Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-04


. whole duty under the district system. rathe
than the audAcious demand for additions
!, authority in the force of notorious delin
quencies?
With . view 10 . comparison of the posi-
oilifies Of the two systems, let it be grzntes
- of prime importance TO the success Of h.
public schools. that the scholars be bro1gh
within the reach or under the influence OF
: good instruction.
Now, is il not evident to all who would la,
any claim TO q knowledge of sehool-laws
that under the district system. the authorit,
Of supervisors TO exclude ali incompeten nj
teachers from the schools, and To include
therein all scholars, is a. complete As unie,
the town system. and that the authority o,
the district agent 10 hire the teachers need
be no hindrznee whatever TO the most care
full and impartial discrimination in the Ger
utcatlon of tezeherss
Tbs facilities for securing attendance and
uniformity Of text books are the same in
each.
How much doe. the average supervisor o.
schools in rural towns concern himself about
these features Of the public schools? In
many towns the oldest inhzbitant7 would
fail 70 recall instance where steps we're
taken by the supervisor TO secure fuller At
tendance of scholars.
Supervisors often plead in excuse for
their dsinquencies the embarrassment under
I which they are placed in the examination and
eertihcation of teachers because of their be-
ing engaged by the district agent
Such men would be seriously embarrassed
in the performance of any dnty requiring
moral courage. These ask for the authority
To hire teachers as in their Judgement offer
ing an easy way out Of the dilemma in which
they ind themselves when the candidate
sent them by the agent fails to pass a salts
factory examination.
Which will they do.-eertify the candidate
and impose upon the public, or reject the
candidate and make her friends their bitter
enemies! Now they falsely reason that the
authority to hire the teachers would relieve
them entirely from the necessity of rejecting
anyone. thereby avoiding the apparent an
tagonism Ct their own personal interest to
that Of the public and that this duty would
become simply election according to fore
know ledge
The excuse given by a supervisor under
the town system" in the year of our Lord
eighteen hundred and eighty eight, for
choosing" an incompetent teacher and re-
tanning her two terms in the same school TO
its great detriment. illustrates how wide
apart in this case. are the theory and the
practice; Her father nung around Till
was almost Obliged to give her the school in
order TO get rid of him"
The entire machinery of our government
is composed of three departments the legis-
lature, judicial and executive, con- tituted
as TO serve as checks upon each other. Such
is the character too of the district system of
schools. Under it the rights of each .epa-
rate district well as of the town at large
,.,ftn a., Id 81.
check which the agent and supervisor eIer-
else upon each other. 1t is the agents duty
to secure the full recognition of the rights
of the district in the apportionment of public
services and money for the support of the
public school, and on the other hand the
supervisor through the veto upon the en-
ployment by the agent of incompetent teach
ers, which he may interpose, has the power
TO prevent the Improbable expenditure of
the public money; and neither has any Just
ground to complain of the other if less than
this is accomplished.
And, certainly, if the supervisor in his an
nual report may say to the town-''If you
want good teachers on must hire them"
and this has been said more than once
may not the agent with equal proprie.y re-
tort If the supervisor does not want incom-
petent teachers he should not certify them"
But under the town system what check is
placed to the exercise by the supervisor of
the widest eccentricities, and the greatest
injustice is unmportant sections of the town,
in his appointment of school privileges. Per
haps you imagine that you answer the que.-
ton by asking this one Don't the town
elect its own SUPERVISOR True he is elected
by majority vote, but that proves no more,
for majorties are often wrong The major
ity vote and the majority intelligence of a
community are often arr.yed against each
other.
Again, the district system offers as ample
facilities for the proper classification and
grading of our schools, as the town system
and vet what mas been accomplished in thi.
direction by large majority of our super
visors? Absolutely nothing.
What more fitting conclusion to this com
parison of the two'systems than the inquiry
Upon what basis rests the assurance
that the town system" of schools
will very materially contribute TO
their success when the only feature of the
system which It's advocates themselves insist
upon is the transfer of the authority to hire
teachers from the district agent to the super
visor, sort of legalized robbery of Peter to
satisfy fictitious claim of Paul; As we'll
claim the easement of the beast because of
of the saddle to the back of the rider.
Finally. the advocates of the town system
are challenged to produce any positive evil
dence to the contrary, why the supervisor
may not if he chooses secure for the public
schools under the district system as compe
tent instruction, as full attendance, as perfect
grading and classification, yes, and unIformi
~ of text books too as there are facilities
for or probabilities of. under the town sys-
tenn.
There is absolutely no guarantee shatever
that all things will not continue as they were,
and with the certainty that incompetency in
the supervision and there is nothing in the
town syste m that gives assurance Of any i'm
proyement even there) will be attended by
more serious and widespread detrinent to the
public schools.
1t is in vain you appeal to the schools of
Massachusetts. As poor schools may be
found there as in Maine if one is looking for
them Public sentiment formulated in
school appropriations has as much to do with
the character of our schools, as the swill-pail
has with the breed of hogs
A. r. WOoD.
st Adams, Jan. 30.
Augusta is becoming the banner town