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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1960)
Retiring OEA Head Writes on Education The problems, aims and ob jectives and philosophies of American education are dis cussed in a statement pre pared for The Mail Tribune by Mrs. Maxine (Paul R.) Smith, retiring president! of Oregon Education association. Mrs. Smith, a foreign lan guage teacher in Medford High school, will return to Medford today from Portland where she presided over the 57th annual convention of the association, attended by about 6,000 educators from all parts of Oregon. Mrs. Smith's statement follows: In an editorial in "Life" magazine, the noted historian, Henry Steele Commager wrote: "No other people ever demanded so much of educa tion as have the American people. None other was . served as well by its schools and educators. Our schools have kept us free." - It is unnecessary for me to say that not all statements regarding education in the United States are ones of commendation. Arthur Bester, Roger Freeman and the Admiral have been most gen erous with their comments. Should we in the schools heed such criticism? Yes, criticism iS healthy, and education in recent years has enjoyed very good health. Our forefathers saw three conditions which individual man had to overcome if he were to live happily and pros perously - ignorance, tyranny, and poverty. Society has given to teachers all educa tors the assignment of in forming men and of giving them the tools to solve their problems. Truly, "our future goes to school today" and "the world is in our class rooms." (These are recent themes for National Educa tion association meetings). poals Discussed What do the goals of profes sional education associations have to do with the future? Although there are some individuals who would limit the privilege of attending schools to those capable of achieving high academic suc cess, and others who would educate only along vocational lines, professional educators believe that human life has first priority; that education should be accessible to a de gree to everyone, if we can learn how to teach him; that the school is the source of power for a successful democ racy. This is what we want from our schools; this is what we want in our schools. Edu cation for all! The United States has ap proximately 70 per cent of its youth of high school age attending high school while most other nations will range from less than one per cent to slightly more than 10 per cent. Are we producing quan tity without quality? Decide for yourself. Fifteen of the 16 scientists who had the major responsi bility for the first United States earth satellite at Cape Canaveral were trained in American schools. Kiplinger's "Changing Times" reported.in 1954 that identical tests given to students in 1848, 1919, 1921, 1926, 1932 and 1954, showed the '54 scholars were more learned, except in spell ing. College professors report that present day spelling is better than that of the 1920 s. College board tests given to 45,000 public and private school students reveal public school students better except in English composition, French and Spanish. (Could smaller classes be the reason for private school superiority in these three fields?) Education Costly Education now costs dearly. We can promise that with the increasing demands for more services, smaller classes, higher salaries, a longer school year, school costs will continue to rise. This truth is frightening until one learns that Americans spend almost 50 per cent more for what they put on the outside of the head in beauty parlors, bar ber shops and the like than for what we put on the inside, as represented by the cost of instructional salaries. In 1956 we spent $4 billion more for drinking and smoking than for all elementary and second ary education combined. Our yearly crime bill is 350 per cent of education. The University of Oregon physics department has stated that it would cost as much to land a beer can on the moon as it would to build, staff and endow 200 colleges for per petuity. More money must be pro vided; (Please remember that school people are also tax papers.) The NEA and OEA believe that the federal gov ernment must supply some of the funds. Fortunately most of Oregon's legislators in Washington feel the same. Federal control? Between 1945 and 1955, a total of 15,000 doctors, 150,000 engi needs, 100,000 lawyers, 240, 000 teachers and 750,000 scientists were educated through federal aid "dis guised" as the GI bill. Probably some of the critics of the Murray-Metcalf bill re ceived their education from federal funds. Today many of our high schools are using foreign language laboratories, teachers are receiving grants to attend improvement of in struction institutes in foreign language, mathematics, science, guidance fields and future teachers are receiving scholarships to prepare for these fields through funds provided by the National De fense Education act, lobbied J through Congress by the NEA duu na a iciie ci.Lxu-iai.co. Oregon Drops In recent years salaries of Oregon teachers have dropped from ninth to 14th place among states. California vies with New York for first place, and Washington ranks usually fourth or fifth. Con sequently, due to Oregon's geographical location, our state schools educate many fine young people only to have them "lured" over the borders. This is poor economy, Why do education associa tions continue to ask for in creased salaries? We know that esteem and success, un fortunately, 'are measured by many in terms of income. We are aware that there can be no doctors, lawyers, mer chants, chiefs without teach ers. We know that security improves competency. Yes, we are asking more from the public, but we are demanding more from the prospective and the in-service teacher. The idea that teaching is a profession was born in 1946. In 1958 for the first time trained elementary, secondary teachers and faculty members of leading colleges and uni versities sat down around the same tables and discussed common problems. Many are aware of the past mistrust of the professional educators by members of the liberal arts and learned societies, and vice versa. Each group made a startling discovery that first summer in Ohio both had the same goal, the education of stu dents. From these discussions, continued last - summer in Kansas, new ' concepts in teacher education are appear ing the same preparation for secondary and elementary tachers, with more depth in one field for the secondary, four years of liberal arts with a year of internship. The NEA and OEA inform all who are planning to teach, and those now in the field, that it is our belief that "he who dares to teach, just never cease to learn" or as another quote would have it, "educa tion keeps like fish." We be lieve the required re credential college-t raining years are minima, that there is as much difference between a well-educated individual and a teacher as there is be tween a well-educated person and a doctor or a lawyer. Tenure Discussed The OEA believes in tenure but realizes that there is also the responsibility to see that the incompetent, the weak and the unprofessional school employee is not protected. In the near future we hope that changes can be made within the legal structure to provide means for correcting tenure abuses. At the present time a teacher must be a broadly educated person and much more he must be an instruc tor, bookkeeper, secretary, wit and comforter. Educators are in the restaurant business, banking business, transporta tion business, f und-r a i s i n g business and the entertain ment business. Our desks teachers and administrators are piled high with half graded papers, requisition blanks, records of the current money-making project, plans for the annual festival and ads for summer sessions. We are asking for "time to teach." Do we gripe? Yes, through my association work I have heard many in the city, county, state and nation, and often add my own. May I hasten to add the complaints are paralleled elsewhere in the world. Analyzation re veals them not just petty com plaints but self-c riticism which is a prelude to prog ress, to a new frontier. Through our unified -professional associations we are constantly reminded that to us much of the future of our country and the world has been entrusted. Meeting Announced For Chapter AA Chapter AA, PEO Sister hood, -will meet Wednesday, March 23, at the home of Mrs. W. H. Leever, route 3, Coal Mine road. Mrs. J. A. Edson and Mrs. O. J. Frohnmayer will assist the hostess. It is often we remember the Declaration of Faith of American Teachers: "Gladly do I teach, for I believe in the personal worth and potential ability of every child and youth; Reverently do I teach, for the guidance of the young toward high ideals and great achievement is a sacred trust; Confidently do I teach, for professional and cultural studies enable me to meet the complex tasks of teaching; Proudly do I teach, for the story of our nation and the history of mankind reflect the wholesome influence of many teachers; Hopefully do I teach, for the teaching pro fession is gaming in public esteem and education is advancing toward new and challenging opportunities." Dreams of Paper Wardrobe May Not Be Realized Soon . " i i I Slim straps combine with a peasant bodice in pale cot ton print sundress bv Betty Carol. A matching frou-frou bonnet completes the ensem ble. Vice-President Lions' Auxiliary Visits Chapters Mrs. Frank Christian, Tal ent, vice-president of the Ore gon' Lions auxiliary, was in Salem last Wednesday to at tend the annual party given by the combined auxiliaries of Salem in honor of the state officers. The Salem visit was one of several made by Mrs. Chris tian to other areas recently. She was one of the honored guests of the Corvallis auxil iary at that group's 20th an niversary party at the Oregon State college Memorial Union. Mrs. Christian and Mrs. Dana B. Shelton, state presi dent, poured. The local wom an visited auxiliaries in Mil waukie, West Linn and Port land later in the week. While in Salem she stopped at the State School for the Blind and discussed plans for the annual institute for par ents of visually handicapped pre-school children which will be held at the school April 27-May 1. Aid to the blind is the auxiliary's chief project. In Corvallis Mrs. Christian attended a meeting of the ad visory board of the Walter Dry Development fund which had been called to pass on grants from a revolving trust fund established for the ad vancement, study and re search of methods to aid the blind. The fund aids through scholarships, research, finan cial assistance to educators attending institutes or con ventions, and in other pro grams connected with the study and advancement of help for the .Mind. The board screened and passed 13 applications for grants, which will be voted on at the spring board meeting of the state auxiliaries April 6 at Taf t. k Spend Vacation In California Gold Hill-Miss Jennie Lou Thompson and brother, Paul Thompson, who make their home here with their grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Thompson, spent their spring vacation as guests in the home of their .mother, Mrs. Sam Ledbetter, Fire Bough, Calif. By GAY PAULEY UPI Women's Editor New York -(UPD -I've been dreaming of a paper ward robe which would be discard ed like a soiled Kleenex ever since a flurry of headlines on the subject four or five years Well, it looks as if my wish ful thinking and yours will be continued for a while, al though there are promising advances on the research scene. The industry this spring for instance produced a paper which some manufacturers have molded into high-style hats. They look like straw and can go to beach, market or church. And the household and industrial uses for paper increase daily. But one chemicals research er says that disposable whole wardrobes will be feasible only when the laboratory can produce paper that drapes and Tbreathes" like a fabric. "We're always hoping for and thinking of disposable clothing," said Dr. J. K. Dixon, director of research for the industrial chemicals division of American Cyana mid company. Maps and Towels His firm makes many of the plastic resins which the pa per industry uses to give strength and body to a multi tude of products from maps to towels. "To hazard a guess, I'd say it'll be 10 years before we are producing paper for the fashion world," said Dixon. "But then," he added, "I never thought I'd see paper hats." Dixon, a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Yale universi ties, sees new uses for paper along these lines: Disposable coats for extra . warmth at football games; disposable sheets and pillow cases for hospital and household use; Once researchers learn how to make paper "breathe," paper dust cloths, chemically soft ened; improvements in such standard household products as paper towels and tissues; increased production of paper rugs, already on the market and designed to wear three to five years before discard. To show how paper's wet strength has been improved with resins, his firm has in troduced in some New York area markets grocery bags rugged enough to last through a crushed tomato or leaky milk carton in the bottom. Clothes for Painting The bags are patterned, so that a child can cut, fold or convert them into a pirate galleon or stern-wheel river boat, for bathtub seamanship. Disposable clothes are on the market-although they're more functional than fashion able. Several New York paint stores currently are display ing cardboard couples attired in clothes they can discard once the messy redecorating job is done. These are made of wadded cellulose plus nylon threads, and they're about the weight of lightweight cotton. There are pants with elastic waist bands, and short jackets or smocks, in lively colors, char coal grey or white. They're suggested not only for paint ing but for other grubby chores from cleaning to gardening. Neighborhood Club To Hold Luncheon Oak Grove Neighborhood club will hold a luncheon meeting Wednesday, March 23, at 1:30 p.m. at North's Chuckwagon on North River side avenue. Speakers Slated For NFA Session A member of the Grants Pass chapter, Natural Food Associates, will speak con cerning herbs at the next regular meeting of Medford NFA Tuesday, March 22, at 7:30 pjn. in room 30 of the Medford High school. John Telford, president of the Grants Pass chapter and a commercial organic grower of fruits and vegetables, will discuss gardening. His talk is planned to assist the amateur grower and the group has is sued an invitation to all who would like to attend. A question and answer pe-j nod will follow the talks. Visitors Return , To Washington Gold Hill-Mrs. Frank Getz, Enumclaw, Wash., and Mrs. Alma Lee, Kent, Wash., re cently visited in southern Ore gon for several days. 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