Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-12-24
The New School Law.

seems long and formidable, is not so
unlike the old law as might appear
at first examination. The act is the
school law of the state and is intend-
ed to cover the whole subject it was
formed by a commission of intelll-
gent men after a most thorough ex-
animation of the condition of the
schools of the state, and is intended
to remedy some acknowledged evils
/ in the s4l-~~lo. --
The first important change is the
establishment of a county board, con-
sisting of one person to be chosen
from each town. This board has a
sort of general supervision of the
schools of the county; collects school
statistics acts as school book COM
mittee, and appoints a county Su-
pervisor, who takes the place and
performs, substantially, the duties
Of the town superintendents, under
the present system. This county
supervisor receives in most of the
counties $1,000 year with expenses
allowed, which are liable to bring his
salary up to from 81, 800 to $4,000
year. This officer is required to
visit schools, grant licenses, settle
difficulties between school officers,
report on the conditions of school
property, etc. The school year COM
mences July l, and ends June 80.
The annual school meetings., after
this year, will be held on. the last
Tuesday in June. There are neces-
sarily some changes in the manner
of issuing teachers licenses and the
| preparation of questions for the writ
ten examinations are prepared by
the state superintendent. Teach
ers examinations are to be held, COM
mepcing on the third Tuesday in
March, on the third and fourth
Tuesday in July and on the third
Tuesday of November, in such con-
venient places in the county as the
supervisor shall designate, notice of
times and places to be published.
Provision is made for long and short
term licenses. No person is eligible
to receive a license who is not II
years or age. There is no particu-
lar change in regard to school district
officers or their duties.
Section 90 provides that ''woman
shall have the same right as man to |
vote in school district meetings, and
in the election of school officers in
towns and cities and the same right !
to hold offices relating to school af-
fairs Districts are given the right
to increase the number of teachers
or departments in the school; to
have their pupils schooled in adjoin-
ing districts or at the the town acad
emies, and must maintain a prescrib-
ed number of weeks school.
Towns are permitted to establish
Hcentral schools" one in town,
which shall be managed by the town,
and which shall provide such adj
vanced instruction as the town shall
vote.
The town system is continued un-
der about the same regulations as
the present law. The school age is
between the years five and eighteen,
and provision is made for the COM
pulsorv education of all children,
with right to arrest such as do not
attend school, and to fine parents
and guardians who fail to send their
children to school. About the same
provisions for raising money to de-
fray expenses of the schools, and
for the disposition of the public
money are made as in the old law.
1t is provided that the present school
year which ends by the old law the
last day of March shall be contin-
ued till the last day of June, and
that teachers licenses, now holden,
shall continue till the last day of
December, 1889; the first teachers
examination in the year 1889 will be
held on the third Tuesday of April.
There are other slight changes in the
law, but the above are the most i'm
portant.
1t will be seen that the most i'm
portant changes are relative to the su-
pervision of the schools, by the coun-
ty supervisor and the establishment
of county school board. We are
of the opinion that the plan is a good
one, but the success of the things
will depend very largely on the char
acter of the county board and the
county supervisor. If these officers,
especially the latter, are efficient,
they ought to be able to enforce
/ COuSlu6TdDlS lil0 IuOO GllO oNhOOAS'
/ Another useful and wise provision IS
that which makes the age of seven
teen necessary before a person can
teach. The cost to the state will
probably be somewhat increased. 1t
is the tendency of all modern legis-
lation to increase expenses and to
enlarge salaries If, however, the
new law shall really improve the
schools the tax payers may not com
plain greatly. We hope that there
will be great care exercised in the
selection of the county board and
the supervisors, so that the system
under the new law may have an au-
spicious send off, and an ultimate
success.
Inafa III on ri