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4 Luraday They |

April 23, 1940

To the Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:

Your special committee appointed to consider ways and means of improving the
training of teachers in the College desires to submit its report at this time.
Since our appointment over a year ago we have met a number of times, and have
held discussions both with Miss Louie Lesslie, Secretary of the State Board of
Education, and with a committee from the School of Education consisting of
Dean Schwegler, Professor Chandler, and Professor Turney. All the matters
presented in our report have been brought forward at our joint meetings with
the teachers of Education; and in the large the recommendations made here are
approved by them.

It was obvious to begin with that most members of the College Faculty know
little about the public school system of Kansas-~a situation to be deplored.

As teachers of the University of Kansas, no less than as citizens of the state,
we should be familiar with all classes of public schools, especially the high
schools, and know how they are organized, what kind of teachers they employ,
what textbooks they utilize, how their work is conducted, and what training
their teachers need. Your committee wishes, therefore, to emphasize its opinion
that members of this Faculty, especially those who serve as advisers, should
seek to inform themselves on the whole state educational system.

Fortunately several means by which the desired information may be gained are
readily at hand. There are, first of all, the Kansas Educational Directory
and a meaty bulletin issued by the office of the State Superintendent of
Public Instruction entitled A Handbook on Organization and Practices for the
Secondary Schools of Kansas. Other information about schools and school prob-
lems will be supplied by Miss Lesslie provided one is interested enough to
write her. Another useful source of information exists on our campus, namely,
the Curriculum Library in Room 119, Fraser Hall. Available in this library are
sample copies of all textbooks currently used in the schools of the state.
Hence faculty members who teach, say, mathematics or foreign language will be
able to examine the material being placed before the high school students whom
they will presently teach in their classes. Finally, we should like to call
attention to the usefulness of Professor Chandler's annual reports on the
Teacher Placement Service. A study of the material compiled by Professor
Chandler will show what combinations of preparation for teaching are likely to
be found most useful in securing positions in the public schools. We strongly
urge that members of the College Faculty make use of all these means of inform-
ation.

In addition to our general suggestions just made, we wish to offer five specific
recommendations.

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