SCHOOLS MUST HELP THE 'DISPOSSESSED'-DOUDNA
Schools Must Help the 'Dispossessed'—Doudna 'Crapes of Wrath' Peo-ple Are Problem, He Tells Teachers Future problem of American education is the instruction of the children of the "dispossessed."...
...Ragsdale stated...
...The future of the country rests on what happens to those children...
...The schools let the student work at all aspects of education instead of just those aspects that come from text books," Urges Community Activity Ragsdale urged school teachers to "Get acquainted with their communities" and take an active part in the life of the community...
...Problem In Wisconsin Doudna declared that Wisconsin's own problem is demonstrated in the: drop in elementary school enrollment' during the five-year period, 1933 to 1938...
...Our job is to educate the mob, the dispossessed, so they will become less of a mob and more of a body of respectable, self-disciplined, self-creative citizens...
...Doudna declared that elementary schools have greatly improved because they are free from domination by the "subject matter specialists" and from rigid external control He stated that elementary schools have adapted themselves to their environments and have accepted supervision as an "integral part" of themselves rather than as "something from above...
...30% Are Dispossessed Doudna quoted figures from Fortune magazine showing that 30 per cent of the American population may be classified as "dispossessed" and that this 30 per cent will produce 60 per cent of the children of the future...
...the class portrayed In John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath...
...declared that the major improve-ment in high school education dur-ing recent years had been a shift in the basis of attack on the educationa) problem whereby high schools are training the pupil along whatever lines he will profit most...
...One reason why vocational agricultural teachers are doing such a fine job of teaching is that they must by nature of their work follow the student to the farm, Ragsdale contended...
...Edgar G. Doudna...
...We must watch out that stupid leadership doesn't reduce the chances of those children getting to the elementary schools...
...School teachers should know the pupils "at home" and should get acquainted with the parents, Ragsdale stated...
...The conference will continue through tomorrow...
...C. E. Ragsdale, professor of education at the University of wiscon-sin...
...High schools are increasing the student's initiative and self-dependence, Rags-dale said...
...John Callahan, Madison, state superintendent of public instruction, welcomed the teachers to the conven-tion...
...who is now vacationing in Florida...
...The majority of the children In elementary schools of the future are coming: from iiiis dispossessed or 'Grapes of Wrath' class," Doudna stated...
...Stevens Point, association president, presided at the conference...
...About 300 teachers from the state's nine normal schools attended the opening session...
...Madison, secretary of the state board of normal school regents, declared la:.t week at the 12th biennial convention of the Association of Wisconsin Staie Teachers college in the assembly chamber of the state capitol here...
...Th~ only place they have a chance for equality is in the elementary schools...
...The banquet will be held in the Loraine hotel at 6:30 tonight...
...Watch out for the decline In the 1 enrollment in elementary schools," said Doudna, pointing out that ele- j mentary school enrollments had fallen off 15,000 during the five-year period in Wisconsin...
...Callahan congratulated teach-eis on the progress they had made in school improvement during the past 50 years...
...High schools now let the student work at education instead of handing it out to him...
...That is the elementary school problem of the future...
...N. O. Reppen...
...Unlike the group which meets in this room so often ithe state assembly) we can point with pride more to what's right than what's wron...
...He spoke in place of Philip F. Palk, Madison superintendent of j schools, the originally scheduled speak-er...
...Doudna took a sly poke at the state legislature in his opening remarks, when he said: "There is more right than wrong with elementary education...
Vol. 10 • March 1940 • No. 13
