Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-03
PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORMS
Views Of an Experienced Educator on
Needed School Legislation.
DANGERS OF POLITICAL WIRE PULLING
smaller Boards and Longer Terms
Nebrnskn's school Land Law
The Rod I'm SchooI-Trnin-
ing DCth Hands.

In school management and school legisa-
tion. He has had several hard tussles with
the Chicago School board by insisting on
Keeping politics out OF the schools and by
demanding that merit be the sole quallfca-
tion OF teachers. In a letter to the New
York Independent he gives his views on RE
form Legislation for Public Schools" as fol-
lows:
There Is not matter Of more vital i'm
portance before the American people today
than that Of providing legislation for the
bettermenS of the public school system in
general, and most particularly In the large
cities. In this problem is involved the d-
vorcement of school management from poll
tics and wire pulling.
AS the bill recently before the Illinois
legislature was framed by an able commits
sion, thoroughly competent to deal with in
yolved educational questions, this measure is
OF interest to the entire country and be-
Ieve represents the most advanced position
yet taken in practical reform legislation for
the benefit of public schools
The bill is popularity spoken of as the
Chicago School Law" and contains three
fundamental propositions which are well
worthy the consideration of all earnest edu-
Gators These fundamentals are "a A small
school board. (2) A longer term of service
for members Of this board than now pre-
walls, (3) Expert and responsible admins
tration of the educational and business de-
partments OF the school system. 1t seems to
me that the arguments In favor of these
propositions are absolutely conclusive.
Regarding the first provision of this bill. 1t
must be admitted, at least for force of the
doctrine of probabilities, that the ease with
which a body of able and faithful men can
be assembled Is in proportion to the small
ness OF Its membership. In other words, It
Is more than twice as easy to make IN a
BOARD Of education containing ten men of
leisure and public spirit than one of twenty
members. These men receive no salary and
are rarely thanked for their good work and
devotion. On the other hand their share of
public censure is very likely to be in pro-
portion to their efforts in the resistance of
poltical pressure brought to bear upon
them by individuals who have axes to grind
Nothing short of the most genuine devotion
TO the best interests of the public schools
could induce man who has no other cause
to serve to continue in this work. This
consideration alone is sufficient to cause the
general public to hail with Joy a reduction
IN the size Of school boards, for it means
larger proportion of sound and stalwart
timber in the membership.
Effectiveness of Small Boards.
Then, in a smaller board there is 1ess
temptation for the members to indulge in
oratory. The numerical contraction of a
ueilDeratlVe body always acts as a discour-
ager or the forensic spirit. Where only
nine or ten men gather about a table thew
DO not naturally take to delivering political
speeches. Instead, they spontaneously think
OF doing business in a direct. simple and
pusiness-llke manner. This not only results
IN great saving of time, but also saves
iactionai divisions growing out of heated
oratory and striving for personal leadership
again. the members OF small body are
aDie 10 nave an Intimate acquaintance with
all their associates to a degree imnossih,o
in large board
NOT the least important consideration in
iaVor OF a small board is the fact that each
member feels inevitably a sense of personal
responsibility which would not rest unon
MIN were the total responsibility spresd over
larger organization. In short, what ia
eVeryoody's business is nobody's business
ana TINS attitude of thought always obtains
CONSCIOUSLY or unconsciously, in any large
body Of men. 90
Where the executive organization ia sma,,
and compact the quiet man who 10 saIIor,
heard from figures for his full worth which
IS generally much greater than that of tho
feauy taiker. The proportion of absentees
u. meetings OF compact board is much less
.nan III the case of larger organization
Each member feels that a definite and nor-
sonal responsibility compels his attendance
ana that If he Is not present to DISCHARGE HE
perSohal duties, no other person will Iool,
after them. -ooh
, ne vi tne greatest evils of large school
10 WHAT may be termed the sectional
or geographical spirit. The member of such
oody comes to think of himself as the rem
TeSentatiVe of a Certa in cactio,
nationality or element of the citv and eel,
that ne Is charged with this interest IN tha
eAeluslon, perhaps, of all others This be
eels d marrow and trafickng spirit and he
% "iilhg TO make concessions against bts
pest judgment In order to gain support and
votes tor the one element to which he is de-
voted. He is bound to speak for Rnn-
combe,' as did the North Carolina co,,
Bressman who justified a startling sueech nm
the ground that 1t was in the interests Of his
own county and that the remainder of the
"oiiu couid look out for itself. The men,
Dei Vi smaller educational board has little
temptation to lose sight of a paramonnt
interest simply because 1t is not of e-eater
benefit to his own particular locality than =,
the whole territory concerned. The ,,oro
nearly board of education can annroxi
mate the nonsectional spirit of the national
capihet the better for the community When
this is dohe school houses will be located on
proad and impartial regard for the gem
ulne interests of the public and not in con-
iorhiity with personal schemes and the
narrow concerns of particular localities.
Long Terms Desirable.
The "clincher" for the argument favoring
longer term of service for members of
school boards is that the work in a city of
any considerable size is so complex that a
tyro is of little practical use and must take
time to learn. new member is often un-
servioeable in proportion to the strength Of
his good Intentions. His very conscientious
ness prevents him from lunging boldly
ahead without first gaining some knowledge
of the besetting difficulties confronting him
Within large limits the longer a man serves
on school board the greater is his USE
fulness to the public. The Chicago bill so
arranges the exits of old members and the
appointments of new ones as to provide for
a constant membership of holdovers out
numbering the newcomers. Under the op-