Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-11-08
The Board OF Educauon.

The State Board Of Education, Of YER
mont, has been until last year, a body COM
posed of well known citizens OF the State,
eminent for wisdom and good sense, who
have thoroughly possessed the confidence Of
the people, and have fully justified it. Last
year, the Legislature, Under what influences
or for what reason we know not, increased
the Board from FIVE to ssrsa, and two Of the
old members were dropped. giving place to
four ncw ones. Tire new Board consisted Of
Gov. Dillingham; ez-ofiaio, Rev. Piiny II.
White. Hon. Merritt Clark Of Poultncy.
D D. Gorhlm, Of Montpelier Jonathan
Ross Of $, Johnsbury, z. Conant Of Ran
dolph, and \ J San6orn Of Nl,1is7iile
With a majority Of new mem5ers, a new or
der Of Il inss seems - have resulted, and
the harmony heretofore existing between the
Board and their chief executive officer, the
Secretary OF the Board. and essential 70 the
usefulness Of the Board, appears to have
soon ended. The first open indication Of
this, appeared at tie meeting Of the Board
to decide on a new list Of school books TO be
used by the schools for five years from next
November. That was a very important
piece OF business. 1t was a matter involy-
ing hundreds of thousands OF dollars to lie
expended by the people Of the State, and
one 50 concerning the publishers Of school
books that a publisher could afJrd as a
matter Of business to pay a very heavy sum
Of money for a decision 10 hIs iavor. The
Publishers did not neglect to look after
their interests. Their agents were on hand
in swarms, at and before the meeting. pre-
pared to use argument, iaalence, money
any means to carry their points. We have
heard, the information coming through a re
liable channel from a member Of the Board.
that one member Of the Board was given to
understand by publishers agent, that If
his VOC and influence could be sscarei in
favor of series OF school books, by pres
entof s.. 0n0-the money was at his disposal.
How many such Offers were made Of course
We know not But there Was rerV active
competition among pah!islers-
The selection Of school hooks finally an
nounced by the Board wee received with
utter establishment by large portion-aad
that not the poorer portiou-of the teachers
of the State. IL was considered 20 uuwise d.
some respects that many excellent teachors
have utterly refused to adopt the recommend
alton of the Board as TO certain Of tie books.
and will not countenance their use in the
schools: and some Of these teachers. as We
have heard. are IN receipt OF threatening
letters from tie Publisher. warning them Of
the consequence Of their can,umacy. 1t they
conunue TO oppose the -o1ks roe 'mmended
BY the Board As there is 10 TenaltY un-
der the laws Of the Stat. however, icr non
concurrence with the Board IN the recon
mendati0n Of school o.. H. we presume that
such throat- have H,fle weight. But Of
course under such ~tar. ~ things r1c mo--
important advantages 90 oniJ5mity and
system among the schools are likely g. be
lost
All these have been m4rtrs Of more or
less common talk among teachers for many
month";, and are now br.Hstt up efresh by
the new flcs mentioned iv Mr. Adams in
his Repor; As that Rerrr; goes into tie
hands Of every member OF ,1e Legislature,
and into every school dlsJrics Of ihe State 1t
is not necessary to copy a; length Mr.. Adams
statement Of the case. Blu. in briel. he in
Inmates that a majority Of the Board OF Ed
ueation bad agreed. fore The needing
among Themselves. what books they would
adopt lie states that she fye 80 reported TO
have agreed beforehand, acted uniformly To-
gether, throughout; that they crowded |
through the decisions with improper base. /
disposins Of the arithmetic, algebras, geog-
raphies, lhiiosophies, grammars, and I
histories in single evening and .
the readers and spoilers IN a session Of an .
hour before breakfast next morning that /
leading and experienced teachers, who had
been invited by formal resolutions Of the
the Board to examine and report on various
text books, who had done so at much ex
pense OF time and labor, and who attended
the meeting on tie invitation Of the Secreta-
~, by direction OF the Governor. to advise
with the Board, were informed BY the Board
hat the deliberations would be private, and
that with one exception all of the teachers
.he,eupon left town, feeling insulted by their
treatment that after they had all gone
- A. ID l..;I.a a., hoar thoir M