Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-03-01
Sioux City gegister,
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY q.
4 EDUCATIONAL.

~ DN~ ~ 14ONAA~s
Mn. EDITOR AS the annual school
district meetings occur within u few days,
/ wish to call the attention Of the people
Of this county to the importance Of . care
ful consideration of the measures to be
taken, and the officers to be elected, at
these meetings. Good men, and eff.
cient men-men who have a real interest
in our schools and who will work for their
improvement, 4hould be selected, for the
Office Of director, and the electors should
take care that their Directors are carefully
instructed in all matters in which iustruo'
tions are required by law.
The electors should also demand Of the
outgoing Board full and complete ac
count Of oil their doings during the past
year, and particularly of their expendi
lures, aud of the financial condition of the
District.
The law requires this account, and it
should in all cases be presented and read
to the meeting Immediately afteri its organ
izaton and before the transaction of any
other business. When this is done, the
electors can go or with the business Of
the meeting with full understanding Of
the condition Of their affairs, and can
Judge what is needed to be done, and can
also decide at once OH the merits Of any
Director who MAJ chance to be caudi.
date for re election.
The electors are authorized to delegate
most Of their powers to the District Board
but in my opinion it is better that they
should 60 to the full extent of the law, aud
settle for themselves every thing relating
to taxation, and leave the Board with rs
little room as may be for discretion in
other. matters. By 50 doing a great favor
will be conferred on good and honest di-
.rectors while bad ones, if any such sho'd
unfortunately be elected, will be placed
under wholesome restraint.
l understand that some sub-cireetors
have been qualified by taking an oath be-
fore the Township Clerk. The Law requires
that the oath shall be administered by
some officer authorized TO administer
oaths, and the Township Clerk is not such
an officer, and such qualifications are
therefore illegal. The oath mus. be taken
before a Jus,ice,of the Peace, Judge, or
Clerk of the Court, Or Notary Public in
order to fulfil the law. This has been so
decided by the Secretary Of the Board Of
Education.
One Of the most important duties to be
performed by the electors at their annual
meeting, or to be delegated BY them TO the
Board of Directors is the determination of
studies to be pursued in their schools, and
the selection Of the text books to be used.
1t is to be hoped that this matter will re-
ceive careful attention. The State Board
has recommended the following list Of text
books -
Spellers-McGuffey's.
Readers-McGulfy's, or Sanders SERIES
Writing-Spencerian system.
Arithmetic-Ray's series.
Algebra-do.
Grammar Bullion's.
Bradbury's school music.
History-Wilsnn's
Observation-Disclosures
Book. .keeping-Palmer's.
Natural Philosophy-Wells'.
Natural Philosophy-Wells' Science Of
common things.
Cbemistry-Wells'.
Botany-Gray
Geometry-Robinson's.
Surveying g-Robinson's
Physiology-Hooker's.
Astronomy-Brocklesbys.
Meteorology Brocklesby
Geology-Hitchcock's.
Observation-Disclosures.
Geography-Montei,h and McNally's.
Now the Recommendation of the State
Board is not binding upon any District,
but uniformity is very desirable, and where
changes are to be made in the books now
used, or where new studies are to be in
troduced, it is best that the new books
should be selected from their list. l wish
to say however, that in my opinion, it is
not desirable for any district to change
its text books without very good cause.
The extra expense to parents and the
annoyance Of different books in the same
school, will often more than outweigh any
real advantage to be gained by a change.
There are great numbers of excellent
text books in every department, and it
really makes little difference in the i'm
provement Of the school which book is
used, so long as the teacher is competent,
for after all vastly more dependsspon him
than upon the book.