The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-19
ADVOCATE CHANGE IN
EDUCATIONAL LAWS
Delegates to Meeting in the
Governors Office Formu-
late Bill

Professional experience and training
in the office of county superintendent
of schools will be necessary, according
TO a bill which will be introduced in
the senate early in the week.
Representatives of fifteen Minnesota
counties at the governors office in the
state capitol yesterday agreed, after a
long discussion, to the terms of the bill.
AS the guests of Cleve w. Van Dyke,
the governors executive clerk, a for
mer county superintendent, the men
and women interested discussed with
State Superintendent j. w. Olsen and
his assistant c. G. Schultz, the pro-
posed bill and number of other edu-
cational bills already pending in the
legislature.
The bill provides an escape from the
provision of the constitution which
makes any elector eligible for county
superintendent. 1t aims to create a
county school board which will have
general supervision of the schools. The
powers of the board will be equal to
those of county commissioners, with
the authority to elect d county super
intendent of schools and to provide his
salary and office equipment. The bill
will require the superintendent to have
certain professional requisites, and he
need not necessarily be a resident Of
the county for which he is elected.
In Line With Olsen
The bill is in line with the recon-
mendations of State superintendent
Olsen, who recently declared that Min
neSota county superintendentS were
underpaid and that the best results
could not be secured under the plan of
partisan elections. Mr.. Van Dyke is
enthusiastic for the plan suggested
by the bill. He said yesterday:
I'VE find four -f1fths of the children
in the rural schools. While Minnesota
has very efficient high school system,
good grades, one of the best state uni
versities in the world, and as good
normal schools as are to be found any
where, the rural schools are but little
farther advanced than when they were
first founded in the state. There has
not been the same progress in rural
schools that has marked other educa-
tional lines, and their condition is the
vital question of the hour in educa-
tional circles. An improved superin-
tendency would aid in bringing these
schools forward. 1t has been difficult
TO get good men and women to remain
in the service as county superintend-
ents. That partiSanship is necessary
TO secure an election makes the term
uncertain. There is therefore no per-
manency.
Salary Too Small
Promotion is impossible and the
salary is too small. One Minnesota
county superintendent who receives
$l,SO9 kept close account of her ex-
penses, and when she had paid for her
team and travelling expenses at the
end of the year she had just $3.50 to her
credit. The fewer visits a superin-
tendent makes to his rural schools
the more he saves, and the present sys-
tenn puts a premium on negligence.
The boast of one superintendent, re-
Gently made, was that he had not Wis
lted a country school in three years.
And the worst thing about our present
law is that it requires no qualification.
In one county at the late election a
young dentist and in another a young
bank clerk were elected superintend-
ents. They are bright, affable young
men, but l submit that to intrust the
educational interests of from 5000 to
1000 children in their formative period
TO men without professional quaIifica-
uon is an injustice to these children"
Ihe conference at the capitol also
lndorsed Representative ]. T. Mannix's
rural agricultural bill and Senator ].
L. Schain's bill providing for a sani-
tary inspection of school houses.