The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-03-13
j. W. MEADoR,
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF KY
SrArE oF KsETUcEr.
OFFIcE OF SUF'r PssiIc lSsTsTCTGaN,
Tu.SKs.kr FebraArV g1:h. 1878

0FFIcE OF SUr'r PssiIc lS,TsTCTGoy,
FHsNKsSkr, February Ash, 1878
GENTLEMEN:
1t is made nv duty, by the General
Statutes, 10 make report of 1.-THE
practical workings of the Common
School System of the State, with suG-
gestions as 10 any alterations it may
require" ! feel constrained 10 say
that, in my opinion. any violent
changes in the mere machinery Of the
school system viii be il!-advised at
this time. The people sui officers are
Just beginning to understand thu laws,
aud, for the 6rst time in the history OF
education of Kentucky, something
ike system is becoming manifest.
The publication OF The Kentucky
School Lawyer" has given a uniform
standard of Interpretation Of the school
laws, and its value has already be-
come apparent by the large decrease
Of appeals 10 the State Board os Edu.
cation, and of legal questions addressed
20 the Superintendent Of Public In
struction. To disintegrate our present
system, or 10 substitute il with ether
agencies and appliances than those
now employed, Will seriously impair
school work, and. | fear, retard de-
velopmenf. Ircgard il as unfortunate
that the House Bill, as amended in
the Senate, has passed into q law.
The House Bill preserved the benefits
of tae one Trustee system, and Sc
CURED those that are claimetto attach
io.three. The great objection urged
against the Que Trustee system was,
that it afforded an opportunity for ne
po.ism, Partially, and corruption.
Tie law as passed does not Obyiate
this objection. 1t provides for the
election of one Trustee each year. 4
teacher finds he has a friend in the
Board; a second enc ascertains he has
one, and each run 4 candidate to get
a majority, and the result is defeat
and dissatisfied party in the District
and in the Board. Then. by proving
that the member having the shortest
time 10 serve shall be Chairman of the
Board, it. in numerous cases, will
throw the most Incompetent man OF
the three into the Craftsmanship. Be.
sides il will be difficult to reconstruct
the law so Is 10 make its separate
parts EarmoniZe, peceasitates new
edition Of the law, blanks. notices,
etc, involving a considerable expense,
and it will be well nigh impossible to
yet the country people to understand
the rotation system. If, in addition
TO this change, the county superinten-
daiey is materially changed, then
fear inextFicable confusion will ensue.
CosdMIssIoNERsuIP.
While there are admirable feature.
in the Senate Bill No. 81. and the
House bill No. 1872, each proposing
District Saperintendency, they pro-
pose such radical and revolutionary
changes as TO render 50 extreme ar
experiment exceedingly hazardous al
T the present stage of development Of
/, the school system. With a single ex
ception, all the States having success
ful school systems have county super
visions, or its equivalent. Without
some intermediate officer between the
2 Superintendent and the districts, anC
one, too. especially elected for tn,
purpose, aud held responsible TO its
head. as an official of the school sys
TEN, see nothing ahead but disorder
and disiniegratiOn. How can tn,
County Judge hear appeals, conduct
examinations. and hold Teachers In
stitutes? He can disburse money ant
take receipts, ETC., hut. as remarked
by a predecessor: this simply keeps
together the bones and flesh of tn,
structure. We need to infuse increased
vitality, to impart steady growth anC
development, 20 shape with the sym