Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-22
UNITE THE TEACHERS.

/ In order TO carry out II policy OF
! non-partisanship it may be necessary
| for the teachers of each county to
| create q conservative teachers union
To look out for needed legislation and
! for such other reforms as will benefit
! the schools We are frequently told
1 that teachers are theorists and 90 not
Know anything about the practical at
| fairs of life.
i IF partisanship served the best in
4 terests of the schools, I would say
/ nothing, even IL the teacher; suffered,
i but it does not So we must learn prac-
| tical affairs, and one of the most
effective things to a would-be partisan
l would be to learn that we. as a. united
4 body, carried a big stick. which we
| did not want to use, but which we
would use provided politics and in
| competent men We're thrust into the
/ public service. The demand should be-,
| regardless OF religion or politics, we
/ want and will have the best men,
| men who will administer our schools
! in a mons partisan way. If we insist
that men who attempt to 90 contrary
to the principles of good government
Will feel the effects of the big stick SO
| far as we can administer it on all oc-
| casiorls, it would not be long before
they would leave the schools alone
another long step in this direction
| would be TO abolish the S1G0 salary per
| year for members OF boards Of educa-
| ton in cities of the first and second
class. The salary is just large enough
to attract q class of men who are not
wanted. Make the school board posi-
| ton strictly one of honor. If the great
city of Boston can secure the. services
Of the best men and women of the COM
monwcalth to serve for nothing, then
| the small cities of Utah should
7 r. .
LARGER GOVERNING UNITS.
eve want larger governing units.
! The day may come when all the teach
ers and superintendent of tie state
will be made one state educational COM
mission. When that day comes every
boy and every girl in this state will
have more nearly equal educational ad-
vantagesi instead of III Wayne county,
for instance, where the children in
some sections get from foul. to five
months schooling q year, and those i'll
the Weather and more thickly popu-
lated sections nine months. A more lib
eral policy in this respect should pre-
| vail both in common and high schools.
"a happy solution of the problem in
the whole at present is perhaps ilnpos-
| sible but step in advance. and one
possible under our present laws, is the
replacement of the present obsolete
should be done in regard to the en-
ploynent of teachers at once. it, as in
Prussia, the construction and care of
the buildings are to remain n the
hands Of local bodies The larger dis
trict viii ut least egualize taxation
within its boundaries. BY this plan one
school district, within whose boun-
daries some large corporation is locat-A
ed will not be swimming in money,
while in the adjoining district the max
.inlum taxes are levied and the depth OF.
poverty in school funds exists. Fur
ther.more, in the majority Of cases, the
corporation which provides the funds
for the wealthy district is supported
by at least several adjoining districts,
il not the whole county. / hope the
| day is not far distant when the large
administrative unit will prevail.
AS nc. POLITICS.
"Did you ever stop to consider the
unprofessional position OF the county
superintendent? Each political party
| selects from its ranks some man to
| present to the electors for their votes.
| He Is not selected for his ability to do
the work any farther than that he is
usually school teacher. but some
| times a lawyer or other person is chos-
en-. The county school board system
| would have Il tendency to do away With
such q system and put II on the same
1 basis as in the cities. Under the pres
/ ent system men are elected without
! ANY, .nnaia |, - ipt,,e for the work of a