The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-10-05
For Member of the Board of School Ex-
aminers.

At this session of the board of super
visors one of its prescribed duties will be
the selection of the successor to j. w. SIM
mons, who has been men Der of the county
board of examiners for the past two years.
From extended inquiry among those inter-
ested in the welfare of our school system we
find there is an almost unanimous feeling in
favor Of the reelection of Mr.. Simmons,
and THE TINES in view of this feeling and
from our confidence in Mr.. Simmons as an
educator and gentleman trust that he will
be his own successor.
His term of service on the board has been
marked by impartialty and he has been act
uatcd in his every action by the highest mo-
tives. No school has been favored, nor has
any prejudice existed as between schools.
During his service upon the board but one
high school graduate of this county has been
refused certificate and this one was from
Mr.. Simmons own school. Aside from his
peculiar fitness, standing i'm the front rank
of educators in this state, there is still a
stronger reason why the schools Of the
county should be favored with Mr.. Sim
mons experience and advice on the county
board, and that is the unity that now exists
in this county between the primary schools
and the secondary schools and thence to the
university.
AS it is now the child who begins his A
b C's at the country school can finish the
prescribed district school course, and then
upon certificate from his school pass into
the village or city high school without fur
ther examination and from thence upon
graduation enter the university of this state.
This relation between the district and high
school is purely one OF courtesy and none
have striven harder than Mr. Simmons since
this relation has been established to make
it effective. Among the graduates last
June were numerous students from the
district schools who entered upon diplomas
to the various high schools, and If it were
not for this wise unity of school system it
may well be doubted IL all those students
would have taken the high school course.
The system depends upon the efficiency OF
the work done in the country schools and
the wisely arranging of the respective
courses of district and high school work.
The wisdom of this relation has been recog-
nized by our neighboring counties of Clinton
and lngham, and also many other counties
in the state, and member of the county
school board has been selected from the
superintendent of some of the county high
schools. With high school superintendent
upon the county board he knows of the
work done by the country schools and there
is a closer bond that unites the whole sys-
tenn. TO deprive the country school pupils
of this relation or the highest results from
such would be suicidal. At present the
district pupil has the same hopes Of gradu-
ating from high school as does the pupil
i'm the intermediate grades of the village or
city school. The county. board of school
examiners as at present composed has this
able representative of the city schools and
this relation and unity of school system Of
the county should be continued and can be
best done by the reelection of Supt. Sim
mons.