The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-02-16
Educators Meet.

The township superintendents OF
schools of Stark county met Saturday
at the Office of Prof. J. NJ. Sarver
and formulated a set of resolutions
which are to be sent to the legisla'
ture setting forth the opinion of the
educators as to some of the provi'
sions of the school code. In brief,
they ask that the boards be small in
number; that township supervision be
made mandatory instead OF optional;
that no teachers be paid less than $40
a month; that the tenure OF office be
made more permanent, and that there
he centralized responsibility in the
schools.
In the main. these are good recon-
mendations The election of small
board is to be commended If the num-
ber is not kept down to a point that
would give a few too much power, or
so small that all parts of a district
could not be represented.
If teachers are worthy of teaching
school they should at least be paid
$40 month, winter, spring or sum-
mer If anything. the minimum is
too low. There has been tendency
upon the part of directors in some
districts to aim to economic in funds
rather than TO build up the schools.
The result has been that in many in
stances teachers that were dear at
any price were selected because ,ney
would work for little pay. The late
lamented Mckinley, in his great tariff
speeches, always made it a point TO
say that he hated the word cheap"
II meant cheap manhood and cheap
womanhood. 1t meant privations and
suffering. 1t benefited no one. Cheap
teachers are poor economy When they
are hired they cheaper district and
rob the students of that for which the
people pay taxes to attain.
The tenure of office clause is also
commendable one if not carried too
far Teachers should not be hired for
few months. The term should be
for year at least, except in very
rare cases in country schools where
the summer terms are attended by
none but primary scholars. The ques
tion of making the term in any event
five years should be considered very
carefully. If school were to have
saddled upon it an incompetent man
for instance in Canton, that period
would extend over time in which q
large number of scholars would be
getting their high school education
Their opportunities would thus be
lost They could never recover them
II such clause is inserted, the boards
should have full license to dismiss
for incompetency or other good cause
The centralizing of responsibility
may mean what il says, or it may
mean the giving of superintendent
the power TO select their own teach
ers. thus making them responsible
for all that is done. This brings vi
one of the points that is being OBJ
jected to all over the state. There
would be little use for a school boarc
except tn pass upon the bills fol
teachers salaries and fuel for the
buildings If this were to become the
law. 1t would give superintendents {
chance to traffic in positions, thini
that dishonest men would do. j
would make the class known as poll
tcians strive to gain these positions
so that they could work the graft
II in for five years, the opportunities
would be worth striving for.
II all men were honest; II all wer'
capable, the danger would not exist
But the millennium is not here,