The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-05
Stale Superintendent Recommends Some
Changes In the Laws,
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM NEEDS REVISION
Vexatious Conditions May He, Done
Away with-standard of Tcnch-
ers should he Raised.


the management Of the public schools:
II the present arrangement Of levyin,
school taxes in the school districts is con.
tinued. instead OF adopting the county unit
1t should be simplified, and all useless ant
unnecessary requirements should be elm.
mated. The county superintendent shoult
be required to order the election upon the
written request OF the majority Of the trus.
tees, or Of three property taxpayers OF the
district He should fix dates of election
name voting place or places. name presid.
ing officer. canvass returns, which should
be made to HIM. and have the result re-
corded by the county clerk. All the an
moving and vexatious requirements ahould
be renewed. The plan OF voting tax
should be so simple that the people would
be encouraged to hold such elections.
The levy OF school taxes in a community
county is even more difficult than in dis
| trict county.
This community makeshift should be
abolished All the counties should man
| age their schools on the same plan. We
should at least provide for all the counties
system under which there is possibility
| o. improving the schools.
| Provision should be made for collecting
| delinquent school taxes in the independent
| districts. The law now fails to provide de-
| tails applicable to those districts. especially
| those organized for school purposes only.
The school law OF this State contains the
| following: Amy teacher desiring to teach
i'm any city, town, or district in this State
shall. before contracting with any board of
trustees, or with any city school board.
| exhibit teachers certificate, valid IN the
city, town or school district and any
teacher who shall teach In any public
school in this State without having valid
certificate shall not receive from the free
school funds any compensation for such
services
The State undertakes to establish and
have conducted, through its county and in
dependent district authorities, system of
pubtS1Schools, and ii Is not only the right.
but 1t is the duty of the State 10 throw
such safeguards around the schools as will
secure for the children competent teachers,
The present certificate law needs no rad
ical or extreme modification. An error was
made when this law was enacted resulting
in leaving reading out OF the list Of sub,
1ects upon which teachers are to be exam
ined. This should be corrected, and in the
hrst grade requirements ethics should take
the place OF moral science, and elementary
psychology should take the place of mental
sSieHce, tHuS fuudhlllB tulS requirement more
elementary, leaving advanced psychology
fer the examination fer permanent certi-
ficates. At every session of the legisla ture
tho teacher OF lm!ted education and Of long
experience pleads with her friends in the
legislature for law exempttnE teachers OF
long experience from further examination.
The common opinion that most anybody
can teach the little children Is essentially
and entirely wrong. Such children are al
together dependent upon their teachers.
they can not help themselves. The blum
ders of primary teachers lead, in many
cases, TO almost irreparabie injury. II the
teacher OF little children would know the
teaching that is adapted to the child IL she
would know how to bring about the child s
systematic mental development she must
know more than what is contained in the
elementary books placed In the hands OF
the child, She must have a mind suffi-
GENTLY developed by education to compre-
bend what Is known about the problem OF
child DEVELOPMENT. She must study more
than the text book. TO be able to properly
study the whole scheme of primary educa-
ton. she must herself be educated
Our law encourages the teachers TO So |
cure relief from frequent examination by |
securing permanent certificates.
III district is supplied with good school |
houses ii it has sufficient money to pay
the Expenses OF It's schools ON a scale that
would make them efficient success can not
BILE and honest board of trustees to man
age the schools. OF the duties OF all
persons connected in any way with the
public school system. those of the trustees
are the most vital and the most important
The success of every school Is dependent
upon the trustees Many of our schools
have failed on account OF the lack of in
terest or the lack of capacity or the lack
OF honor Gu the part OF The trustees. Some
trustees have been guilty OF disgracefll
frauds In Their management OF the schools.
Frequent complaints have come to this de-
partment that trustees OF schools. esptsi-
ally those for the negro children, have
contracted with those teachers who would
make the most liberal division of their
salaries with the trustees. This is sha nc
'ui and disgraceful practice. teacher
who wouli bride trustee ought TO be sent
% the penitentiary. trustee who would
,ccept a bride, either in cash or in some
ayor. such as the teacher boarding with
aim, ought to be sent to the penitentlary.
But 1t is usually impossible TO secure CON
'ictions on account Of not being able to j
iecure the proof Much could be done 10 ,
break up this nefarlous practice by the
'ounfy superintendent making a liberal |
ise OF their veto power as to contracts. In
many cases the information of the county
amounts To almost positive |
yet. upon an Indictment con- ,
Teton could not be had, In such case
he contracts should not be approved. r
The school districts as a unit Of school !
organization ought 10 be abolished and the I
county unit ought 10 be substituted The
Justices precincts should be the subdivi- =
ions OF the county for local school taxing 1
'urposes. the local taxes collected in each
Justices precinct being used to supple
nent the school funds for all the schools !
4 that precinct.
But II the legislature Is not yet ready to
AXE this step forward. II should pass an
ct authorizing the counties when neces-
AIRY to redistrict their counties for school
'urposes, and. in such act. some provision
houd Re made for the settlement of the :
outstanding debts OF the districts as they
ow exist However. the changes that are !
made in the districts of a colp-
Y under such a law should be
nade with reference 10 established schools
nd when possible each esta blished and well
rganized school should have left to 1t sufA-
lent territory for It's continued prosperity | b
The State university is now what II, Z
riginsl founders intended 1t should be- the
cad OF the public school system. This 9
nstantion is gaining in material equipment o
nd in educational force. u
This institution has from the beginning
cen wisely Managed. and II has contrib
ted vastly to he progress OF education In a
1is State No institution has done more b,
Grouse interest In the public schools OF !,