Trundlebed Tales
One Room Schools
The subject of one-room schools has been increasing in popularity in recent years.
These school are also known as country schools, rural schools, and, by the federal
government, as one-teacher schools. If you are interested, you should know about
the following sources.
Last Updated: April 1, 2011
By Sarah S. Uthoff info@trundlebedtales.com
These school are also known as country schools, rural schools, and, by the federal
government, as one-teacher schools. If you are interested, you should know about
the following sources.
- Find more information on one-room schools by checking out my one-room school
pathfinder from the state library pathfinder program.
http://www.thepathfinderproject.org/pathfinders/OneRoomSchools.pdf
- The Country School Association of America hosts an annual conference
each year where people present the latest research in country schools. Visit their
website here: http://www.countryschoolassociation.org/ - They also have a CSSA YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/CountrySchools - And a CSSA Newsletter/Blog
http://csaa.typepad.com
- The official CSAA listserv is aimed at one-room school museums, researchers,
and people who are interested in the history of one-room schools. People
involved with active one-room schools or the small school movement also
are welcome. You can preview and join their official electronic e-mail list at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oneroom/
Once you are a member you also get access to the many resources and links
that are blocked when you just preview. You don't have to officially join the
organization to join the listserv. I currently serve as listmistress. - Two of the most common errors I run across with people doing one-room
school research or working in one-room school museums are the so-called
"Teacher Rules of 1872" and "The Eighth Grade Exam of 1895." Neither of
these are what they claim to be, although they make the rounds constantly,
both online and in print, and unfortunately at many one-room school museums.
Read all about them here:
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1872rule.asp?print=y
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.asp?print=y - In 2002 I took part in putting together a directory of one-room schools in Iowa,
funded by the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance.
http://www.preservationiowa.org/initiatives/schools.php
As they have not corrected updated information as I forwarded it on, I have
mirrored the information here with updates as I get them. The Iowa Historic
Preservation Alliance list is broken into three parts and may be easier to load
for those with slower connections.Click on Iowa's One-Rooms in the drop down
menu above. If you would like to correct information or add your one-room school
museum to the list, the survey form is on the Lunch Survey page.
http://www.trundlebedtales.com/iowas-one-room-school-museums.html - My latest one-room school project has been researching the lunches that people
took to one-room schools. For more information on that, click on on Lunch Survey
http://www.trundlebedtales.com/lunch-survey.html
Last Updated: April 1, 2011
By Sarah S. Uthoff info@trundlebedtales.com