The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-02
Education in Florida Pso 9rfp e r en Defects

one Of whom is county superinten.
dent The three members last men
| ticned are appointed by the governor.
In Massachusetts, the state having, on
the whole, perhaps. the best school
system In the Union, the board is com
posed Of the governor, the lieutenant
governor, and eight others appointed
by the governor.
A Board OF Educators.
"a board composed, i venture to
suggest, of the governor, the state
superintendent, the president of the
state university, the president Of the
Florida Female college, and three On.
ers whom the governor shall appoint
two Of whom should be superinten-
dents, could not only manage the
school lands, provide for the safe
keeping and expenditure OF the educa-
tional funds, entertain and decide up
On appeals and remove subordinate
school officers quite as well as the
present board, but it could, in addition
to those duties, do something infinite
~ more: 1t could serve as an advis-
DRY commission to the state legisla-
ture, shaping and directing an intelli-
gent school policy for the state. One
Or two other important reasons for
making such change in our state
board Of education, as have suggest
ed, VIII appear as / progress.
"A second important reform which
the welfare of our scarooi system de-
mands Is the removal Of the office of
state superintendent from the exigen-
cfes of political election. As con-
ceiVe 1t, there Is no reason for the
election OF the state superintendent by
popular vote, which might not, with
equal force, be urged for the election
OF the president of the state university
by popular vote. Or, to put it the
other way about, there is no reason
which might be urged against the cleo
ton OF the president of the state uni
Versity by popular vote, which might
not also be urged against the election
or the state superintendent by popular
vote And yet no one would think of
submitting the selection of the fittest
man for president of the state univer-
sity to vote of the people. Further
more, believe, that no intelligent per-
SON would even demand that the pres
ident Of the state university should be
selected, under all conditions, from
the citizens of the state, so
has become the idea that for
such positions the most competent
men should be secured wherever they
may be found.
State Superintendent.
The state superintendent should be
4 man of high scholarship, of broad
outlook upon the world, of great con-
structive ability-in short, a man who,
by virtue of his recognized superior
ty, might stand out from the mass OF
school men as An educational leader.
He should be to Florida what Horace
Mann was to Massachusetts. what Will
liam L. Harris was to the whole
United States, or what Andrew S.
Draper is today to the state of New
York. And when he is once in office, |
his quadrennial turmoil to determine
whether he shall remain. or whether |
some other man shall take his place, |
should be made impossible.
Here again, if we should be con-
.ent to follow the lead of our neigh
boring states, we should retain the !
present plan of filing the office; for /
Georgia, Alabama, and, in fact, some |
thirty other states, elect their state !
by popular vote. In |
.ight or nine others, however, the
is appointed by the
governor. In four states. namely, New |
York, Rhode Island, Vermont and yir-
Sinia, he Is chosen by the state legis- /
ature, and in two, Massachusetts and |
Connecticut. he is selected by the |
state board OF education. The superb |
'r1ty OF the last plan, 1t seems to me, |
s so evident as not to need any ex-
position. 1t might be well, however,
o recall a single struggle in the his
DRY OF education in the United States, /
md to draw a lesson from that strug-
5le for our own g1Ifdance
Horace Mann.
Il have reference to the victorious
light which Horace Mann made
lgainst tremendous opposition In Mas
to reform the common
chool system Of that state. In 1897. +
he Legislature of the commonwealth I
# Massachusetts, appointed a state
'oard of education to revise the school
avs, and reorganiZe the common
chOOl system OF the state. The
'oard appointed Horace Mann as its
ecretary. The office of secretary of
he board of education OF Massachu-
etts corresponds TO the Office of
uperintendent in other states. For
welve years Mann devoted his whole
inc to this work. in the face of the
post bitter opposition. In those years.
e accomplished the great work of his
lie, for the movement begun under
is leadership was not confined to
Massachusetts,. but affected the whole
United States, and led to the estab-
shment of the public school system.
5 1t exists today.
Those who read OF the storm of op-
osition Horace Mann met with in re-
orming the school system of Massa-
husetts cannot but feel grateful that
4 the midst of his work he was not
ompelled to submit the question as ;
, whether he should continue it to a
ote Of the people
State Superintendent
IF. then, the state superintendent .
! not to be elected by the people, how ,
hall he be chosen? Any one of the ,
1ree other methods in use in the ,
nited States is open to us. We
light adopt the plan In use in Ten [
essee and other states of having the
appointed by the gov {
nor. or we might place the respon-
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