The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-26
SUPERINTENDENT
QUESTION
AGAIN
State Superintendent Stock.
well Discusses the Election
of These Officials.
To the Editor of The Times

Your editorial of Nov. % upon the
county superintendent seems to indi-
cate that I have not made myself
clear upon the question. In the
course of a short address before the
Southeastern Educational association
at Valley City l called attention to
the fact that We could expect NO per-
manent improvement of our rural
school so long as We have an eve.
shifting body of county superintend-
ents. This coming January. twenty
two of the forty county superintend-
ents will be new and inexperienced
in the work they will be called upon
to perform. OF forty county superin-
tendents who entered their duties
January 1903, nine will continue afte,
January 1907. This tells a part of
the story why our rural schools do
not improve more rapidly. 1t is self
evident that the educational leader of
county cannot accomplish anything
worth while where the tenure of Of
flee Is so uncertain. Now what is the
remedy? l suggested that first the
Office Of county superintendent should
be entirely removed from party poll
tics; second that it should be placed
entirely upon a professional basis and
that the term of Office be at least four
years How is this to be accomplished?
Let US look to our cities and towns
where the best schools are to be
found and We shall find that these
things have been largely accomplished
and they have been brought about be-
cause the choice Of ,Ae superintendent
is in the hands of board of educa-
ton of from three to nine persons.
Now If this is true for town and city
schools, why would it not be true with
the schools of county? believe
it would. I do not yield to any one
in my confidence in the popular choice
Of most officials yet am constrained
to believe that an educational expert
is best selected by small board
which would weigh carefully qualifi-
cations. To that end would expect
small country educational board to
be the best suited to make the wisest
selection. If this cannot be, my mex.
suggestion would h. the selection Of
county superintendent by the school
directors of county Either OF
these methods In North Dakota would
involve 4 constitutional amendment
inasmuch as section $50 of our consti-
tuition says that superintendent of
schools for each county shall be elect
ed every two years, etc. The other
method would be the election of a
county superintendent at the school
election in June, with a provision that
there shall be no party nominations
or party designation on the ballot.
This method was in vogue in the early
COS and If my memory serves me
correctly it worked satisfactorily. 1t
did not eliminate contests for the Of
flee but the contest was usually one
involving the fitness of candidates
rather than party politics At that
time people are thinking about school
matters not national or state politics.
think I could mention several good
county superintendent who suffered
defeat at the last election solely be-
cause people were thinking about
state politics rather than what was
best for their children's education.
The election of county superin-
tendent will never result in the
greatest good to the cause OF rural
education. because ut the polls, peo-
pie, frequently remember minor mat
ters and difficulties with regard to a
county superintendent and overlook
the questions of experience and gen.
eral fitness. believe the selection
OF a county superintendent by n
county board Of education presents
the only real solution of the most
serious problem in school admins
tration today. Yours truly,