The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1911-04-18
.FRELINGHOYSEN BILL
DANGEROUS MEASURE
Would Make an AutOcrat Of
School Commissioner.

Senator Frelinghuysen's plan To
create State Commission OF Educa-
ton, at salary OF $4,000 a year TO
supersede the State Board Of Eduea-
ton, the State Superintendent OF pub
lie instruction, and to be an autoerat
over the entire school system OF the
state, is probably the most radical
] far reaching and dangerous measure
that has ever been before The legis-
lature OF this state
In no part OF the world does there
exist such a scheme TO place in the
control of single individual such
power. with such possibilities for
rolitica control in the matter of the
sehools
The Fralinahuysen pre- POSITION for
commissioner Of education places up
on that officer who is to act, un-
advised and unsupported by any board
the following powers
Tho control and management Of
I the state normal schools. that is, the
appointing Of principals. Of achers,
and all other employees; the purchas-
ing Of all supplies, the awarding of
all contracts, etc; the arranging OF
all courses of study, and the provis
ion for all diplomas and certificates
The selection of the principals, the
appointing of the teachers and all
other employees, and the provisions foi
all material and awarding of all con-
tracts for the Deaf Mute school, the
Farnum Preparatory school, and the
Manual Training and Industrial school
for Coored Youth at Bordentown, in
volying altogether the expenditure of
Hundreds of thousands OF dollars.
r. Enforcement Of all the rules
and regulations necessary to carry
into effect the school laws of the
state.
The appointment of all county SUI
perintendents and supervising prin-
, cipals, and their removal for cause
The rules and regulations for all
teachers Institutes.
The decision of all controversies
between school officers.
The prosecution of all delinquencies
On the part of school officers.
The establishing of regulations for
examining and certifying teachers.
The inspection of all school build
; ings, and their condemnation wher-
ever unsatisfactory.
The absolute power in determining
the courses of study in the various
+ schools of the state and uniform ex-
aminations, which means a large and
expensive educational bureau at Tren-
ton, uniform text books and endless
possibilities for graft.
The power to say whether or not
a high school shall be established,
and to withhold all state moneys from
> any school whose course of study is
rot satisfactory to him until such
time as it shall be made satisfactory
l The Frelinghuysen bill places the
opening and closing of the school in
, the hands of the commissioner, and
not only that-it permits him to close
the school until it shall become good.
The New York system is practi-
cally what the New Jersey system
is.
The fundamental principle of both
las been one of bringing in intelli-
gent supervision for the aid of the
locality but leaving to the locality
the power of initiative, especially as
the people of the locality paid the tax
and provided the children. The weak
ness in our system has not appeared
to be in the lack of power given to
supervising officers, but in the lack
of supervising officers.
The state has steadily refused to
provide expert supervisors and give
them the opportunity to supervise and
: take them in confidence.
The powers above enumerated are
vastly more than are exercised by
any commissioner or superintendent
and state board combined in any state
in the Union. And yet this eduea
tional Gar is to be appointed for
five years, by the governor purely
political appointment, not even to be
: confirmed by the Senate. and without
any requirements as to educational or
business qualifications
The bill ought to be defeated and
it certainly would be if its provisions
We're understood by the legislators,
but it may be rushed through in the
last days or hours of the session only
to be repealed within the next year
or two.