Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-28
SCHOOL REFORM DUE
Educational Conference En-
dorses Proposed Changes in
Public School System
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Direct Charge of Educational System
to Be Lodged in Central Hody-Rev-
outionary Changes Backed by Lead
ina Educators and Legislature Will
Be lmportuned to Act.
Special to Times-Republlcau.

Des Moines, Nov. 2S.-By an unani-
NOUS and rising vote, the large group
of prominent educators, gathered here
at the meeting of the annual confer
ence of the secondary schools. voted
to indorse in Its entirety the report
of the commission appointed by Gov
ernor CumminsAto make an advisory
report on the Public school system to
the state legislature.
College presidents. college professors,
superintendent, principals and edu-
Gators of all kinds, united in praising
and indorsing the sweeping changes.
proposed in the present laws, as OUT
lined by Professor Frederick f. Boil
ton in an address delivered before the
conference at Memorial hall at Drake
university yesterday afternoon.
Notwithstanding the fact that reYo-
lutionary changes are recommended
and regular broadsides We're delivered
against the present system of things.
the educators were united in wishing
" Stc itS ltSN pttt'iS Si't'NNS'b '''''
laws. If Yesterdays action is followed
up the legislature will find a united
statewide demand for the adoption OF
the report, when it is taken up at the
next session, on the part of the edu-
Gators of Iowa. Professor Bolton gave
clear exposition of the plans.
Board Feature a Departure.
The most radical change will be the
establishment of a state board of
education. This will do away with
the present board Of examiners. This
new board, recommended by the com
mttee, will consist of seven members.
1t will have entire supervision over
the public school system of the state.
II will be a real state board, the men,
bers to be paid salaries by the state.
Professor Bolton also announced the
proposed personnel of the board, Four
of The seven men would he ex-aff!cio
members. The state superintendent
would be the president of the board
The president of Iowa university, of
the state agricultural college and o.
the state normal school would also
be ex-officio members. The including
of the president OF the agricultural
college is 4 departure from the pres
ent board of examiners.
The three other members would be
appointed by the governor. One would
be a city superintendent another a
county superintendent. and a third
a faculty member of an Independent
college. Thus every part of the edu-
cational system of the state would be
ha Ia
appointees would hold office for four
Years.
Powers Would Be Large.
The powers of this new board will
be large, said Professor Bolton "They
will be much greater than those of the
present board of examiners. One of the
powers will be that of examination.
Teachers will be examined and given
certificates by this board. The board
will visit and classify the high schools
of the state: it will supervise the
school Libraries, which are in a disor-
ganized state now; and will have gen.
eral advisory and supervisory powers
over the public school system.
Some valuable jobs will be at the
disposal of the board 1t will be
authorized to employ competent Sec
rotary, who will be an expert in or
ganization, and an educational author
ity, not a mere clerk The board will
have the power to appoint state
supervisors of high SCHOOLS to the
number necessary, with the provision
that no more than $1,000 be spent in
this manner.
The committee also outlined the
basis of school classification" con-
tinued Professor Bolton There is
chaos in this matter at present. We
do not propose to say to community
that it shall have a certain kind of
a school. 1t is desired to preserve the
local autonomy, but we propose to
label what the school in a certain
community Is. so that the student and
his parents will not be deceived as to
what educational advantages he is re-
ceiving. The pure food laws do not
prohibit the sale of adulterated goods,
they enforce the labelling of them. We
propose to label the educational
goods"
A Limit Upon Taxes.
Another radical change proposed bv
the committee is that the limit upon
taxes for school purposes be removed.
"There seems to be q widespread de-
mand for this change in the law" said
the chairman of the committee. This
will enable the community to do as it
wishes in the education OF the chill
dren.
The public school system will be