Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1920 — COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES [ARTICLE]

COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES

• (By Co. Supt Sterrett) State Supt. L. N. Hines mailed state licenses to the following a few days back: Adele Gwin, Helen Leatherman and Hazel B. Grey, Rtmsselaer. The state license record shows the greatest number of state licensed teachers in Jasper county since the present incumbent became county superintendent. Usually the teachers without experience hold a county license only. But the situation is even different this year among this class of teachers. Many of them hold a state license now to supplement an already made county license. One holds three sets of one-year licenses. Scholarship is an Important factor in teaching a successful school and this factor seems to be far better cared for this year than years prior. < The schools are all running very smoothly so far this year. Every school in the county is running at present. The teaching corps has been reduced to about 125 teachers in Jasper county, including Rensselaer, Remington and Wheatfield. Kankakee township is wholly consolidated; Keener has but. one district school left; Marion has two large, consolidated schools, thus completing consolidation in that township. This principle will result in a great reduction of teaching numbers in another year. Barkley township is making great preparations to erect two buildings as was planned last year. But instead of three-roomed buildings Trustee Davisson has convinced himself that economy and efficiency can best be gotten from four-roomed structures. He has been in Parke county examining the school buildings there and is now ready to start the work early in the spring. The new wage law will compel trustees to consolidate since it is too expense to maintain the oneroomed schools any longer. It is a matter that taxpayers cannot afford except in a few townships in Jasper county. Trustee Charles Postill of Marion township is planning a dedication program at North Marion Consolidated at some time within a few weeks. It is hoped that the program will attract every patron in the • township whose contributions have been used in erecting the grand edifice within two miles of the city of Rensselaer. School is progressing very nicely in this building already. Oka Pancoast, Kathryn Chamberlain and Katherine Shields are the three teachers who are piloting this school this year. The Marion-Newton township institute was postponed until Saturday, Oct. 2, on account of the funeral of the mother of Katherine Shields. A joint institute was held at McCoysburg between Hanging Grove and Milroy last Saturday. Barkley township held its institute at Center last Saturday. Jordan township institute was held at Egypt last Saturday. Attention is being given to practical problems that confront the teachers first. Then the regular work as outlined is taken up. , Work permits can be issued by township trustees and presidents of school corporations to children who have completed the fifth grade and are between the ages of 14 and 16 inclusively. These permits are temporary. They do not extend over the entire year. Any person who knows the age and absence of a child from school can report to the attendance officer who is then required to investigate the situation according to law. The school hack cannot be compelled to come to the door for children. Children can be compelled to walk a reasonable __ distance and courts have held that a reasonable distance is the distance from the home to the abandoned or discontinued school house measured in a different direction from the home. Many distorted notions are gotten about the transportation law. A trustee has a bundle of autocratic power conferred upon him by statute. Alice Myers of Wheatfield, a former teacher in Walker township, was married last week to a young man by the name of Hurley. Esther Wiseman of Virgie, a former teacher at Fair Oaks, was married to Glen Baker last week. Hardly a month passes that some young man invades the teaching profession and takes one of its efficient .workers. However, congratulations are due to these young men who possesses unusual tact in making such a capture.