The news & observer., 1897-01-23
Discussed by the Joint Educa-
tion COMMITTEE.
PROMINENT MEN PRESENT
BILL PREPARED BY TEACHERS
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE.
ENDORSED BY supr, mesANE
II Provides for Local Supervision OF
the Public Schools of the State
without Any increased
Expense.
Expense.


educational bill prepared by the Teach
ers Assembly special committee, was
discussed.
DIR. McIyer, chairman of the Assembly
committee; Prof. j. y. Joyner, who was
president of the Assembly last year, and
Secretary Charles j. Parker were present,
representing the Assembly.
After the resolutions that were rgssed
by the Assembly at Asheville were read
by Secretary Parker, Prof Joyner ad-
dressed the committee He said the meet
ing at Asheville was the most largely
attended and most representative body
of teachers the Assembly has had for
years. All departments of education
were represented He said the matter
was carefully considered and fully dis
cussed at their meeting, and after mature
deliberation the teachers decided upon
this system as @ means of eleyating the
professional standard and infusing life
and spirit into the educational work.
Good supervision means better teach
ers; better teachers will give us better
schools What the profession needs is a
man of high ideas and professional
spirit to talk principles of education from
year to year" Mr.. Joyner suggested the
appropria ton of an amount TO stimulate
local taxation. This to be used as the
Peabody fund is to help towns and COM
munities that help themselves by impos-
ing a local tax to maintain an efficient
system of schools.
President McIver followed Prof. JOY
ner with strong plea for local taxation
and efficient supervision. He said many
enterprising people We're moving from
the country TO the towns where taxation
is higher therefore the people do not OBJ
| ject to higher taxes if they get value
| received in better educational facilities.
He thinks no industrial or intellectual
Iprosperity need be expected until an eff
lfieient system of schools is established.
For every 100 colored people that
move into the State over 600 leave, and
| for every 100 whites that move into it,
| sos move away. They usually go to
States where taxes are higher. Many
OF the counties in the State have only two
months public school. No State can be-
! come a great State that is niggardly in
| is provisions for education.
''All that the teachers demand is to be
given a chance. Put teachers in charge
of educational affairs. Doctors examine
applicants for license to practice medi-
| cine; lawyers examine applicants for
| license to practice law, and minister's eX-
anime and license ministers, but man
| Of any profession is entrusted with the
duty of examining and licensing teachers.
"A few men whose hearts are on fire
with the cause of education and who arc
competent to instruct and inspire the
| teachers and to lead educational thought
| among the people would be worth more
| to the State than 96 superintendent
| who depend on other occupations for a
living, and necessarily make the school
| work secondary consideration"
| Superintendent Mebane followed DIR.
| McIyer He said: II would prefer
| good man for each county, but that is
| impossible, owing 10 the financial condi-
| ton of the State. SO, under the condi-
tons, the present plan is the best that
/ can be done, | am willing to risk the
| consequences if the bill be enrolled into
a law. We can find plenty of good men
| If we have the means with which TO pay
| them"
| Mr.. Joyner then asked for a few min
utes to emphasize the necessity of hav-
| ing a separate educational committee or
| board as special guardians of the school
| fund in each county, and illustrated the
necessity for this by citing the case of
| county in the State in which, under the
| system of supervision by commissioners,
| who had charge of both funds, $4,000 of
| the school fund had been used by them
| for county purposes, and when the special
/ board OF education was appointed as
| special guardians Of school fund they
| discovered this, brought suit and re-
covered it for the children of the county
| The proposed bill as finally agreed up
| on by the committee, is entitled an
Act TO provide for the supervision of the
public schools of North Carolina, and is
as follows:
Section 1. That the State of North
Carolina shall be divided into not less
than twenty-four nor more than forty
eight Supervision districts, each district
to be composed of two or more counties.
Sec. 2. That the general business of
each Supervision district shall be man
aged by District Board Of Educational
Commissioners to be elected as herein
after provided.
Sec. 3. The county board of education,
register of deeds. clerk of the court, and
the board of county commissioners of
each county, shall at a joint meeting OH
IueSudy aIter the UfSI MONDAY III AprUy
following the ratification of this act, elect
as many district educational commission
ers as the said county has representatives
in the lower House of the General As
sembly.
Privided that the commissioners elected
shall be men OF education and good bust
ness capacity and known to favor inn
proving the public schools.
Provided further, that where any coun-
ty is entitled to more than one commits
sioner on the district board, the com
missioners elected shall not be of the
same political faith.
Provided further, that if there be no
county board OF education the boards Of
county commissioners, the register of
deeds, and the clerks of the court of the
several counties shall alone elect the
district commissioners of education. The
term OF Office OF the district commissioner
shall be two years.
See. 4. On the Tuesday Following their
election, the board OF district commits
I'LL ..H xSIaa ~