Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-11-11
The District Superintendent should

each County during the year, and
meet all Teachers in Conventions at
least twice each year. Make 1t obli-
gatory on Teachers to attend these
Conventions or present reasonable
excuses land let but few be considered
reasonable, under penalty Of revoca-
tion of Certificates. Let worthless
Teachers be discarded, good ones be
encouraged, and the neutral ones
quietly made to give place to better.
This will have q good effect in two
ways:
LIST. We shall have only the better
class of Teachers, and they will be
excited to bettef preparation lbr TIE
work; and
I'd. Good Teachers will receive
better remuneration, and an induce
ment be given for such to immigrate
to our State; or what may be as well,
better home talent will be enlisted,
and those of our better class of yonng
men who now seek other Professions
will be found engaging in this work
instead.
This could not fail to materially
elevate the standard of Education in
very few years.
For several reasons / would prefer
that the District Superintendent
should be appointed by general
Board of the State; but as to that !
will say no further now.
A State Board of Education should
be appointed by each alternate Leg
islature; or two of the Board be ap-
pointed by each Legislature, to hold
Office for four years. These members
should not represent any one polite
al party, but at least two parties
should be represented. would not
have this dragged into politics; but
know of no better manner than the
above toneutralize political intrigue.
The State Superintendent would
of course be an er 1d9ciO member of
this Board. The Board should be in
possession Of all important facts
transpiring in the different Districts,
to be furnished quarterly by the
District Superintendent, previous to
the Quarterly Meetings Of the Board.
And the Board should make gen.
eral Report at least once a year, and
thus inform the whole State of what
|is-beirg dsns- In ~ths Districts and
Counties. This would stir up the
latent ideas of the masses, and do
much to interest all classes in the
cause of Education.
This Board should also recommend
the Textbooks to be used, but in no
case recommend a change Of Text
book or Series without the full ap-
probation of majority of the District
Superintendent.
1t would be advisable for the State
Superintendent tovisit every District
during each year; and II possible
every County of 1900 inhabitants.
His general work should remain
about the same as at present.
And at least once year there
should be State Convention, at
which all the Teachers in the State
should be present, and Of course as
many others as possible"
We commend these views to the
attention of thoughtful readers.
Some of them we could not accept
without further consideration: for
example, the plan of compelling
Teachers to attend Conventions twice
a year, besides the County Institutes
and State Conventions. Unless their
average salary were much increased,
very many worthy Teachers would
find the expense Of such attendance
a too heavy tax. But our friend,
the writer, he's given the subjects
much thought, and the above are by
no means crude and hasty views. 1t