The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-11

ftafrls report losJ-S4, NOlume Z. You. VIII
therein find that the Alabama Educational
Association has sprung no novelty upon
you, when 1t asks you to make the follow
ing law:
said board shall consist of the state SUI
perintendent, ex-off1eio, and five other mem
bers appointed by the superintendent; one
shall be appointed from a chartered state
institution of learning, one from a public
school in a municipal district one from
public school in county school district,
one from a state normal school, and one
from an agricultural school,
Each public school interest in the state
has representation. This insures at all
times a board qualified to perform the du-
ties imposed, and a board very largely re-
moved from the direct influence of politics.
Seventh-As to Mr. Burruss' criticism,
that the members of said board would seek
to favor students of their own Institutions,
This is sufficient answer. They can never
take more than they have at this time, for
graduates of said institutions get license
today without examination. The rights of
these institutions are fixed by charter and
will ever be in the power of the general
assembly for revision or annulment.
Eighth-Mr. Burruss idea of uniform
ing Is rather crude. He would have SOL
der, captain and general all dress IN iden-
tical color and form. He berates the pro-
posed bill because its intent is to unity the
examinations and qualifications of teach
ers, yet recognizes four degrees OF certh-
cation. Certainly, the board Is to be en-
powered to establish grades of certifcaton
and to exact examinations accordingly. No
exemptions are to be made. or can be made
under the bill that do not at the present
time exist. The grades of certificates once
established, then 1t shall be the duty OF
said board to make all examinations uni
form for the grade desired by the applicant
to teach.
T.fI, 81 oh ole chon
have their graduates exempt depends upon
the charter of said schools. AT present such
exemption is granted in their charters.
Tho committee and the association of Ala
bama teachers have attempted to consider
only the grammar and high schools in the
course of study and also in the teachers
that employed Even special school
districts and municipal school districts
which are part of the common school sys-
tenn may exercise any powers they possess
over and above the rights held in common
with the county school districts.
A spirit of Cancellation pervades the
whole recommendation of the committee.
The principle held was, "hold fast to that
which is good" Nothing radical appears
even in the certifcation of teachers for the
elementary scholastic present require
ments for examination are to remain in
force six months and even longer unless no.
tice of the changes proposed be adver-
tised.
Tenth-As to the present state constitu-
ton abolishing The state board of educa-
ton that Is purely a constitutional abol-
ishment, and does not deny the right of
the general assembly to make a statutory
board at any time desired The principle
of state constitution making is that all
rights not expressly inhibited remain with
the people to be utilized in statutory en-
actments. Mr.. Burruss, or any other man,
is defed to show in the present constitution
of Alabama a word forbidding the statu-
tory creation of a state board of, educa-
ton. The old board is abolished, but the
new is not prohibited.
Eleventh-The general assembly did es-
tablish system of schools. Tt did organ
lie and does maintain the same The fact
of such organization still remains, so that
changes may be made from time to time,
but no prohibition is placed against the
delegation of this power to any creature of
the general assembly. A. - naD
Twelfth-The supervision of the schools
by the proposed law remains with. the
state superintendent. Not a jot or little of
his power is curtailed. The superintendent
can not, unless granted by the general as
sembly, organize the schools His constitiI-
tional power is solely to <'superVse." The
bill seeks to delegate that power OF ..as
general assembly, relating to fixing the re-
qurements of teachers and establishing the
course of study, to its own creature, Inc
state board 1t confers thereby additional
power upon the superintendent, for the lat
ter is not only member of said board. but
is moreover the executive officer of same.
The power to hold examinations has ever
been delegated to county boards of educa-
ton, which are creatures of the general as
sembly. The power that gave can take
away and give to another if it see fit. These
powers that inhere to general assembly are
simply delegated to the state superintend-
mt and a board of his choosing, for the acts
of which board he shall be responsible to
the state in their execution. If this is con-
ferring greater power on the creature than
resides in the creator, as Mr.. Burruss
would have you believe, English language
is incapable of clearness.
Thirteenth-Article 49, section Z, of the
present state constitution, reads: THE SUI
pervision of the public schools shall <be
vested in a superintendent of education.
whose powers, duties, term of office and
compensation shall be fixed by law
This section Is presented by Mr.. Burruss
as being in conflict with the bill proposed.
As cited before, the only limiting word in
the constitution, relating to the superin-
tendent is the word Supervision" This
means merely that he shall Oversee" or
execute the enactments of the law. He
must look to the law for every duty that
he performs, for the same article says that
his powers. duties, term of office, etc,
"shall be fixed by law" He has no consti-
tutional right except that of office, and
this the proposed bill certainly does not
destroy.
Fourteenth-It is rumored that Mr.. Bur-
russ wishes to become an elected county
superintendent of Jefferson. There was a
time when Mr.. Burruss stood by the ma
jority of the committee of thirty-tfree, but
times change and men change with them.
In his attempt to defeat the action of
the Alabama Educational Association re-
no oinfx, %
intendents and the creation of a state
school board, Mr.. Burruss has an able CO.
adjutor in the present county suEerintend-
ent of Jefferson, who has held the office 4
by appointment for five consecutive terms,
or about ten years. Now, that the SUPER
intendent by fighting the school bills in
troduced two years ago and by fighting the
school bills introduced to the present legis-
lature, has rendered himself possibly DIN
CRATE to the present administration which