The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-02
:ACHERS PLEASED
WITH MOBILE TRIP
Strong Sentiment for Chang
ing Present Law
HEWITT DISCUSSES PLAN
Thinks Present Method of Electing
County Superintendent Does Not
Give the Country Schools
Fair Chance.
HEWITT DISCUSSES PLAN

That the teachers of Alabama propose
to wage an aggressive campaign looking
to he absolute divorce of school super
vision from politics is one of the results
of the state convention of teachers at
Mobile last week. where resolutions were
adopted endorsing the proposed new state
law regulating the supervision of county
schools. Te- hers of Jefferson county
who have returned from the state con-
vention are very enthusiastic over the
educational conditions in the state and
are particularly interested in the pro-
posed law which they believe will offer
the best solution of county educational
problems which at present are considered
inimical to the best educational interests
of the state.
The subject of the new county school
law has been fairly well aired in the
state press, but the principal question
that now agltates the county teachers is
the manner in which county superln-
tendent is chosen and his qualifications
for the place. According to information
obtained yesterday the teachers of JEFF
ferson county want to see this law passed
as they believe that under the proposed
law not only this county but other popu-
lous counties OF the state would be ma
terially benefited and make great educa-
tional progress.
Change In School Board.
What the teachers want and what is
embodied in the bill now before the state
legislature is a change in the compost
ton of the county school board, that is,
to have five actual members of the board
instead of four and to have this board
empowered to elect the county superin-
tendent instead of by popular vote This
they claim, will put county supervision
of schools upon a par with city super
vision of schools and put the county
educational work on higher plane.
The teachers claim that at present
county superintendent is little more than
a paymaster and Is not required under
the constitution to have the qualifica-
lions of a teacher which a county SUI
perintendent should have. Assistant
County Superintendent r. G. Hewitt said
yesterday, in discussing this question,
that the teachers of the state are
unit in desiring this bill passed and so
expressed themselves at Mobile. They hope
to see the leading teachers of the state
take the matter up actively, he said, and
wish also that the press of the state
will urge the passage of the bill.
Not Representative.
Mr.. Hewitt further declared that there
is one point concerning the proposed new
law which has not been brought out here
tofore, and that is that the election of
a county superintendent in such a popu-
lous section as the Birmingham district,
for instance, is not representative of the
will of the people most vitality concerned
and not for their benefit.
''In the Birmingham district said he.
1.-THE election of a county superintendent
is la the hands of the voters of the five
towns of Birmingham, BESSIE
mer, Pratt City, Avondale and East Lake,
while the rest of the county constitutes
only a small percentage of the vote. Thus
thu people who have their own incorpora-
ted schools elect the supervisor who has
nothing to do with those schools.
1.-THE people who are opposing this bill,
continued Mr.. Hewitt, present the argu-
ment that the new law would take the
election of county superintendent out
of me hands of the people, but this ar
gument can be easily met by the state
t. Ia