Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-25

powers in the issuance of teachers GER
tlficates, and the authority is not abused.
(Fourth Resolution). w recommend
that the constitution be amended SO as
to give the legislature power to pre-
scribe the qualifications and manner of
selection of county superintendent"
The purpose of this resolution is
claimed to be to legalize the law defining
the qualifications of the count superln-
tendent. Its intent, however, is undoubt-
cdly to abolish the office of county super
~intendent and in lieu thereof authorize
the state board of education to appoint
a county examining board. In supper
of this opinion we call attention to resO-
buttons 5 and 7 passed by the board of
education, in which the county super
~intendent is to be deprived of powers
and duties which Of right belong to that
office. Instead of diminishing and de-
stroylnS the powers and duties Of the
county superintendent, who represents
the people by popular election, we favor
the increase of the powers and duties for.
that office and limitation of the powers
of the state board of education.
cThird Resolution). w recommend
that in section ITO of the political code
the word April in the third line of the
said section he stricken out and the word
August be inserted in lieu thereof. and
that wherever said word April occurs in
said section. the word August be insert
ed in lieu thereof"
This c~ontemplates the change of the
date of the school election from April to
August. Such a change would be unwise
for the following reasons:
First-As late a date as August would
prevent the new board of trustees from
planning and completing the arrange
ments for the new school year. Changes
in the board might result in changes of
policy, II a retiring board could make
contracts and form combinations that
might render the service of the new
board, fresh from the wants of the people,
as expressed by their vote, impotent; in
fact. they could prevent the introduction
of policies and reforms demanded by the
patrons.
Second-Upon the wise selection of
superintendent and teachers depends the
success of the school,. Holding the APP
p%ointments until after an August election
it would be difficult to secure the proper
corps, as other states AVE their selection
earlier, and our teachers would accept
places elsewhere, and desirable teachers
in other states would have secured their
positions for the new school year.
Third-Presumably, the intention of the
resolution is to produce q law that will
separate the city and school elections,
and cause politics to take a pack seat in
the school election. If so, the motive is
a good one, but why not put the school
election earlier, say the first Saturday in
March, as it is in many states, and thus
secure for the new board of trustees
longer time to decide upon the efficiency
of the school system as now governed and
to give to the city superintendent and his
corps an earlier election which will result
in greater stability of the public school
system.
GTirst R%esolution.) 1--WE recommend
that the following words be added to sec
ton 1888 of the political code; and no per-
son not holding n license in full force and
effect, issued by the state board of educa-
ton, shall be permitted to instruct in any
institute of this state"
The limitation of the powers of the
county superintendent n the cOncen-
tration of power in the state board of
education should be considered with great
caution. We admit that no person should
be permitted to instruct in any institute,
unless he possesses the necessary quail
fircations and so recognized as an able
educator. The apparent intention of the
amendment is to give power to the state
board of education, that it may disbar
any person now commissioned if it sees
fit to exercise it's authority. A much
needed amendment. to the present law
would be to grant the county Superin-
tendent authority to select instructors of
recognized standing and ability from
without the state and within the state
even though they are not commissioner
by the state board of education. This
would enable the county superintendent
to add to his list of instructors, educators
specially qualified in certain lines to give
special instruction.
The state board of education meets but
semi-annually, viz: in June and Decem-
Der. With the authority to select the best
instructors available, the county super
intendent could organize the institutes in
the interim of the meetings of the state
board of education, and by exercising
this discretionary power increase the
efficiency of these meetings. The demand
for specialists in the city schools has al
ready led the county superintendent of
this county to secure instructors from
without the state. These instructors have
ability to discourse learnedly upon fads
and fancies, but to impart valuable in
struction in language teaching and to
further aid the teachers in the instruction
of drawing and the fundamental branches
of learning.
We, the undersigned, respectfully sub
nit the foregoing reasons for opposing
the enactment of laws that will place the
schools of Montana under the unrestrict-
ed control of the state board of education
and thus seriously affect the progress of
the public schools and the efficiency of
the county superintendent office.
(Signed by the teachers of Silver Bow
county and mailed to Hon. A.. l.. Stone,
chairman of house committee on educa-
ton, January 90, 1899