Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-17
OUR PUBLIC scaoeLs-A CITIZENS
VIEWS UPON THE SUBJECT.

Ems RECORD. .UsIoy: Knowing your uisposieioi
has always been to promote the welfare ana Dull
nm to high standard the public schools oil Sacra
| roo,+o am nrompted to ask you to give a htti'
-. ., ono ,rbo has been a close observer: beer
connected with the schools and still feels deep IN
forest in making the public schools OF Sacramento
second to none in this State, and, indeed, equal tc
any in the United States. Considerable discussion
has lately arisen as to the class OF men who should
comnose n Board Of Education. That these i'm
nortsnt officers should not be chosen by politicians
hut should be men of character, integrity and bust
ness ability men Of leisure aHd men having dis
! position to serve the public free of emoluments
| and with disposition 10 90 good service Tor the
public free.
Now, MessTs. Editors, | concur in all these resou
| tiona. They are good. How shall we accomplish all
that can besdesired, is the question that would
like to solved II is true that all school govern
ment, all rules and regulations, are made up, and
teachers selected by the Board OF Education-hence
the great responsibility OF the members of the Board
to the public. The Superintendent, elected by the
people, is to great extent made simply servant
of the Board, to that its rules and regulations
are obeyed, the designated course OF study fol-
lowed, to hold general supervision OF the schools.
| and report to the Board monthly, or more fre-
queutly, as the urgency Of any occasion may re-
quire- He should be a man OF good executive
ability.
First then to consider is, how shall these men be
selected. snail tfey De nominated ny
tee representing the Republican and Democratic
parties, in joint meeting, ignoring all pohtics or
shall they be nominated by the respective political
committees: or shall Crawford primary be called
to nominate School Directors and City Superln-
tendent, and have the committee, or committees,
jointly invite all who desire their names TO De SUD-
mitted to the people to be sent to the committee
twenty-four hours before the Crawford primary
shall be held and al such primary the person secur
ing the largest vote to be declared the nominee TO
be voted tor? Now here three separate horns OF
this school question dilemma. The people growi,
grumble and don't get School DIRECTORS 10 suit
them; hence the schools not up to the high
standard that is thought desirable. Men who take
the nomination without fee or reward have their
motives impugned. 1t is said that they only take
the position for further political reward we nave
all heard this, until it is hard to get men to accept
nominations for School Directors. Can't we settle
the matter at the approaching election to be held
on the first Monday in December next?
We have City Superintendent 10 eject. ne nave
place of Wiemeyer and Stevens in the Second
Ward Mr. Stalker goes out In the Third, MI Lord
in the Fourth Mr. Tracy's time has expired and
possibly we may have the resignation OF another.
81 that we have five of the eight Directors to elect
and perhaps six. 1t appears, therefore, that this
opportunity to reorganize our School Board, and
select Directors willing and competent should not
be allowed 10 go by default. for myself am IN Ia
vor of n new departure am in favor OF giving to
the people-to the fathers Of the school children
fair chance to select for themselves suitable and
willing candidates to be voted for In each ward and
urge and request and demand that all interested IN
the cause of education shall give their votes and If
necessary their time to bring out all eligible voters
and thus obtain Board OF School Directors that
all can say they had voice in creating and that are
not simply those chosen by political machinery, as
has been the custom in the past.
| believe that the committees, both Republican
and Democratic would gladly shake hands on this
question, and thus place the responsibility Whereit
properly belongs Let the voters make the nomina-
tions and not the committees The same course
would suggest for City Superintendent. hear al
ready of three or four candidates. There may be a
DOZEN Let the people, say, nominate this officer
also The primary nominations would, OF course
be equivalent to election. Let US, say, ignore
politics in our public schools. AS Repub.
lican l am willing to- l wish that all
would think the same as l do. 1t is
done in this way in larger cities than
Sacramento, and it should be so here. What Dem
ocrat OF Republican cares after the election is over
what the political complexion OF the School Board
is? The only thing they are anxious for is that
those elected will give to the school children the
best possible educational advantages and liberal
and popular course OF studies. l do not believe
that there ever has been School Board in Sac1a-
mento that asked teacher or janitor, male or
female what their politics were. never heard that
question raised l trust it never will be. hope
that before the call Of our City Trustees Tor the eec
ton that this whole subject will be fully and freely
discussed both through the press, on the streets
and at the firesides Let the committees know the
popular wish, and show it the best way, and be-
lieve it will be done. have conYersed with mem
bers of both parties, and far all sey that they
want to select only the best that they can get
to serve.
The time is short in which to settle this all-impor
tant matter and il no better plan is soon agreed
upon, the political committees will be called upon
to meet and make the nominations. Then we will
hear again the old howl: " Unfit nomination, &C po-
litieal Job stepping stone for Supervisors seat
or a chair in the Legislature" ETC. 1 have given
free and unprejudiced view of this matter. hope
that this communication will awaken the people Of
Sacramento upon this all-important question-which
must be of interest to every one-the prosperity
and general usefulness of our public schools.
JAMES l. FELTER