Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-09

unwisc. ana against tho best intefeot @
public EDUCATION. In tho nrst. p1oecs g
Is against the spirit and letter e ~
Constitution. That instrument plainly
provides the mode OF selecting theee -
GERS. II says they shall b appomtea ~
board Of education, composed Q!
Governor. the Attorney General, ana -
State Superintendent OF Public !rstE
ton, subject to confirmation BY the
Senate. Any action the people may take
il not sanctioned by law; IL not authoe1~
tative, and, at best, II mere recon-
mendation to the board.
The board can. with perfect propeSeSy
and full authority, disregard sucn ~
commentator, and appoint some one
else. Indeed. It Is possible cases might
arise when the board should disregard
such recommendation. 1t expresses as
trust in the wisdom and Judgment o.
the Board OF Education. 1t would take
the appointment from competent autHo~
rity: men who are themselves educaseos
who have been through the schools ana +
know the needs Of the schools. ana pus
1t in the hands Of the masses. many ok
whom are not educated. can neither reoo
nor write. and have no idea OF the quail
fications required Tor this Responsible 20
sltion, or OF the fitness OF applicants.
1t seeks to put incompetent In the place
Of competent authority. Under our sys-
tenn OF government anybody can %
candidate for any office. The only thing
that keeps incompetent men land shae
does not always do iO from aspiring TO
the school superintendency, Ia the fact
that an educated tribunal must decide
the case. Pull down the bars, and In
comt etent and vicious men would rush
into candidacy Their chances before
the people would be as good as. or bet
ter. than that Of the worthy and COM
petent man. The Office should never b
a strictly political Office. Tho school sue
perintendent is an executive officer, IN
some of his duties judicial officer, ana
he should be above all possibility OF tho
contamination and bias OF political Inc
fuence.
ed by the people. In none OF them has
II been found to work to advantage.
quote an excerpt from the report OF Hon.
T f. Croker, late State Superintendent
Of New York, where the commissioners
(s,,perintendents) are elected by the PEG"
pie:
terests would be better served could tho
tenure of Office be made more permanens
by the adoption. through legislative enact.
ment, of q standard OF quahncations' ana
by making the Office appointive, insteao
| of an elective one. / am or the opinion
that the present plan of clecting school
| commissioners might be prohtabiy
changed by having them appointed by
some competent authority. do not think
| that an educational office charged with
| such vast responsibilities and scholarly re-
| ouirements should be left to the mercy o.
| a political caucus or county converts
| ton of professional politicians. The OLE
1 fee should be appointive. and the appoint
| ment should be made by those who are
| conversant with its duties and RESPONSE
| bilities, and who are regarded as true
! representatives OF educational interests
| No person can be a good school COM
| missioner unless he Is educated, and Is
| besides. interested in the cause or edu-
| cational progress. Those essential quaIi>
| fications cannot be ascertained at POLL
| tical caucus or county convention
| Nor are those qualifications sought TOT
| AT n political caucus or county convention.
| Incompetent and unworthy men would %
| the choice in many instances. l recall
! n certain witness in the Breckinridge-
I Pollard case, who was, or had been. q
school superintendent in Kentucky, eject.
| ed by the people. who certainly renecteo
no credit upon the school system OK tnas
| State.
Under the present system OF examina.
ton of teachers in Virginia, the poliu-
clan superintendent. trucking to pubic
opInIon or counting public favor. reward
| ing his friends or making secure future
| elections, or nominations by conventions
! or primaries, could inflct untold harm
upon the educational interests OF tue
| State. Favoritism and not competency
would be the standard In granting teacn-
ers' licenses. Accomao has set @ bad
nrecedent. The fathers builded wiser
than some of our later-day politicians
ever dreamed of in their philosophy. Keep
the schools above politics. or course
the next move will be to have county
judges selected by political conventions
or primaries.