Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-25
SCHOOL TEACH
ERS PROTEST
Against Proposed Changes By
State Board
IN EXISTING SCHOOL LAWS
Changes 1t is Maintained Will Work
Great H%ardships to Teach
ers and Others.
IN EXISTING SCHOOL LAWS

The following protest has been sent to
the legislature:
Butte, Mont, Jan. 20, 1899.
To the Honorable the Members of the
Senate and the House of the Montana
Legislatures:
We, the undersigned, teachers of Silver
Bow county,, respectfully protest against
the enactment into laws of the following,
proposed by a committee of the state
board Of education:
Seventh Resolution, embodied in House
Bill go. eve recommend that the state
board Of education be authorized by the
state legislature to appoint a state in
! stitute conductor, and to designate the
qualifications and duties and determine
the salary of said Officer. which salary
shall be paid out of the money appro-
priated to the state board of educa-
ton"
We citizen teachers of Montana, view
with alarm the efforts of the state board
of education and others to centralize all
authority and power in that BODY and
to remove from the county superintend-
ents and local authorities the right to
conduct and control the county insti-
tutes and local school affairs. Much of
the interest, progress and efficiency of
the county institute is due to the local
authorities and to the ability Of the
county superintendent to meet the local
needs and to correct the faults of the
schools. The county superintendent is
best qualified to judge of these local de-
mands and should be given unrestricted
discretion and authority to select in
StructOrs and advisors. In support of
this argument for local authority refer
ence is made to the great progress of the
county institutes Of Iowa, Nebraska and
Kansas. The Institutes Of these states
i19TIS fret np1nnp thnEn of nt1hr o,l
older states, due largely to the authority
Of the county superintendent to control
and manage the educational affairs Of
the counties in the interests of the peo-
pie by whom they are elected to office.
Further, the state superintendent, by the
present law is directed to advise with the
county superintendent and aid in the
work Of teachers Institutes. The duties
OF his office are not so OnerOuS but that
he has plenty Of time to assist in all the
county institutes of the state. He is re-
CURED by law to do so. The person
elected to the exalted and responsible
office of state superintendent should be
a practical teacher, who by his scholar
ship, training, ability and experience is
qualified to conduct the educational af-
fairs of the commonwealth and be a
leader among the teachers and inspire
the confidence of the public. No person
should be allowed the honors and salary
of the office of state superintendent who
finds time at his disposal to attend to a
lucrative practice at law or to other pro-
fessional duties. We, therefore, favor
the enactment of a law which will give
to the schools of the state the time and
best efforts of the state superintendent
of public Instruction.
(SiXth ResOlution). Eve recommend
that Section 1903 of the Political Code be
repealed, and that the following be insert
ed in lieu thereof: 1T shall be the duty
OF the county superintendent to give to
each teacher Of her county BILE
notice of the time of holding the county
institute, and all holders of certificates
in the county receiving such notice must
attend said institute during the time Of
It's session.; and, upon their failure to at
tend said institute their certificates shall
be revoked by the county superintendent.
provided, that sickness or other unavOid-
able accident shall excuse any teacher for
non-attendance. Provided, further that
no teacher shall suffer a loss of salary
where schools are dismissed to enablc
the teacher to attend the institute.'"
This resolution, if enacted into a law,
will work great h~ardships to the teachers
of Montana, for the following reasons:
Under it's provisions, institutes could
be held in the summer months Of June,
July and August, and teachers could be
compelled to attend. The present law
prohibits the holding of institutes be
SNNNi piC iilSl udS VI JUNE anu the HfSJ
day OF September of any year. Mon
tana teachers include a large number
whose homes are in other states, and the
summer months are spent in visiting rel
atlVes and friends, or in attendance at
the National Educational association, or
at some good summer school,. Manifestly
the change would be in the interest Of
those who will be placed as instructors
at these Institutes.
(Flfth Resolution. "Resalved, That a
county teachers examining board Shall
be created in each county,, consisting of
the county superintendent and two hold
ers of the highest grade certificates. to
be selected by the state superintendent
of public Instruction.
There Is a vital objection to this reso-
luton, which places the appointing W
of the county examining board with the
superintendent of public instruction. The
county superintendent is the proper Of
ficer to teachers and to appoint
assistants If any are necessary. A prom
1nent reason for opposing this resolution
is that it centTaliZes the power in the
state board Of education and will enable
that body, with the state superintendent,
to control the issuance of county certifi-
Gates to the extent that the board and he
ularly catch" ''set'' or class questions
bearing on the science of education, or
any other subject that might be prornul-
gated by the administration in power.
Thus in any county where the sentiment
is for progress and against the methods
advocated by the party in power, teach
ers of experience and recognized standing
could be denied certificates unless they
patiently submitted to the doctrines of