On February 7, Senator Charles Gale Shedd, Representative Joseph Madden, and high school principal Leslie L. Cleveland addressed the city councils (Common Council and Board of Aldermen), noting that there were by that time bills proposing normal schools in Keene, Dover, Nashua, Portsmouth and Farmington, and, if Keene wanted to be considered, a site must be found and a case presented.
Keene Evening Sentinel
February 8, 1907
Page 3
NORMAL SCHOOL QUESTION
Open by Possibility That Keene May Get Building.
Senator Shedd, Representative Madden and Principal Cleveland Present Question to Councils and Mass Meeting of Citizens Called to consider the Matter.
A question new to nearly everyone in Keene and one upon which it may be of much importance to get an early decision, was brought before the city councils last evening by Senator Shedd and Representative Madden, Principal Cleveland of the high school also appearing at their request and answering questions propounded to him, so far as he could. In a nutshell the question is, do the people of Keene want a state normal school located in our city and will they take measures to secure it if possible. To reach a determination on this question a mass meeting of citizens has been called by Mayor Clark with advice of the councils, to be held in city hall Saturday evening at 8 o’clock
As has been noted in the Sentinel’s reports of the legislative proceedings, bills are pending before that body to provide for the erection and location of a normal school or schools in the southern or central part of the state., and the normal school committee will have to decide soon if it will recommend such school or schools and where the same shall be located.
Senator Shedd opened the discussion before the councils last evening by stating in substance that there are five normal school bills pending before the house committee of which one, introduced by Representative Madden, provides for such a school in Keene. Nashua, Dover, Portsmouth, Farmington and other towns are desirous of getting such a school and if Keene wants a chance to get a building here its wishes must be made known speedily. A committee has been appointed to visit several towns next week, and it will doubtless come to Keene to get information. The Cheshire and Sullivan and probably other delegations are likely to favor Keene if it wants a school.
It will be necessary for the people here to provide a suitable location. The state will provide the building and will maintain the school. It is also to be arranged probably, that non-taxable bonds may be issued by a town or district to pay for a lot. A building is likely to cost the state from $50,000 to $100,000 and a yearly appropriation for maintaining the school of from $10,000 to $20,000. One hundred or more pupil teachers would doubtless be instructed in such a school and would thus become residents while pupils therein.
The normal school would require another thing. It would desire to give its pupils practical work in our schools under the supervision of its own teachers. Just how this would be done he did not explain, but one of the speakers of the evening said he understood the town of Plymouth, in which there is now a state normal school, had no teachers below the high school grade except the normal school pupils and that good schools had resulted. What the relative cost of such a method is was not stated or how definite or lasting an agreement would be expected from the town. Senator Shedd said he was of the opinion that if Keene wants a school it will stand a good chance to get one if it goes about it at once.
Representative Madden talked at some length, explaining the position of the normal school committee and the state authorities on school matters. He thought Keene would be very favorably considered by those in authority and by the legislative committees. He spoke of the admitted need of trained teachers as much as of trained artisans or business men and of the success of the normal schools in Plymouth and in Fitchburg and other Massachusetts towns. He suggested that such properties as the Hale and Thayer estates on Main street would provide desirable sites and thought Keene would do well to have a school located here. He had been informed that the normal school pupils are a success as teachers in school while taking their normal training.
Principal Cleveland answered questions that were asked him and spoke freely in relation to the unquestioned need of normal schools and of the trained teachers which they provide. He believed New Hampshire needs another normal school and it would apparently be a desirable thing to have it in Keene. He did not know just how the details in regard to assigning pupils as teachers was worked out, but understood good results were evident in Plymouth. He thought some sort of double supervision resulted as between the state and district authorities. He strongly urged the importance of having a sufficiency of normal school teachers, wherever the school that trains them, and said that our pupils who go to Massachusetts normal schools get engagements and do not come back to New Hampshire.
Alderman Hall, Councilman Spaulding and other members of the councils spoke briefly and the convention voted that it was expedient for the mayor to call a citizens’ meeting to consider the question, which he has done.