The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-03

the state university, 1916, 900 to the
five normal schools, $125, 900 to the 115
high schools and $50, 900 to the 1O7
graded schools.
I believe that all persons who give
this matter thoughtful consideration
will agree that the time for the con-
solidation of many districts has ar
rived, and that it is by no means be-
yond the range of wisdom and good
business judgment to further increase
the state aid until all are served.
There is a question as to the right of
the state to tax all the people and dis
burse it among favored districts, for
this reason the state aid should be in
creased from time to time until all
receive share.
Is it not true that the legislature has
put itself in such position that re-
sponsibility rests upon it directly for
wise action in providing for such in
spection of these schools receiving the
aid as shall prevent that money raised
by general taxation from being spent
in any way but that which is most
effective in securing the results aimed
at by the imposition of such tax?
No one will take exceptions to the
statement that the average principal or
superintendent of high and graded
schools is better equipped educationally
and professionally than the average
county superintendent, and, therefore,
correspondingly better able to super
wise and inspect the schools under his
charge In the..fa of this undeniable
fact, the state provides for other in
spection than that of the principal or
superintendent of the schools receiving
the aid.
Those who have given the matter
of state inspection of high and graded
schools some consideration will not
question for a moment but that the
greatest good has come from it. The
inspectors of these schools go from one
town or city to another carrying with
them the best ideas and methods OF
any and all the schools inspected. Elk
cept in very extraordinary and high
justiiable cases, these inspectors do
not attempt to dictate to the princi-
pals or superintendent of such city
schools. A wise inspector of high or
graded schools will unite his authority
with the influence of the principal or
superintendent and together will secure
through the board Of education such
buildings. such apparatus and such
teachers as the conditions of the school
may require. How many times have
I and how many times have you heard
principals and superintendent ex-
press a wish that the inspector might
come in order that necessary changes
might be made in teachers or school
equipments.
Before passing to the real question
at issue, it will be we'll to compare the
conditions governing the inspection
and supervision of the common schools
of county and the schools of city.
For this purpose shall take the city
of Mankato and the county of Blue
Earth. I select these two because of a
personal knowledge of each. believe
a perfectly parallel case may be drawn
from any county in the state. Some
may say there are few counties with
as many schools as Blue Earth. In
answer to that I must say there are
few cities in the state with as many
teachers as Mankato.
Mankato has one superintendent
Blue Earth one; Mankato has forty
one rooms to be visited Blue Eartl
has one hundred forty-three exclusive
of five independent districts - Mankatc
schools are confined to five building
no two of which are more. than as two
miles apart, Blue Earth has 143 build
ings scattered over nine hundred
square miles; Mankato has min,
! months school during all of which
time inspection and supervision ma.
be carried on, Blue Earth has less thai
eight months school on the average
Mankato schools open, have their va
cation and close uniformly, Blue Eartl
schools open from the first Of Septem
Der to the fifteenth of November an
close at diverse and sundry times
Mankato has forty-one competen
teachers, Blue Earth has one hundred
forty-three teachers twenty per cent o
whom are professionally trained
thirty three per cent are without an
experience whatever and many of tneE
with no more than very elementar,
education Mankato has few change
among its teaching force. Blue Fart
changes fully one-third every year
By similar comparison with some o
the smaller towns of the county MUG
greater differences would appear, bu
1 consider tie comparison made
typical one.
Would any sane man presume t
say, in the face of the accurate dat
given in the above comparison, tina
the common schools of Blue Eartl
county can be as effectively inspected
and supervised by one man as tn
schools of Mankato3 1t is physics
impossibility on the face of it. Ye
Mankato, while spending very larg
sum on direct inspection and super
vision, has in addition the advantag
of state inspection. 1 do not believ
that the city superintendent feels thu
his power is curtailed in any way..b