The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-09-25
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

For the benefit of our schools anc
citizens generally I hope both the
Alexandria papers will publish the
following information that to my mind
seems to be necessary in order to pre-
vent the acts of our School Directors
from being misconstrued, and conse'
quently be an injury to their doing ef.
ticient work.
The power that created the board
of school directors enacted laws by
which their duties are defined aud thei,
work is governed.
In accordance with the school Law
they (the Directors) elected Presi'
dent and Secretary, and one of the
directors member of the appointing
board whose duties are to contract with
and appoint teachers to the schools
wherever located by the School direc.
tors. The Board is composed of a
Director, Parish Superintendent and
President, who, by virtue of his Office
is chairman of the Board. Teachers
are appointed by them, upon the re-
commentator Of the director who
lives in the ward where the school il
to be taught.
Where school has been located
and no teacher has been recommended
or assigned to aaid school, then it ii
the duty of the appointing board te
place a teacher in charge of the school,
and il is not justice for the patrons te
complain when they themselves are il
fault, and the appointing board has
done nothing but its plain duty.
The Secretary, by virtue of bis
Office, is Parish Superintendent o.
Public Education, member of the pa
pointing board, and chairman of the
Board for examining the qualifica.
tons Of applicants who desire to OBJ
tain the privilege to teach in our pub
lie schools.
The Board is composed Of three mem.
bers, two If whom have been duly cleo.
ted by our School Directors.
Examinations are held by the exam.
lining board when they are ordered by
the school director and at no other time
and are held in public as the law directs
after thirty days. notice.
To 60 to Alexandria, give two days to
applicants to prepare their written an
swers to all questions propoundcd to
them, to estimate the value of the ans.
wers given and then to grant certificates
to those who are Justly entitled to re.
ceive them, will take two more days Of
faithful, steady work, and now add a
day to go home and it is plain that i!
costs the examining board time and
money to do work for which they have
never been paid anything.
| 1t seems to be self evident fact that
the only hope school officers and direc.
tors can possibly have for remuneration
is the knowledge that they have done
their duty to the best of their ability,
for it is we'll known to them that they
never will get fat off of the blessings
they receive from those for whom they
labor.
In conclusion on this subject do not
think it is either reasonable or right for
the patrons of school to wait until q
teacher has been appointed and then
make complaints. Neither do think it
is fair nor just for the School Directors to
order more than one examination in
each scholastic year unless they are will
ling to pay for the same.
Let every school district have the
teacher selected they want; let every
person who wishes to obtain the privi-
lege to teach in our public schools be
| ready when examinations are held and
then attend them and there will be no
reasonable cause for complaint in the flu
ture about not having the teacher who
is wanted by the patrons of any school.
The necessity for uniformity in the
school-books to be used in public
schools throughout our State are 80
plainly visible to those who visit our
schools that nothing need be said on
this important subject more than to in
form those who are interested that our
State School Board, after mature deliber-
alton. have adopted list of books to be
used in all of our public schools.
The State Board has made it compul-
sorry on the parish school board to see
and know that this part of the school
law is complied with by all public
schools. The most of the books which
were adopted by the State School Board,
are now in general use in our schools.
The retail price of school books have
been established by the State Board Of
Education. A list OF the adopted books
will be sent to teachers in short time
with the blank to make their monthly
school report. It is made my duty by
law to have the adopted books in use as
soon as possible, and I expect the active
cooperation of all our teachers in this
great work of improvement in our
schools.
Six months school with pupils prop
erly classed, are equal to eight months
where different kinds OF text books are
used, making it an impossibility to ar
range the classes as they should be in
order to expedite the school work.
H. F. LONG,
Parish Superintendent Public Education.
Co~k 1OkL loon