Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-04-18

Ofice Of CO. supt. Lancaster. "


Office of Co. Supt. Lancaster. wis.
To the patrons ard school officers
Of the Public Schools of Grant County
Section 436 of the school code con-
fers upon the district board the power
to purchase such maps, charts, globes
and school apparatus as have been or
may be approved as suitable for use
Of the schools by the state superin-
tendent or the county superintendent
Of the county, and gives directions as
to manner of purchase. limit of value
etc.
1t will be noticed that boards are
restricted to the purchase of such APP
p2Iatas as has been approved BY the
state or county SUPERINTENDENT and
boards win often find the advice Of
| disinterested school men a safer guide
tnan their own unaided judgments.
Section 40 of school law requires
the district board to determine what
school and text books shall be used in
the several branches taught in the
school and gives directions as to man
ner Of adoption etc.
The state superintendent comments
on this section as follows. school
boards are charged with no more del
icate duty than the one imposed by
this section Few members of school
boards are so conyersant with school
books and school methods as to be
competent Judges of the relative mer-
its of school books.
But the law imposes upon district
boards the duty and responsibility of
adopting text books for the schools.
In the discharge Of this duty, boards
will do well TO call to their aid the
teacher and those best acquainted
with the actual merits of the books,
and Of their relative adoption to the
school
The school law. section 166 gives
the state superintendent general SUI
peryision over the schools of the state,
and names, among other duties. the
following: ITO recommend the in
PRODUCTION OF the most approved text
books, and as far as practicable to Sc
cure a uniformity in the use of text
books
While the law does not state expli-
city, that the books adopted by the
board shall have been recommended
by the state superintendent, it will be
safe to require that proof of their
merits. Very few applications for
advice in the selection of books have
been received from district boards
during the past year at this office.
Only those books that have borne the
test of actual work in the school room
have been recommended, and much
caution has been exercised in making
the selections. No publishing house
has been favored; no book agent assis-
ted; the merits of the books alone
have determined their selections.
The books which have been appro-
we'd are published by Sheldon & Co.
CHM & Co, Am Book Co., Hough-
ton, Miffllin & Co, ID. c.. Heath &
Co, Silver Burdette & Co. Lee & Shep
herd, Geo Sherwood q Co. and others.
The books published BY the Werner Co.
have not been recommended for two
reasons. lack of knowledge of their
merits, and the fact that the state
superintendent had not recommend
ed their introduction.
In regard to the ''open letter" adj
dressed TO me through the columns Of
the Teller. ! will only say: The p.o-
pie Of the county viii readily decide
who is the more likely TO advise them
TO their advantage, their superintend
ent Of schools, whose interests are
identical with theirs. or an irrespon-
sible book agent who comes into the
county to introduce his books for the
money there is in it, regardless alike
Of uniformity or confusion, and whose
methods are clearly shown in the
'sopen letter above referred to.
CHAs. ii NYE.
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