The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-03-27
UNGRADED SCHOOLS.


A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THEIR PRESENT
CONDITION, AND AN OUTLINE OF SUCH
LEGISLATION AS IS NEEDED TO EFFECT
sALUTARY REFORMS IN THEIR ADMINS
TRAT1oN.
Prepared and published by order of the Ungraded-
School Section Of the Ohio State Teachers As
| sOciatiOn.
Continued
Before the convention adjourned
a committee, consisting of Aston
Ellis, of Hamilton, John Hancock,
of Dayton, and Charles W. Cakes, of
Norwalk, was appointed to prepare a
circular, convenient for distribution,
setting forth the necessity of i'm
mediate Legislative action in behalf
of rural schools, indicating and ad-
Yocating those reforms that are most
needed, showing how the system of
administration now in operation in
township schools can be simplifed
and made more serviceable in pro-
noting the educational interests of
the people, while, at the same time,
effecting a more economical expen-
diture of school funds.
The members of the committee
feel that their Iabors have been ma
terially lessened by the appearance
of the able pamphlet of Hon. James
J. Burns, State Commissioner of
Schools, on "Our Schools and School
System which has been extensively
circulated and which contains, in
clear and fOrcible language, Just
such information regarding the
workings Of our school system as
school patrons and taxpayers will
read with appreciation. In reports
of former School Commissioners
may be found abundant material
strongly to fortify all the positions
that the committee may take in ref
erence to the condition of our IN
graded schools, and the legislation
now imperatiVely demanded to insure
their greater efficiency and their
more economical administration.
Enlightened sentiment now re-
cognizes the need of such legislation
as Will abolish our present compEea-
Gated system of school management,
as seen in the workings of township
and sUb-district boards of education,
and establish in its stead a pure
township organization. This legis-
lation would prepare the way for
placing the township schools of
each county under the supervision Of
a county superintendent of schools.
These two changes in our school
machinery would necessarily bring
about other highly-desirable changes
in school administration, which will
be pointed out and commented on
under the proper headings. The
work Of the committee will be con
fined to the presentation of argu-
ments in favor of the two changes
before mentioned, and to an attempt
to answer some of the objections
most strenuously urged against
them.
THE sUB-DISTRICT SYSTEM
At the outset it must be admitted
that the sub district system, with all
its drawbacks and imperiectiOns, has
been held in high esteem by the peO-
pie of Ohio. It's popularity is part
ly evidenced by the fact that al
though our present school law al
lows the people to change the sub
district for the township system,
with an organization similar to that
found in village school districts, the
change is rarely made. It must not
be forgotten, however, that the peo-
pie have rarely been called upon to
express their views as to the rela-
tive merits Of the systems at the
polls.
1t may not be amiss in this con
nection to define what is meant by a
pure township system, such as it is
proposed to advocate in these pages.
At present there is a township board
of education, composed of the town
ship clerk and the clerks of the vari-
GUS sub-district boards, in each town
ship. This board does not have ex-
elusive control over the schools of
the township. The school law di
Vides the responsibility Of school
management in township between
the township board and the sub-dis-
trict boards, in such a way as to pro |
duce much confusion, since it is no
easy matter to determine the exact
duties of each. Abolish the sub
district boards and give to a town
ship board, composed Of a certain
number of members elected from
the township at large, the whole |
control Of the townships school in
terests, and the result would be what
appropriately may be termed a pure
tOwnhip system.
The one who examines our school /
statistics Will be surprised to find |
more than 10000 school officers, con
trolling schools in which but $4,000 |
teachers are employed. There is no
good purpose subserved by this army
of school directors. The management
of the schools would be much more eff
fcient were tho total number Of town
sbip school directors reduced to SIX
or seven thousand. This reduction
cannot be made so long as the ten
or eleven thousand sub-districts are
organized as at present There are
now I,347 townships in Ohio. By
giving the entire control of the
schools in each township to q town
ship board of education composed
of five members, there would still
be 6,735 school officers to look
after the interests of township
schools. Even were each sub-dis-
trict to have a representative IN the
township board-a plan strongly
recommended by some-the number
of school officers would not equal
One-fourth Of the present number.
1t seems almost unnecessary to
say that the well being of our coun-
try schools demands less machinery,
and less friction in its movements,
than the present double-headed sys-
tenn of township and sub-district
management imposes upon u.s.