New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-08-16
G0MM.ElN GIN q TO TINKER,
The New School Board Thinks it Can Make
improvement.
They Want the Privilege Of Electing
Teachers Every Year,
a System Which is Approved BY the Best
Educators They Wish to Destroy.
They Refuse to Elect Hagberg to theBoard
of Examiners.

I 4 ) : - 4
lal meeting of the School Board. NotI
many knew of this and ever. Mr.. Scherer,
one OF the members, was not notified of
the meeting until after the Board was in
session. Mr.. Stricken tried to explain
the failure to notify Scherer BY saving
that he left instructions in the morning
at the home Of Prof, Nix, the superin-
tendent himself being absent, to have all
members notified, but that evidently the
instructions had been misunderstood. It
seems strange, however, that the remain
ing tive members of the boari together
with the editors of the News and Volks-
blatt should have been informed by some
body of what was going on and that
scherer and the other newspaper repre-
sentatives should be overlooked They
may offer excuses by the dozen, but the
!; matter will look peculiar just the same.
! When the meeting was finally assemb-
led the president announced the business
that of selecting two new teachers. The
applications to fill the vacancy in the
primary were first taken up ard after
but little consideration, Silverso. moved
to appoint Benedict Juni at salary of
$45 per month for ten months. The
motion was seconded and all voted ''aye"
but Mr.. Schercr who voted "no''.
| For the vacancy. of Mr.. Fist her
there we're in the neighborhood of forty
applications. These were hprriedly
skinned over, and the board soon de-
cided that the easiest way out of the mat
ter was to choose between two who had
applied in person. These were Mr.. Mel
SON, graduate of the State University
with excellent standing, and Mr.. Leon
Koch OF Dakota, who was elected be-
cause Of longer experience in teaching.
Mr.. Nelson asked for $3.50 salary and
Mr.. Koch gets 5000 He enters upon
his duties September LIST. -.a-
| Silverson again moved that the
teachers be paid by the month
instead of by the year and then
he started the ball rolling toward
what the Review has always predicted
| by introducing resolution to the effect
that if any teacher in our schools desires
to retain a position in the future he must
make application at the first meeting in
July. The custom at present is to re-
tain teacher until he resigns or is dis
charged.
/ Prof. Nix argued against the resolution
| by saying that he had always considered
it source Of pride that the New Ulm
schools had years ago adopted the plan
of permanent tenure of office which was
now being steadily adopted by other CT
ties of The state and by all leading edu-
Gators, He added that single educator
of prominence could not be found who
approved of the old method of electing
teachers every year. In the large cities
of course, he said, the permanent tenure
method is impracticable, because the
, Board cannot come in close touch with
the teachers and the work in the schools.
But in cities of the size of New Ulm
and trif1e larger the advantages of per-
m anent tenure are evident. To show
the difference between the two systems
he cited the instance of visit which he
had from Prof. Vaughn OF Anoka. The
latter was anxious to know something
of the system followed here, of which
; he had heard so much, and when it was
explained to him, he expressed himself
as highly pleased and said that he had
often wished to follow some such course,
4 but that it was no use, inasmuch as he
i did not know at the end of the year
whether he was to be retained or not.
He therefore lost enthusiasm and was
content to pursue the same old methods
as were in vogue years and years ago.
/ Prof. Nix further stated in answer to
an argument adduced by Mr.. REIN to
the effect that permanent tenure tended
to make teachers careless OF in other
words tended to serve as a pillow for
them in their work that if Mr.. REIN
knew more Of the system followed here
he would not talkin, that way. In New
Ulm teacher frequently has the same
pupils this year, for instance, that she
had last. Knowing then that she is to
continue to teach them for another year
she will become enthusiastic over their
success and labor to make each succeed
ing years instruction more easy and pro-
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