The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-24
CLUB FAVORS
SMALL SCHOOL BOARD.
Glad Orange People Will Have Refer
endum Vote on Matter and Gives
Its Ideas on Subject.

Fhe following statement in relation to
the plan for a smaller Board of Educa-
ton for Orange was adopted last night al
a meeting of the executive committee of
the Civics Club of the Oranges:
I'm indorsing the unanimous action of
the Orange Comm IN Council in submitting
to the voters the question of the accept
ance of section 80 of the school law the
Civics Club Of the Oranges recalls that
the agitation for a smaller school board
started in its meetings and after careful
consideration was recommended to the
attention Of tile public. The club requested
the views Of candidates for office on this
question:. and is gratied that the Common
Council has seen the wisdom OF the smaller
board. and has placed The question before
take the initiative in the preparation OF
a petition to that effect. The club Is also
gratifed that the Council has decided IN
favor of the elective board, rather than
the appointive one, in that the Counch
has wisely recognized the fact that the
people should select their public servants
directly rather than delegate this power
to one man or a set of men, in the case
of an administrative board, such as the
school commiss III.
orally, has regretted the course OF the
Board of Education in that Its. ouncli
have been disturbed by apparent factionaI-
ism, and while this may not be prevented IN
n smaller board it is believed that with a
smaller body the tendency to the forma-
ton of cliques may be largely overcome:
The club wishes to place itself on record
as favoring an administrative body in the
Board of Education. 1t believes that the
executive head of the public school system
should be the superintendent and that ne
should occupy the same positions toward
the public schools that the head or any
business or financial enterprise does. he
should be unhampered In his selection OF
teachers and arrangement of the course or
study, and should be held strictly account
able for the results of such authority;
The Board Of Education should attend
to the administrative details, to the puSl.
ness end OF the school system, and shouiu
not dictate to the superintendent IN tne
matters of educational detail which prop
erly belong to a man raine for his par
ticular work. On the other hand the CLUB
believes that neither the superintendent nor
principals should be active in local pol
cure the election or defeat Of candidates
for off &c, since this tends to a demoraiiza-
ton of the school SYSTEM, The CLUB pc
lieves that the highest efficiency or the
public schools can be attained by the COM
plete divorcing of petty political striIe
among the commissioners, as well as the
teaching force.
ton of the school law the club recon-
mends that the Board of Education be en-
tirely removed from politics by the exer-
else Of good business Judgment on tne PEI
of the dominant political parties: ShouId
the law be adopted nine commissioners at
large will. be elected next year, the ola
plan of selecting commissioners from eaCh
ward being done away with. Three o1
these nine will serve for one year, three
for two years and three for three years
After the first year commissioners VIII &c
elected for three-year terms, three being
chosen from the city at large each year.
The club recommends that in the nominal
ton of the nine men who shall form the
first board that a Joint convention be held
of the Republican and Democratic parties
for the nomination of candidates for the
Board of Education. 1t recommends that
at his Joint session nine men be chosen
irrespective Of party affiliations and that
when the nine men AVE been decided upon
each convention shall respectively name
the same candidates for office. The advan-
tage of this plan is so manifest as to need
10 argument, but it should be mentioned
hat in this way men interested in the pub
lie schools, men of standing in the COM
munity with a desire only to advance the
educational advantages of the thousands
of children In Orange, can be induced TO
serve on the Board of Education, when the
same men would not take a party nominal
ton entailing a canvass for votes and the
annoyances Incident to a campaign. The
club hopes that the voters will adopt the
section of the school law referred to them
and that in so doing the educational inter-
ests of the city will be advanced to a ma
terlal extent"