The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-06

such power will do more to stimulate county
superintendent and school officers than can
be hoped for by the most sanguine.
Such officer and would be- a power
in the hands of all county superintendent.
A very large per cent of the schools now re-
ceivng state aid are not equipped as they
should be, neither is the teaching in many
of them up to an excellent standard. In many
cases the county superintendent is unable to
bring his schools up to the standard in
| equipment and teaching that he would have
| them from the mere fact that his Office is
| political and he cannot afford to ALLEVIATE
| a whole district to secure better condition
| of things requiring the expenditure of few
! dollars 1t is unfair to blame the county
superintendent for failure to stand up
against this political pressure. They are SIM
| ply human. In most cases they are de-
pendent upon the salary they receive for their
! support, therefore it becomes matter of
MISREPRESENTATION .''
| A.typical case not an infrequent one, came
under my personal observation not more
| than month ago. certain school district,
having secured a frst-grade teacher, desires
| to make application for the state aid the
! present year, and informed me that they had
| complied with the law and were In line for
the aid and trusted that when I should visit
| their school I might find everything in COM
| inendable condition. Upon my visit I found
/ most things In passable condition in the
| school room but when I went to the rear OF
| the schoolhouse, found one of those incu-
bators of every evil-a double partitioned out
| building, where the jack knife held in wicked
hands and guided by filthy mind and eye
had made diverS and sundry holes. I sent
| for the board and proceeded to convince them
| that the condition of their outbuilding was
| barbarous. My argument was entirely lost
sight of for there arose at once before
| their minds eye the vision of that almighty
hat r,<,rl11 he fn nafr ut
another outbuilding. I did not tell them
| that I would or that would not sign their
| application this year. If I do not sign 1t,
they will proceed to get even with me should
be a candidate for reelection another year
What would you do about it?
The Remedy. .
! Here is a remedy for all such cases and any
| others that may arise. Let state inspector
| be appointed OF elected and the county super
| intendents in such cases as the above or 9TH
ers can simply say. Gentlemen, there is
! as he is likely to do. I am certain that
your school and in case he comes this way,
a she is likely to do. / am certain that
your district will be denied the aid this year.
| In case the district failed to comply, the
superintendent could send for the inspector
and have him visit the school, Thus, it will
be seen without further argument other
| examples that such inspector instead Of cur
failing the power OF the county superfn-
| tendent would be a power in his hands to
| bring about the wholesome condition in which
he would like to keep his schools Beside all
| this the inspector would secure uniformity
throughout the state by holding private and
public conferences with the county superin-
| tendents
| The time has come for taking another step
in educational progress. Let us proceed to
consolidate many of the common school dis
| tricts let US demand our Just share of the
state aid, let us have a state inspector to as
| sist us in bringing about wholesome condi-
ton in every semigraded and frst-grade rural
| school