Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-28

Prof. Pound Notes Increased
Attendance but Points Out
Defects of System

That the school attendance Of the state
has increased TO 547.sl2. that $50 new
school houses have been built. the value
OF school property enhanced to SEES, SIS.
are facts contained in the annual report
OF Jere NJ Pound. state school commits
sioner. to the governor.
The total funds given schools by the
state are Azs 254 or an increase Of
81 1000 in two years. There are 1.'sS
schools and 22S1 teachers. The average
salary OF white male teachers is slOiS2,
that Of women s7.76. The average OF
negro female teachers s2S-S3-
AZ to the needs Of the system, Pro-
fessor Pound says:
NEEDS OF THE SYSTEM.
"Our school laws are imperfect, IN
adequate. Ineffective and obsolete. They
do not really create a system nor give
TO what passes under the name OF sys-
tenn sufficient vitality or power what
we do need is a radical revision OF them
along the broad. sweeping lines indi-
Gated by the house committee en- educa-
ton at your last session.
There is need for an enlarged state
board Of education with an educational
cast and Increased powers. AS at pres
ent constituted. the board Of education
Of the state is practically lost force
Now, this body could be. and ought TO
be- real vital force, stimulating, direct
ing. controlling and uplifting all the edu-
cationai concerns of the state. Powers
OF an executive nature. now confided TO
the courts u could best be discharged.
Z akhd should be discharged, by the state
board Of education. which ought TO be
required to see that school laws are en-
forced. IL ought 10 have powers 10 pun
ish for neglect Of laws or disooedience
Of them II ought 20 have the right TO
make necessary rules and regulations In
the absence Of law. 10 supervise teach
ers' and commissioners examinations. 10
r~w,,iate the certfncation of each. and
40 do many other things now left wholly
undone 10 the great detriment OF the
system
ton ought TO be increased as 10 the
number or those employed in II, and bet
ter salaries ought to be paid Without
undertaking or Understanding any
other branch OF the. government. no
thinking person will deny help TO
that branch which disourses Two
nfths Of the states entire reVe-
rue and IN some fashion or other
reaches every heart and hearthstone OF
the commonwealth through the lives and
fortunes Of the children For the sake
Of those children. for the future veal OF
the state itself. the department OF edu-
cation ought to be made one or greater
influence. power anu
As TO FULTON CONDITIONS
rrofessor Pound thinks II unfair that
the city OF Atlanta should be permitted to
seIect the county commission for Fulton
county In regard TO the situation IN
this county. he says:
..Another feature Of the law which
ought 10 receive attention is its failure
tcfrecosnize the existence. in many Of
our counties. OF local systems. which are
sfndependent- OF the county board of edu-
cation. and to eliminate them as partici-
pants IN the election OF the commission
ers For instance. here in Fulton county
are two systems OF schools which are as
eompletely independent of each other IN
n every sense as IL they were In entirely
different parts Of the state. They have
absolutely no dealings Of any kind. fnan-
ciai or otherwise. with each other. One
m the public school system OF Atlanta,
operating under a legislative charter; the
other f. the public school system OF Full
ton county. organized under the pro-
visions OF the McMichael bill. According
70 the law, every citizen In the county
who Is qualified TO vote for the county's
Representative, may participate in the
election OF the commissioner. Therefore,
every qualified citizen OF Atlanta may
vote In an election OF the superintendent
OF Fulton county's schools Now, At
lanta's voting population exceeds that Of
that remainder Is under the supervision
OF the board OF education Of Fulton coun-
". II may very easily happen. then. in
some future contest that Atlanta, though
having no interest in the issue. may i'm
pose upon the outlying portions Of the
county commissioner utterly distastefuI
20 the people whose schools he shall adj
minister. This is manifestIy unjust and
totally abhorrent to the spirit of our laws.
But IL can happen. although the posi-
bility Is less, in any county which con-
tains one or more OF the 15o special sys-
Gems"
In discussing the importance OF pay
ing better salaries in order to attract
and hold the highest grade OF teachers.
the state school commissioner says:
SHOULD PAY BETTER.
The eyes OF all thinking people are
turned as never before upon the country
IN their desire to improve the conditions
and raise the standard Of rural life. AS
good schools for tn country as for the
town IL a well nigh universal aspiration
There are sections OF the union in which
this Il already true. That IL is not true
IN Georgia fs easily Explained when II Is
known that the salary OF a male teach
err white or ecoIored, is little more than
half as rnucn as that enjoyed by a male
teacher IN thetcity schools. anu that the
salary Of q femaIe teacher IL about
three-fourthB IS much as IN toWn- mis-
discrimination IN salaries. added 10 the
lack OF social and cultural advantages.
20 the lack OF physical comforts and at
tractive surroundings. and to the soli-
tuce and monotony OF country life. has
well nigh driven men from the country
schools, leaving disproportionate
number Of women In charge or them.
These are generally women who have.
fofFone reason or another. failed 10 find
employment In city. town or village.
I'm their desire for better educational
facilities. the towns have impatiT Iy
drawn a line around themselves, cut
aloof from the more slowly moving
county systems. and gone deep into their
pockets for money with which TO build
beautiful school houses and 10 secure
trained and competent teachers. The
rphntry districts. barring the aloorness.
rny do the same thing; and they must
90 ID IL there is ever to be much i'm
II education is worth anything at all, IT
proxement along any conceivable line.
a worth paying for. This fact must be
driven deep into the consciousness or our