This One Room School House Still Can Teach Us Lessons About Educational Standards

[William Korach]

Perhaps the one room school house of legend had values, and educational standards that we would do well to emulate today. Hard work, discipline, a neighborly spirit, and a dedicated teacher we enough to produce some fine citizens. Maybe we need to spend more time building character and less time constructing expensive buildings. My good friend and neighbor Tim Palmer describes his learning experience in a one room school house near Spokane, Washington in the 1950′s. editor

A Grade School to Be Proud Of     

by Captain Tim Palmer, USN, ret.

Education is different these days.  When I was growing up, my brother and I attended a one room school, which housed eight grades who were taught by one teacher.  To this day, I am very proud of having attended that small country school.

My twin brother and I were raised on a farm near the small town of Daisy, Washington, located about 75 miles north of Spokane.  The population was relatively sparse, even for a farm community.  Our school consisted of a one-room building (pictured) that hosted eight grades and were taught by a single teacher.  The playground

Captain Tim Palmer, USN

consisted of one swing set and a see-saw.   Bathroom facilities consisted of an outhouse located at the back of the property.  The average attendance at the school ran from 15 to 25 students, with no specific concentration in any one grade except ours.  My brother and I were in the largest class, six students, and therefore he and I constituted one third of that group.  Our teacher (Mrs. Hazel DeWitt) was a lady in her late thirties who was also married to one of the local farmers.  She had received her teaching certificate after attending two years of college, the requirement at that time (early 1950s).  Mrs. Dewitt was the epitome of a teacher (in my opinion).  She could be a stern disciplinarian, yet she was compassionate and sympathetic.  She was always engaged in challenging the students, whether they were in the first grade or the eighth grade.  As well, she was exceptionally organized and could keep the entire student body occupied in some form of learning at all times.  Because she was both teacher and principal, discipline problems were handled immediately and expulsion was a distinct possibility to those who crossed the behavior line.  I don’t remember anyone who was afraid of Mrs. Dewitt, but everyone respected her.

Although we were attending a small country school, we thought we were lucky to be able to learn things the other grades were studying and be mixed in with the “big kids”.  When our family moved to a small town after the fifth grade, Tom and I had no problem assimilating academically in the much larger classes.

All the parents supported the school in some way.  Many alternated in bringing lunches to all of the students, particularly in the winter time.  Reflecting back, I think the lunch program was created to ensure all of the children had something good to eat, given the economic diversity of the farm families.

Our little Daisy school didn’t compare in resources to much larger school systems, but it prepared us for life as well as any, and taught us about American exceptionalism.  I do not know what happened to all of the former students, but I do know that several graduated from college and went on to business and government careers. My brother became an entrepreneur, owning and operating two successful businesses. I graduated from Washington State University and joined the Navy where I enjoyed a thirty year career as a Naval Aviator.

Maybe my old one room Daisy School still has lessons to teach

[Patricia M. McBride]

Love it, and still remember my first 3 years in a one room school house before being moved into a brand new "school of today" building.  As Captain Palmer points out, it had 1 teacher and she taught all 8 grades housed there.............must not have been teacher's union or if there were, they hadn't taken control of everything quite yet!  Might not have been fancy, but the town carried the highest education rating in the state, so they did a pretty good job!