The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-12-10
Communicated.

MIR. EDIToR:-In your comments upon
the School Board in your last issue you
intimate that its proceedings are kept
secret from the public, and that no facili-
ties are afforded reporters to make them
public. beg permission to ask if you or
any ether member Of the press have ever
been refused permission to hear and report
the proceedings of the School board p
They do not sit with closed doors, and if
my memory is not at fault, you have on
several occasions had a seat at their table,
and free access to the minutes of the Sec
rotary.
1t is true the expense of school books
and stationery is enormous but | fail to
see how an increase in teachers salaries, as
you suggest is to remedy the evil. If
teaching is mere bread and butter affair
with those who make it profession, few
dollars more or less per term will not make
them realize their true position and higher
responsibilities. The trouble is, that our
teachers are not dependent upon public
patronage, and do not take a personal
interest in the efficient administration of
rules. The children are suffered to destroy
books and waste stationery ad ltbitum, and
neither parents nor teachers seem to care
groat They appear to think the book
fee covers all expenses, and give themselves
no further concern about the matter.
The school Board of this county petitioned
the last Legislature to amend the School
Law, SO that the parents would be COM
PEELED to purchase books and stationery
instead of paying book fee, (the poor to
90 free as now but no attention was given
to this petition, and hence the Board is
powerless to remedy the evil. The Legis-
lature seemed to think that the creation of
State Board, and little more complica-
ton and contradiction in the School Law
would be an efficient panacea for all its
defects.
The State Board with its adjuncts in the
shape of conventions, and reports is the
grand birth of the Annapolis Mountain,
and if it turns out to be an expensive, as
well as ridiculous muss, our School Boards
are hardly to blame. They do not make
the law-but administer it to the best of
their abilities. ONE OF A BOARD.
Remarks Of Tile Wh9.-Our correspon-
dent has construed our remarks in last
weeks issue, differently from what we
to convey the iml ression that the Board
sat with closed doors, or denied reporter
the privilege of taking notes from the
minutes, If lie can. These are somewhat
OF the hieroglyphic order, like the first
sketches of most minutes are, and our cor
respondent need not be told that it is some
thing Of an undertaking to do so. 1t is
not always practicable for us to spend the
greater part of the time that the School
Board is in session for the purpose of get
ting report of the proceedings, and unless
we do SO, we have always failed to procure
one. The Secretary having the minutes in
his possession, and residing eighteen OF
twenty miles from Elkton, unless hasty
report can be snatched while the Board is
in session, the only opportunity is lost.
We did not intend to reflect upon the
Beard, or Secretary, or any one connected
with the Public Schools. The annoyance
arises out of the peculiar circumstances
which environ the business. The books
containing all proceedings and matter rela-
tive to the Public Schools, should like
| all the other public Office records of the
county, be kept at the central Office,
accessible with proper restriction at all
times and to all persons; and further, it is
one of the duties of the Board to have it so.
The public interest demands it.