
 nishing schools that make of the children useful and cap- 
 able citizens 
 
FART VI 
 
 Contrast Between State Supervision of State 
 
 Graded Schools and State Supervision 
 
 of Rural Schools 
 
 a — A careful study was made of the reports ou 50 schools of 
 the two state inspectors of state graded schools for the 
 academic years 1909-1910, 1910-1911 and 1911-1912. The 
 following results appeared: 
 
 (1) Of the 50 schools concerned 
 
 (a) 31 were visited once each year 
 
 (b) 16 were visited twice in three years 
 
 (c) 3 were visited once in three years 
 
 (2) Some of these failures to visit were caused by the 
 
 removal of schools from the list due to failure to 
 live up to tlie requirements of the law 
 
 (3) The average time spent in inspection by an inspector 
 
 of state graded schools was 3 hours and 45 minutes 
 (4j There is no record to show the average length of an 
 inspection by the county superintendent. The 
 average length of a visit by liim might theoretic- 
 ally be on the average about 2 hours 25 minutes 
 
 (5) The records of visits by inspectors of state graded 
 
 schools show that out of 363 licenses reported on 
 only 19 or 5.27o held third grade certificates 
 
 (6) Out of 111 rural school teachers visited 41 or 37.% 
 
 held third class certificates 
 (7.) Out of 363 ratings given to teachers 
 
 (a) 2 were marked excellent 
 
 (b) 6 were marked very good 
 
 (c) 101 were marked good 
 
 (d) 207 were marked fair 
 
84 CondiliuHs and Needs uf Rural Schools in Wisco7isin. 
 
 (e) 'dO were marked poor 
 
 (f) 17 were given no rating 
 
 (8) There is uo similar careful weighing of teachers' 
 
 work in the county inspection 
 
 (9) Out of 78 cases where it would have been possible 
 
 to report improvement or deterioration 
 
 (a) Janitor service was reported improved in 11 
 
 cases, deteriorated in 18 
 
 (b) School grounds were reported improved in 
 
 13 cases, deteriorated in 8 
 
 (c) Outhouses were reported improved in 13 
 
 cases, deteriorated in 10. No such re- 
 ports come to the state department from 
 rural schools 
 
 (10) In the 128 inspections studied, made by inspectors 
 
 of state graded schools 
 
 (a) 55 recommendations were made to school 
 
 authorities to purchase supplies 
 
 (b) 34 i-ecommendations were made to school 
 
 authorities to purchase equipment 
 
 (c) 25 recommendations were made to school 
 
 authorities to improve ventilation 
 
 (d) 4 recommendations were made to school au- 
 
 thorities to provide evaporating pans 
 
 (e) 19 recommendations were made to school 
 
 authorities with regard to heating 
 
 (f) 7 recommendations were made to school au- 
 
 thorities with regard to lighting 
 
 (g) 7 recommendations were made to school au- 
 
 thorities with regard to drinking water 
 (h) 3 recommendations were made to school au- 
 thorities with regard to new buildings 
 
 (11) Of all these recommendations only one important 
 
 recommendation had to be repeated three times 
 and another twice. In 17 cases state aid was re- 
 fused until conditions required by the law were 
 fulfilled 
 
 (12) No such service is rendered by the state depart- 
 
 ment to ungraded rural schools 
 
 (13) Power to refuse state aid is a mighty weapon where 
 
 inspection is adequate 
 
Condilions and Acids of Uaud. Schools in Wisconsin. 80 
 
 (14) After iiisi^ecting- a si'hool, an inspector of a state 
 gi'aded school sends tliroogli the state department 
 a letter to the school authorities such as the fol- 
 lowing : 
 ]\Ir. , June 3, 1911. 
 
 Dear Sir ; 
 
 Inspector of this department reports 
 
 spending the foi-enoon of May 31st at your school 
 in company with your county superintendent. 
 
 Mr. states that lie called to see you and 
 
 discussed matters pertaining to the school. I note 
 by the report that the recommendations made 
 last year have not been complied with. It was 
 recommended that recitation seats be placed in all 
 I'ooms. The blackboards in all of your rooms are 
 in poor condition and new slate boards should be 
 placed in the principal's room before the begin- 
 ning of the next school year and it will be well to 
 supply one room each year until .ill I'ooms are 
 supplied. 
 
 Mr. states that the jtolicy you have 
 
 pursued with regard to engaging a teacher for 
 the primary department of your school is not in 
 accordance with the spirit of the graded school 
 law. I understand that a person with practically 
 no experience was engaged when you had an op- 
 portunity to secure any one of the three or four 
 teachers, recommended by your county superin- 
 tendent. You, of course, understand that special 
 state aid is granted to the .schools of the state for 
 the purpose of giving the districts extra money 
 with which to maintain good schools. There is 
 nothing that enters into the making of a good 
 .school so much as a strong teacher. The policy of 
 letting jobs to the lowest bidder will always bring 
 poor conditions in time. 
 
 We shall withhold the api)roval of your school 
 until the school can be inspected next year and 
 we become satisfied that your si'hool board has 
 
8G Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin. 
 
 made an earnest endeaver to place the strongest 
 teachers possible in your school. 
 AVishiug you success, I am, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 C. P. Gary, 
 State Superintendent. 
 (15) Such letters to rural .school authorities fi'om the 
 state department are necessarily rare 
 
 b — That this close inspection has its effect is indicated by the 
 following facts in contrast with conditions in ungraded 
 rural schools 
 (1) Of seven .state gi-aded schools investigated in the 
 rural school survey 
 
 (a) All but one had a school ground of an acre 
 
 or over 
 
 (b) Only one school site was ranked poor 
 
 (c) The lowest ceiling found was 11 feet high 
 
 (d) All were ventilated by the gravity system 
 
 in connection with either a furnace or a 
 jacketed stove 
 
 (e) Waterclosets averaged over 60 feet from 
 
 the buildings and 120 feet apart 
 
 (f) All had been visited during the year by 
 
 the state inspector 
 
 (g) Three had their floor dressed by non-drying 
 • oil or used a sweeping compound 
 
 (h) Two had their waterelosets thoroughly 
 
 cleaned out frequently 
 (i) One had its watercloset thoroughly cleaned 
 
 semi-annually 
 (j) One had its watercloset thoroughly cleaned 
 
 yearly 
 
PART VII 
 
 Suggested Administrative and Legislative 
 Remedies 
 
 1 — That county boards of education be elected at the general 
 
 school election 
 
 a — To consist of tliree meinl>ers to serve six years 
 
 li — To serve without salaries 
 
 (• — To api)oiut the eounty superintendent from an approved 
 list made up by the eivil service eounnission 
 
 d — To eonlrol eounty selu)ols of agriculture and eounty train- 
 ing schools for teachers 
 
 e — To pass ujion the centralization of school districts 
 
 f — To advise the superintendent to withhold state aid from 
 small and inethcient schools whenever in its judgment the 
 facts warrant it 
 
 g — To appoint an assistant to the county superintendent when- 
 ever the number of teachers in his district exceeds eighty 
 
 2 — That state aid be given to county boards of education to 
 assist in the proper maintenance of the office of county 
 superintendent on condition that 
 
 a — An 'adcquatt' salary is i>aid to the county sii])crinteudent 
 
 b — An efficient clerk is appointed 
 
 c — The county superintendent dern'oust rates efficiency to the state 
 department of public instruction 
 
88 Conditiojis (Uid Xiuls nf li'iinil Scliools in ^Yisconsin. 
 
 3 — That to insure efficient teaching of agriculture and domes- 
 tic economy in rural schools there be appointed 
 
 a — A supcrvi.sor of agriculture and a supervisor of domestic 
 arts will) sliall be members of the staff of the state super- 
 intendent 
 
 b — Agririiltural iiispcduis who shall be members of the facul- 
 ties (if cdunty M'liodls of agriculture 
 
 c. — Other agricultural inspectors in counties where there are no 
 county agricultural schools 
 
 4 — That contests in agriculture and domestic economy be en- 
 couraged by the state department of public instruction 
 
 5 — That the training of teachers of agriculture end domestic 
 economy be encouraged by the offer of free scholar- 
 ships 
 
 6 — That the curriculum of the county training schools include 
 
 a — Increased instruction in agriculture 
 
 b — P]lcinents of mcdii-al iuspi'ction 
 
 c — Farm accounting 
 
 d — Methods of keeping school records and accounts 
 
 7 — That qualifications for obtaining teachers' certificates be 
 
 raised 
 
 it — After Jauuai-y 1, i;)]"). ninth and tenth grade work should 
 be required licfoi'e taking the six weeks professional train- 
 ing course 
 
 1) — After January 1, 1917, graduation from a training school 
 or departmeni shall lie required 
 
 e — After January 1, 1919, ninth and tenth grade work should 
 be required as entranoe qualifications to training schools 
 
Conditions and Needs of Riiiyil Schnnls in Wisconsin. S'.t 
 
 d — In case cpiiificates are graufcd liy tlie county superintend- 
 ents, the examinations in aeadcniic subjects should lie given 
 by the state board of examiners 
 
 8 — That the manual should be revised, eliminating- non-essen- 
 tials of the academic subjects, strengthening the courses 
 in agriculture and adding courses in manual training 
 and domestic arts 
 
 9 — That the staff of school inspectors be strengthened 
 
 a — Two inspeclni's should be temporarily appointed to assist 
 districts in planning for centralized schools 
 
 10 — That closer co-operation be estabUshed betw^een the 
 schools and the circulating libraries 
 
 a — The township librai'v funds should be expended for the pur- 
 chase of books of reference, and for supplementary and 
 collatei'id I'eading 
 
 1) — Bonks from the free librai'ies should eircidate among the 
 schools 
 
 11 — That the "two mile limit" law be amender? so as to insure 
 the education of all children cf school c^j who are out- 
 side of the two mile limit. 
 
 12 — That intelligent interpretation and publication of school 
 
 facts be made 
 
 a — Sriiool i-cpnrts slmuld be standardized and adapted to the 
 forms suggested by the I'nilcd States Bureau of Educa- 
 tion 
 
 b — Annual or moie fre(pieiit build ins containing schoftl facts 
 should be issued by the stale superintendent of public in- 
 struction 
 
90 (Jo)iditi()»s and S(((h of Rural Scli(tols in Wisconsin. 
 
 13 — That the use of school money be supervised 
 
 a — Account iug I'orius I'or school clerks and treasurers should be 
 prescribed by the state superintendent 
 
 b — Schcol accounts should be checked by state aiulitors 
 
 c — Classified budget estimates for all educational departments 
 should be submitted by the proper authorities 
 
 14 — That increased state aid to rural schools and increased 
 state supervision of rural schools go hand in hand to 
 the end that 
 
 a — Inspection may be made niore effective through the leverage 
 afforded by the possibility of withdrawing state aid 
 
 b — The state department may effectively promote among the 
 rural communities the widest and most efficient use of their 
 educational resources 
 
 16 — That rural schools be classified for subvention and in- 
 spection purposes 
 
 a — The following is a tentative plan pending a fuller analysis 
 
 ( 1 ) of the present apportionment of school moneys 
 
 (2) of the total expense of putting such a plan in opera- 
 
 tion in city and rural schools 
 
 1i — liural schools of the first chi.*s 
 
 (1) These schools shall contain eight grades and where 
 possible one or more high school years. They shall 
 be conducted not less than nine months and have 
 at least two teachers. The principal shall hold a 
 state professional license. One assistant shall hold 
 at least the first grade certificate. The principal 
 shall be engaged for a whole year and shall be qual- 
 iticd to teach agriculture, shall supervise the work 
 of the lioys in agriculture during the summer 
 months on ]ilots on the home farms and shall eon- 
 duct extension work among the adults in the com- 
 nnmity. One of the assistants shall be employed 
 
Conditions and Needs of Rui-<d Hcluieih in Wisconsin. 'Jl 
 
 for a whole year and shall be qualified to teach do- 
 mestic arts; shall conduct during the summer ex- 
 tension work among the girls and adults of the 
 community. The principal shall receive a salary 
 of not less than $1,000 per iinnum'. One assistant 
 shall receive a salary of not less than $750 per 
 annum, and no one less than $50 per month 
 (2) The state sliall pay to the local school authorities 
 controlling such a school a subvention equal to 
 two-thirds of the total amount paid for teachers' 
 salaries. Should the local authorities provide a 
 ten-acre farm which should be conducted as a 
 model farm by the principal, who should receive 
 all the produce, and should they build thereon a 
 liouse for the use of the principal, the state should 
 pay an additional subvention 
 
 -h'ui'al si-hools of the si'coud class 
 
 (1) Such a school shall be conducted for not less than 
 
 nine months and shall employ a first grade teacher 
 at a salary of not less than $50 a month and one 
 assistant teacher at not less than $45 per month. 
 It shall have librar.y facilities, educational equip- 
 ment, heating, ventilation and sanitaries such as 
 shall be prescribed by the state departm'eut 
 
 (2) The state shoidd jiay to the school board controlling 
 
 such a school a subvention of $250 per annum 
 
 -T>ui-al schools of the third class 
 
 (1) Such a school shall be in session not less than eight 
 
 months per annum. The teacher shall have at 
 least a second grade certificate and shall receive a 
 salai\y of not less than $45 a month. It shall have 
 library fa<^ilities, educational equipment, heating, 
 ventilation and sanitaries such as .shall be pre- 
 scribed by the state department 
 
 (2) The state shall pay to the school board controlling 
 
 such a school an annual subvention of $100 
 
 -Rural schools of the fourth class 
 
 (1) All other rural schools .shall be included in the fourth 
 class. Such schools shall be liable at any time to 
 
92 Conditions and Nerds of Rural Sclinoh in Wisconsin. 
 
 be closed on the reconimeiidatitm of tlie eouuty 
 superintendent or the county hoard of education 
 if their enrollment falls below twelve, and shall be 
 liable to lose their proportion of the 7-10 mill tax, 
 when reported on luifavoi'ably as to efficiency, 
 equipment, and sanitation to the state superintend- 
 ent of j)ul)lic instruction l)y the county superintend- 
 ent, or by a state inspector of rural schools 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 021 731 366 1