Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-12-14
THE SCHOOL WANTS
Recommendations Made by State Super
intendent Halland for Legislation
for Education.
Proposed to Have the Normal Schools
and Department Maintained by
. School Fund.
A Plan Which Contemplates the Abo-
lition of County Superintendent
Altoge her.


and the state department of public in
struction will appear by committee
and through the presence of educa-
tional leaders in the state before the
legislative assembly this winter and
make requests for some legislation. of
radical nature and general interest.
State Superintendent Halland, at the
close of four years experience in edu-
cational work, makes some recommen-
dations that will be Endorsed by the
educational association of the state
and favorable consideration asked
from the legislature. Perhaps the
most important Of these recommen-
dations will be that the maintenance
of the two normal schools of the state,
at Mayville and Valley City, and the
state department of public instruction,
be placed upon the interest and in
come fund of the permanent school
fund endowment of the state, and the
weight of these expenses taken from
the state general fund. This scheme
IS recommended as just and practi-
cable, and as one that would relieve
the ~cverburdened general fund Of the
state until it has an opportunity to
make good the deficiencies that will
face it the first of the year.
The normal schools are held by the
state department of public instruction
to be the heads Of the common school
system of the state, and as such arc
entitled to be maintained by the com
mon school fund. The department OF
public instruction is also maintained
for the benefit of the common schools
and it is held to be more than fair that
the common school fund should pay
the expenses of administration. The
income from the permanent school
fund of nearly a million dollars, all in
vested to interest bearing securities,
and from the fines and taxes which
are all paid into the school fund, will
be about $3.50, 600 for the next two
years. The expenses of maintaining
the W normal schools for the bien-
NAL period and of supporting the state
department of public instruction, it is
estimated, would be about $G5, 900.
This would leave 100000 to be ap-
portioned among the school children of
the state, or a loss to them of about
10 cents per capita for the two years.
This loss would not be noticeable to
the school districts, and the gain to
the state general fund would be of
vast advantage. It is not definitely
settled whether this change could be
accomplished by a single law, or
whether it would require 4 constitu-
tional amendment, but bills will be
presented looking to accomplish the
desired end.
A request will be made by the state
departmnt for an appropriation of
$4,000 annually, to enable the depart
ment to classify and aid all high
schools that may apply. An appro-
priation for this purpose was made
two years ago and there are now 81
high schools in the state that have
been classified and aided. 1t is hoped,
with the additional appropriation, to.
increase this number to As. This will
De of material advantage in bringing
all the high schools of the state up to
the same standard.
The question of standards for COM
mon school teachers in the state is
another that has been before several
sessions of the legislature and will
come up again this winter. At pres
ent the examination Of teachers for
certificates is in the hands of county
superintendent. The standard that
is suggested by the state department
contemplates uniform examinations
by the state department of public in
struction. This would remove all
local or personal influences from the
examination of teachers and many
prominent educators would result in
better grading of teachers.
Perhaps the most radical matter
suggested to the Legislature by the re-
port Of the state superintendent is the
feasibility of the abolition of all poll
tics in the offices of the county superin-
tendents of schools, by abolishing this
Office altogether as an elective office
and substituting therefor s%uperintend-
cnts appointed by a state board, to
supervise schools in local supervisory
districts. The scheme of the SUCCESS
ton is this: A state board having
general control and supervision Of the
common schools of the state. This
board to divide the state into districts,
making n district Of ordinary coun-
ties and two or more of the larger
counties. The board then to appoint
especially qualified persons as super
visors of the districts, these officers to
serve during good behavior and while