Saint Mary's beacon., 1903-10-29
Public Schools discussed.

an ms speech atCentTeville, Queen Ann q
county, Oct. 21, Mr.. warfield said:
During my canvas for the nomination
Tor Governor ! said that believed that
the public school system should be kent
Tree from political influences. OursehooIs
are Tor the children Of the whole people.
! Know their advantages. was educat-
co oy fhem' and taught in them have
always been "A warm and earnest adyo-
cate of the public schools, and am famil-
lar with the workings of the system, hay-
ing taught under the first system adopt-
ed under the constitution of 1867.
Il have definite ideas on this subject.
and IT VIII he source 0f pride to- me II |
can aid in bringing about improvements
where they are needed in our public school
system. The democratic party, believing
IN minority resentation in the school
boards, passed in 1900 law guaratee-
ing such minority representation ON all
county school boards. Such representa-
ton is a safeguard against improper or
partisan action by the boards, because il
gives the opportunity for close scrutiny
and of wide publicity i'm the proceedings
OF the respective county boards. During
the last four years the schools have been
well conducted, and heschool funds have
been honestly disbursed.
If am elected Governor, and believe
| will be, shall see that the school com
| missioners are men of the highest charac-
Ter, and whatever appointments may
make will be with view of bringing
about such n result. will want men oi
ability, men interested in public educa-
ton, and their political affiliations and
activities shall not be condition prece-
dent To their appointment.
Teaching should be recognized as an
important and difficult profession like
law, medicine, engineering or any other
OF the honorable professions. IL needs
special preparation, and teachers should
Oe appointed solely with reference to their
professional and moral qualifications.
In order To encourage competent and
intelligent PERSONS To enter and remain in
the ranks of the profession adequate sal
aries should be paid To teachers, and not
remuneration-as in many cases-less
than that paid to janitors and persons
occupying such positions in the public ser
vice. The Legislature should fix mini
mum salary for the teachers, tO he placed
az high az all the conditions Of the prob
lem will admit.
Teaching being "a profession, it is OF
the highest Importance that the superin-
tendents (now called examiners) should
he professionally qualified. A school SUI
perintendent should be an experienced
teacher and an educational expert. TX
perience in law, medicine or journalism
does not insure the qualifications neces-
sary for the work Of efficient teaching or
supervising.
Favors Civil Service Rules.
The last Legislature passed an admir-
able law for the protection of the teach
ers, which forbids board of trustees tn
remove teacher without specifying
charges and permitting AN appeal from
this decision to the county school board.
believe that it would he well if the civil
service rules were made 10 apply in the
counties, as they now do in Baltimore
city, 80 that "a teacher could not he re-
moved by any authority without charges
laid and trial had. Snperintendents lex
aminers) should have some protection of
similar character, and achange of State
administration should have nothing
whatever to do with changes among
teachers or examiners.
The present school law was adopted
thirty-hve years ago, and the many
amendments that have been made have
caused the law to become obsure, mis-
leading, and, in some cases, contradicto-
ry. There are many minor points that
need attention, which cannot be taken
up very well by the Legislature. For this
reason the next Legislature should, i'm
! mediately upon assembling, bring about
these necessary reforms by authorizing
the appointment of a commission ofqual-
ltied persons, without regard to political
affiliations, to Immediately consider the
changes necessary in the system and the
laws, and To report promptly to the Leg
lslature, so that such action as seems
proper shall be promptly taken. Such a
commission could, in less than ninety
days, study the laws of other States and
the needs of this State, and could recon-
mend such improvements as are needed
TO make our system "a first class one and
equal To the system of any other State in
the Union.
The pension law for the benefit of su
perannuated teachers should be continued
in force, and the necessary appropriation:
should be granted To make il effective
Every county should have a school tern
of not less than nine months.