The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-16
QUALIFICATIONS OF COUNTY su.
PERINTENDENTS

The substance of the following COM
munication seems to us to be of suffi-
cient Importance to warrant special
notice:
To the Editor of The Globe:
through the medium of your esteemed
paper l wish to call the attention of the
Minnesota legislature to the laws now in
Iorce In respect to qualifications of can
schools in Minnesota. AS the law now is
candidates for county superintendents of
schools are not required to pass any ex-
animation as condition precedent to
legally eligible. although he may be Who'll
such position.
The legislature should pass a law SINH
lar to that of few other states For in
stance, in the state of Wisconsin, the law
IN respect to the qualification of candi-
oaIes cares for county superintendents Of
OF examiners for state certificates SHALL
at the time of holding the regular exam
1nation provided for BY law, examine all
certificate herein provided for, upon the
branches upon which examination is now
required tor frst-grade county Ger
tiiIcate, and also upon school law and to
the organization. management and super
vision of district Schools etc.-(Gen.
Stat. 1901. Sec. 461.)
In the state of Iowa a similar statute is
enacted. (See school laws of Iowa, 1902,
section 2734.) 1.-The county superinten-
dent. who may be of either sex, shall be
the holder Of two-years' certificate as
etc.
In the state of Indiana a still stronger
measure Isl force in respect to the quail
fication CT county superintendents. (See
school laws Of Indiana, chapter 5, section
74) No person shall be eligible to or
shall hold the office of county superin-
tendent. unless he holds. at the time of
his election, a thirty-six months license
or life or professional license, to teach in
the public schools of this state.''
BY the laws of Texas 1T is required that
the county superintendent 'shall be of
personal educational attainments, good
moral character and executive ability, a
qualified voter of said county, and the
holder Of a first-grade teachers certificate,
who shall hold his office for the term Of
two years" etc.
Even m the territory of Oklahoma there
is law in force in respect to the quail
Teads as 81 fooWsy shall
eligible to the Office of county superin-
tendent of public instruction who is not a
graduate of some institute of learning,
which shall be shown by diploma thereof,
or that he is the holder Of ffrst-grade
certificate
can cite nany other laws in respect to
tie requirements of qualification Of coun-
ty slperintenGents of schools. but think it
is not recess ary.' We should have law
in this state requiring candidates for
school super intendents. to pass .examina-
ton before they are installed into their
Offices. All school teachers have to have
some qualification before they are allowed
to teach. Should not the superintendent,
whose duty is to examine, supervise, in
struct the teachers have an education far
superior to the teachers?
We have a. law in this state requiring
BARRIERS, druggists, dentists lawyers, oS-
teopaths, doctors, and even horseshoers
lin cities over so, 900 inhabitants), to pass
examinations before they can practice
their trade or profession. Why. not place
among them the county superintendent
of schools? There are strong reasons for
enactment of a law similar to those 1
have cited above. l trust that the pres
llizance of this article, and will adopt a
20 Anthony F. vrtis.
| New Prague, Mimi. Jan. 10, 1905.
/ The argument of the above letter is
simply unanswerable. County superin-
tendents of schools have duties to per-
form that require education, training,
knowledge of human nature and the
ability to handle men and women.
! Upon the excellence or the defects Of
their. work our common school educa-
ton may depend. 1t certainly is ridic-
ulous that, where the state requires the
passing of examinations and the ex-
hibit of qualifications before permitting
people to engage in various ordinary
trades or professions, it SHOULD leave
county superintendents free from all
such requirements. The communica-
tion is very much in point, and we
urge attention to it upon the legisla-
ture.