Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-04-27
SELECTION OF TEACHERS.

The time for selecting teachers
for another year will soon be here,
and perhaps we may be pardOned
for making a few suggestions on
this point. We believe that the
school boards should always be
governed by business principles
instead of sentiment or personal
influence. We take il for granted
that the object in every district is
to secure the very best services at a
reasonable cost. This should be
the object. Every school board
should desire to secure the best
teacher in the county If possible.
1t is mistake to conclude that be-
cause the school is small or COM
posed of small children that any
kind of teacher will do. In fact,
in our opinion. the smaller the
children, the better the teacher
should be. And because you live
in district where the school il not
large, is no reason why your chill.
dren do not deserve as good instruc-
tons as other children. We have
sometimes been led to believe that
school boards do not attend to the
matter of hiring teachers as they
would attend to their private bust
ness. If you desire to employ some
one to build your house you do not
fix the price that you will pay for
the work and set down and wait for
some one to come along and offer
to do the work for that amount.
You select some one that you know
to be proficient as a carpenter and
go to see him. Or If you submit
the matter to competition you do not
make the price the only matter of
Neither do you give the work to
some person because he is a good
person or needs the money, or be-
cause he happens to live in your
district To be good is an essen
tial qualification for any business,
but il is not the only qualification.
Neither are you governed by re-
lationships, either of your own or
your neighbors. Too often senti-
ment or influence based upon
friendship or relationship ruins the
school. If you have a daughter
who desires to teach school, you
may depend upon il that the entire
district knows il, and il il is de.
sired that she shall teach that
school Il will be made known to her.
Il should not be forgotten that
teaching requires just as much
special talent and just as much
special training as the practice of
or the law, or the minis
ny, or any other profession. The
act that a person is educated is no
more evidence that he will be
,uccessful in teaching than in any
If the other professions. II is true
hat a teachers certificate ought to
De sufficient evidence of ability to
each, but under the present law IL
8 not. But you say how then shall
We determine who is proficient
'hould say first, go TO the county
Iuperintendent's Office and look up
heir record IL they have any, ask
linn what he knows about them.
lie will be glad TO tell you. He
3 anxious for you TO have
good school. Make inquiry of
heir past employers either person
lily or by mail. or of anyone else
hat you think ought TO know. At
end the county normal a day or
wo. This Is an excellent place to
elect teacher, and we are glad to
zee that some boards are using this
Ian. Whatever you do, do not wait |
Until half a dozen have applied |
nd then be satisfied to employ the
me that has impressed you the
most favorably in afive-minute con-
creation, or one who offers to teach
Or 50 per month less than the 9TH