Vol. XXIX.

No. 1

AFTER waiting so long as seemed prudent
for the official reports of the Wisconsin Teach-
ers' Association, we are obliged to go to press
without them.

RURAL SCHOOLS are evidently becoming a
center of interest at the west such as may well
result in decided progress. They occupied a
prominent place in the discussions at the asso-
ciations in North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and
Wisconsin.

ACCORDING to reports the Association
meetings this year were fully up to the pre-
ceding in interest and practical value, but the
attendance was considerably less than last year
and the year before. There seems to have
been a falling off in the enrollment both of
teachers from Milwaukee and from the rest of
the state.
Reports from other states, as Iowa

and Kansas, indicate a thousand and more en-
rolled, whereas we shall not much pass the
half of that. What the causes may be and
how to counteract them, it is the business of
the executive committee to determine. It may
be that the "drawing" power of Milwaukee has
been exhausted, and that Oshkosh, or Eau
Claire, or some other point should be tried.
Perhaps some changes of organization might
help out, like round tables, or a council. Full
of promise are the new departure of the child-
study society, and the preliminary steps to
the formation of a psychological society. The
most valuable report was that on rural schools,
which unfortunately was not fully discussed.
Relations of high schools, normal schools, and
university, also evidently evoked a good deal
of interest.

THE election of R. H. Halsey to the presi-
dency of the Oshkosh normal school was re-
ceived with hearty approval by the educational
men of the state. His thoro scholarship, his
long service in Wisconsin, and his intimate
acquaintance with its educational work and
with the school of which he is to have charge,
all indicated him as the man for the place;
and we feel sure that this strong and large
school will continue to thrive under his admin-
istration. It is with satisfaction also that we
note the election of Prof. W. H. Cheever to
take charge of the Milwaukee normal school
for a time at least; and we may hope that, un-
less Superintendent Harvey intends to resume
his work there, the appointment may in due
time become permanent. These two positions
are probably the most important in our normal
school work, as the one is the largest and the
other the most advanced of our normal schools.

SHALL we have trained teachers in our com-
mon schools? That question is rapidly coming
to the front with us. The agitation for better
rural schools demands it. The normal schools
have recognized its necessity by creating a one
year course for common school teachers; two
or three counties have made efforts towards
county training schools for their teachers; the
rapid development of our whole system makes
it impossible to put off action much longer.
Our institute training is in its nature a mere
make-shift device; our "theory and art" in the