Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-13

Here again 1t seems to me that your cor
| RESPONDENTS have missed the real point
| They have assumed this to be differ
ence in existing debts whereas 1t is dif-
| ference i'm the cost of maintenance.
The penple of the Williams district are
taxed nearly twice az much for the main
ltc1ancc Of their schools as are the people
| in the Village district. They see no reason
why the rural districts and the Village
District should not help them bear por-
| zion Of this burden. TO this the rural
districts reply: I'VE have to pay tuition
for our children when we send them to
vo,Ir schools. why should we be called
mon to help you pay for their MAIN
ltenance?"
And sure enough, why should they!
| The Village District have the best grade
| schools to be found today in the State
Of Maine. l say this emphatically and
without fear of contradiction. PRACTICAL
" every teacher is either graduate OF
college or a Normal school. Not one OF
them Is a relative Of the principal or
any one of the directors. The schoois
are absolutely free from any taant OF
| ncpotism There is no graft or no poll
| tics in their management. In view Oh
| these facts why should We desire d
| change? Personally / have no oDJecuol
10 helping the Williams District, whlcl
| has today schools that will compare most
| favorably with thosa in the Village DTS
| trict the very best schools it has ever
| hol in IFS history. Here, too, q fine corps
| of trained teachers have been gathered
| torcther. and everything today Is work
ing for the highest interests of the pupils.
| WHY. then, this fran,>c desire Tor q
change on the part Of certain rev men :.
| can il he that there is some cat uhdeF
tho meal. and not generally suspected by
| rho general public? 1t would almost Seem
ca was much interested in reading the
communication from parent. he or 81"
| cave that when A complaint is now made
| "A ~ directors they refer it TO the prin
| oinoI ana the principal refers it to the
,.,chcr AS this is precisely what IS done
| :, 1bo ,1oces where superintendentS are
| ennloya-l it is difficult 20 see where any
| 4bin. ,Uould he gained by & change Of
| crs+on, This fact must always be kept
| IN mind. A principal will always be IN
closer touch with actual school condltlofS
Than a superintendent can possibly pe'
ana 4 teacher will always be IT, closer
,orch with such conditions than either q
| nrinciral or a superintendent can poss'"-
| " he. parent also complains because
| nunilys who do not keep up with their
| classes are conditioned at the close ot
the wear; but / do not see how me eiec
ton If i supcrintendent would chahSH
t,ie Indeed. it would look to me as IT
the number of such pupils would be coh-
si1orah1v increased, since the only reason
oiven for having superintendent Is an
| olIeeed desire to raise. instead Of lower,
| The standard of the schools.
| w,s surprised to learn from Parent
that of the present time many of tho
BRIGHTEST and most studious pupils fai!
n socnr. graduating parts. Inasmuch as
the pupils VINO have had such parts are
,.o,.v bright indeed. as all Of US know. if
s,,ch gross favoritism has actually exist
| cd If certainly has not appeared IN eNl-
dence. Who Is to be the judge OF pu-
pills "bcgktncss" and "studlouSilesS
i i not the teacher? Certainly it never
has been and never can be superli''eli-
dent whose knowledge or the stualio''
lis confined to an occasional WISH anu
| whose judgments comprehend the pIo
| qress of the school as whole ana no
| with reference to the work OF hulVlduai
u,pils That work must be judged Dy ne
teacher in charge and there is no pos7lple
vav Of relieving her of this responsloH-
| ity. 60.
.Parent, sees no possible way Tor
| nolitics to enter into the new ~
tenn. Really there should be no polltlcs
| in the running of our municipality, WHICH
| is in reality rothing more or less than Il
| bio corporation in which all are cltlzeis
ana shareholders; but as politics have a.
vavs entered into it to an extent tllal
has been distinctly against the people ;
interest. and as yet no way mas pee'i
found 70 remedy the evil. Theoretically
n,ne hit the very best men should DC
| elected to the city government allu =
,ris xrara the case it would make little
difference whether such men were Ike
,,huoons or Democrats, since they would
- M heeIers TO reward and act solely
CO. tba hest interests of the city. IN
ra.,.,,,,+a,y however. under the existing
i.,-.,ar, the hest men, Whan they can De
,,.,r,,,,dod IN stand at all, are elected TO
STAY at home and We have the spectacie
of our municipal offices parccled out Ill
the payment of political DEBTS ana ~
with 4 view to the best interests OF IT
city. It is possible that If the new Ia"
goes into effect none but good and true
men" would be elected to the scnooi
board. 1t is devoutly to be hoped 'il'I
eli, III would be the case. the thonsht u =
nolitical school board SUSTAINING pohtlcai
beelcrs If. the conduct of our local schools
is certainly not pleasan, one to eontem-
Mate. Certainly, as parent" naively
suggests, such a superintendent coulu
no,1y vote one way" 1t is pleasing u
know that ne could not possibly be q r.
neater in addition to his other shortcom-
irgs: but the danger is that he might use
his position to influence other men 10
vote the same way in his desire to make
himself useful to his political masters
Thank God. the schools Of Augusta 70
day are absolutely free from this men
ace. There is no thought or no reference
to political matters ir the meetings Oh It's
boards. upon which are men Of both po-
,itical parties. all Of whom are actuated
solely by desire to promote In every
- Ar.-l rA