The Portland daily press., 1893-01-21

Republican party in this country has
steadfastly opposed, and from which the
Democratic party has steadily drifted.
In everything but roads and schools rep
resentative democracy has taken the
place of that extreme democracy which
asserts the rights of the state against
the nation, of the town against the state,
and of the district against the town.
The practical objection is that those
who profit by an existing abuse are re-
luctant to part with their prerogatives
and privileges. The patronage and pow
er which attache to the office of agent
will render manv districts reluctant to
abandon the wasteful and inefficient
methods of the district system.
1t may also be urged in objection that
the towns have permission to abolish
the system already. 1t might with
equal force be urged against prohibition
that towns have permission to prohibit
the sale of liquor under system of local
option; OF against sanitary regulations
that towns have permission to protect
themselves against infectious diseases IN
the absence of laws compelling them do
so.
Reasons for the Establishments of a State
Board of Education.
Twenty-Five states and territories
have state boards of education. SO have
county superintendents, "a give life dip
Tomas or certificates to teachers; SO give
certificates good from to 10 years: 8 re-
quire annual certification; "A give state
or county certificates. Maine is
one Of three which have local certificates
only,
The Right and Duty of Supervision.
The state is devoting large sums of
money annually to the support of the
public schools. It is entitled to exercise
the most efficient and discriminating
supervision over the expenditure of that
money. It has a right, and owes the
people the duty of ascertaining the quail
ifications of the teachers to whom this
public money is paid. The state should
either give nothing to the public schools;
or else take measures TO insure that the
money is expended in she employment of
persons competent to do the work for
which they are paid. This work of ex-
amining and certifcating teachers is the
chief purpose for whicha State Board OF
Education is needed.
The Appointment of State superintend-
The state superintendent is now ap-
pointed directly by the governor. The
governor cannot be expected to make ex-
tended investigation into the technical
qualifications Of candidates for that Of
fee. He is, of necessity, dependent on
the advice of others. Under the present
system there is great temptation to self
appointed candidates for the Office to
manufacture that advice and present it
to the governor in the form of political
influence and pressure. 1t we have had
good superintendent, it is due to the
good fortune of the state rather than to
the mode of appointment.
nor for period of years, serving with
out salary, would be in position to
elect the superintendent with much less
embarrassment from political pressure,
and with much more thorough inquiry
into his ability to perform satisfactorily
the duties of the Office. The men and
women who would be fitted to serve on
such board would be above the tempta-
ton to seek positions on the board by
political methods; and the absence of
salary would remove the temptation it.
self
The Slight Expense.
Such a board, serving without salary,
would involve only the most trifing ex-
pense to the state. The travelling ex-
penses of half dozen men and women
who are competent and willing to give
their services to the state are but as the
i. - L, ho1o tr,4
gains which would result from their in
telligent and energetic attention to the
vocational work Of the state. Money
more wisely and effectively spent is
money saved. In raising the standard
of teaching; in extending competent
superintendent; in promoting needed
legislation; in keeping the educational
interests of the state before the people,
such board would render to the state a
service worth hundred times the sum
the state would be asked to pay for the
incidental expenses of half dozen per-
sons devoting ten or twenty days apiece
to the oversight of the work.
Relative Importance of the Two Meas.
Of the two changes proposed, the
abolition of the district system is the
most important and the most urgent.
Until that is done no general improve
ment of the educational condition of the
state can be accomplished. An army
must be organized into companies and
regiments before the ablest generals can
lead it to victory. The abolition of the
district system is needed to organize the
scattered and struggling educational
forces of the state into sufficiently COM
pact bodies for educational leaders to
control. This step taken, the establish
ment of a State Board to givesdirection,
inspiration, discipline and control to
these united forces naturally aud inevi-
tably follows. If these two steps can be
taken together, and at once, the i'm
provement of our educational work
throughout the state will come so much
the sooner. In educational matters
Maine stands today perilously near the
foot of the class. What is worse, we are
doing next to nothing to improve our
relative position.
The measures advocated above are pro-
posed primarily in the interest of the
sparsely settled regions of the state. The
80 a. L 1r,+