Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-02
EDUCATORS HOPE TO
GAIN GREAT
REFORM
SENTIMENT FAV0RS TAKING
SCHOOL OUT OF POLITICS
Plan to Have County School
SuperintendentS Appointed
by Territorial Board Of Edu-
cation Meets With Approval
The Morning Journal Bureau,

pcillld re- N. Nlt, ItD. Lei
After having been i'm session here
the greater part of the week. the mem
bers of the New Mexico board of edu-
cation and the legislative committee
of the territorial educational associa-
ton held a meeting last night with the
committees on education of both
houses of the legislature with
the result that the educators have
high hopes of the realization of sew
eral important reforms for which they
have been contending for years.
The heads of the several educational
institutions and members of the ad-
visory committee of the territorial ed
ucational association as a result of
their sessions this week have framed
several laws, the most important of
which is the much talked of measure
which has for its object the taking of
the county school superintendents Of
flee out Of politics. To accomplish this
much to be desired result it is neces-
sary that the office become appOintive
instead of elective, as at present, and
to this end a way has been sought
by which politics could be eliminated
as far as possible from the appoint
ing of these superintendents. II Is be-
lieVed that such a way has been found.
The educators propose that a law
he enacted by which the county school
superintendents shall in future be APP
pointed by the territorial board Of
education.
The board of education is as nearly
possible a non-pOlltical board! that Is,
while its members are appointed by
the governor, the appointments are
regulated by statute. 1t IS required,
for instance that the presidents of
the University of Albuquerque, the two
normal schools at Las Vegas and Sill
yer City, the Agricultural college at
Mesilla Park, the School of Mines at
Socorro, shall be appointed members
of this board. Whoever the presidents
of these several institutions may be
they are made members of the terri
torial board of education by law The
board is s'therefore non-political one,
even should the executive of the terri
tory desire to inject politics into the
naming of such a board which by the
the way, has never occurred under any
governor since the board of educa-
tion was created.
1t is proposed then, that this board
shall be required to appoint the
county superintendents for the sew
eral counties. A tentative measure has
been drawn, which was submitted to
the joint. committee of the assembly
last night and which was met with
warm approval from a majority of the
committee. This approval has been
so general, indeed. that there is every
reason to hope that this reform VIII
be carried through by the present. leg
islature Both Chairman Sulzer of the
education committee of the council,
and Chairman Abbott of the same
committee in the house, favor this bill,
or a similar measure, and It Is be-
lieVed that a majority of both COM
mittees will favor IT, The bill will
require an educational qualification
on the part of the appointees, who will
be required to hold the proper ter
ritorial certificates and to stand proper
examinations
The result of the passage of such 9
measure would be Of vast and imme.
diate benefit to the common schools OF
the territory. II Is q well known fact
that majority of the school superin-
tendents of the territory are not school
men, and that many Of them have moi
the educational qualifications pos
sessed by the teachers they employ
To substitute practical school men foi
these politicians. would mean untold
Improvement In the management ol
the county schools. The county sup
tendents as now elected cannot be re-
moved from the office unless dishon-
esty In the handling Of school moneys
Is shown. Under the proposed ap.
pointive system a school superlntend'
ent found TO be incompetent could b'
promptly removed and a better mar
| put In his place
Office Has MournfuI History
The history Of the office Of count.