The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-11-03
Supt. RochoIl Explains.


EDITOR HERALD: Sincethe beginning
of the present political campaign more
or less has been said about some
school rows, which have existed in
two villages in this county.
For the information of the public I
would say concerning the Avon case,
numerous comp aints were fled against
the teacher for. extremes in punish
ment, and other wrong doings. went
to Avon, investigated the cause of the
complaints and reported the same to
the state superintendent, at the same
time asking him for advice. On De-
cember 18th, 1896, received the fol-
lowing letter:
ST. PAUL, MINI. Dec II, 1896.
Supt. l.. J.>Rocholl, st. Cloud, MINI.
| Dear Sir:-I have read something
in the papers about trouble in the
school at Avon. You ask my opinion
as to the best coarse for you to pur-
| sue.
L will say that, unless the teacher is
conducting himself in an immoral
manner or is lacking in sufficient
learning and ability to teach the
school you can have officially nothing
to do, with the matter whatever. If,
however, the teacher is guilty of mali
| clOus and Injurious conduct toward
the patrons of the school or the pupils
Gas you intimate in your letter and
| you are satisfied such is the case, it is
4 yOuc duty, under the law, to take the
necessary steps for the revocation of
his certificate. One cause for revOca-
tioR of certificate is that the teacher is
OF mineral character. Now, to be
ltETRlOral includes much more than
| righteousness. "A teacher who. in the
exercise of his duties, exhibits malice
bn such@a way as to injure the school
may fairly be said to be to that extent
ct immoral character. Moreover, a
teacher who SO conducts himself has
not sufficient learning and ability to
atcach school.
AS there is nothing personal in this
isetter, 1t need not be regarded as COZ
i tidentjsl
i Very truly yours,
4 w. w RENDERGA ST.
,Supt. Pub. Inst.
! C.
/ Tke above letter is sself-expIanatory
4 L followed the suggestions of the de-
pahtment and dismissed the teacher.
4 Thetrustees secured the services of a
Normal graduate for the uneXpired
term. On January 18th, 1897. four or
! tveRpatrOns of the district, who were
tinancially Interested in the dismissed
teacher, instituted a retaliatory pro-
ceed-ng, thereby intending to have me
impeached. After g lengthy trial and
considerable expense to myself the
case was dropped.
The difficulty at Richmond is rather
a novel one. The district has become
what is known as graded school,
templOying four teachers. Last MAY
Graded School Inspector A. w. Ran
kin urged the employment of lady
teachers and, If possible, Normal grad .
yates for the lower grades. To this
the board objected, stating that ladies
belong to the kitchen and not in the
| school room. l informed the board
thst it was their duty under the law to
consider the worth and ability of the
teacher without regard to sex, and
that trained teachers were the most
desirable. They also threatened me
inscase I did not conform to their
views, namely, to employ only male
teachers, they would use all efforts to
defeat me for the democratic nomina-
tlan- l would not agree to;tkis proPo-
sition and they kept their word, yet
nOsoishOnor to me. The school board
employed two male tteachers without
the proper qualification, and are still
teaching On October 10th I wrote
the state superintendent the condition
of affairs in Richmond, and under
ndate'of October %, in reply to my COM
.munieation. he wrote me in substance:
''Any district which violates the
plain letter of the law in such case
4 cannet lawfully share IN the semi
annual appointments OF the current
school fund" Every ,atficer, every
4 school trustee. up to the highest in the
state. is sworn to discharge the duties
4 of his office according to law and the
best of his ability. Wilful refusal to
carry oat the provisions of the law
would render the officer Liable to inn
1 peaehment."
| Since then the public funds have
been, withheld from the district which
| they will not receive unless they COM
ply with the law.
The. county is larger than the state
of Rhode Island, there are 225 teachers
employed who are under. the direct
supervision of the county superintend-
ent.
If an.enlightened policy is attempted
or carried out, a county superintend-
ent is at times confronted with more
or less opposition from some of the
trustees who are not interested in
educational innov ations. Hence, now
and then dissatisfaction may occur
both with the trustees and in the
school district
In the administration of official du-
ties one is Obliged to render decisions
which undoubtedly cannot suit all