Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-25
county board of commissioners, we ex-
tend the hand of fellowship and COM
pliment them upon the stand they
have taken.
TO VISIT ALL SCHOOLS.
Helen NJ. wixon. State Snperintend
ent, to Visit All the Schools.

instruction, Hon. Helen Nj. Wixon is
busy person these days. Just at
this time the head of the public school
system of Colorado is much in de
mand at graduating exercises, espe-
cially in the out of town schools. 1t
seemed, therefore, almost like spe-
cial act of Providence to find her in
Denver. 1t was even more pleasant
to be admitted speedily to the private
office in the capitol building, and to
be given an especially cordially greet
ing because one hailed from Durango.
very vivid remembrance of an oc-
easlon during another administration
comes into my thought. Being in
Denver some years ago ON business
FOR the county superintendent office.
the writer called on the state super
intendent for the purpose of consult
ing the latter on educational matters;
that being in fact one of the reasons
FOR making the trip of almost five
hundred miles from Durango.
But one was not allowed to see
the state superintendent that day. She
was very busy and could see no one
But | am from Durango" | urged
and have so short time to stay.
Surely she will see me-" "The state
superintendent can see no one," was
the answerl Zone may remark in
passing that, through the services of
the encouragement La Plata coun-
tvs interests did not suffer. There
was a conference between the two su-
perlntendents, the state official apol-
ogizing handsomely, and generously
laying the blame on her Office force.
saying they had misunderstood her
orders.) Still one could hardly help
comparing her experience on the two
occasions, much TO the credit of the
present administration.
While absent from Durango for
many years, Mrs. Wixon has not for
gotten old friends or lost interest in
the town. She spoke with regret of
being compelled to give up her visit
to Durango last fall and made a num-
ber of inquiries about the San Juan
country which showed that she is well
informed as to general conditions pre-
vailing here, and is in close touch with
educational matters. It was interest
irg to know that our state superin-
tendent's father once owned The Her
aid.
The season for teachers institutes
is close at hand, and this is one Of
the educational features to which Mrs.
Wixon is now devoting her atten-
ton. She said she has some plans
for the Improvement of these i'm
pOrtant departments which she hopes
to see worked out and adopted before
the close of her term of office. She
expects to visit theSinstitute for this
normal district which meets at Man
cos the two weeks following May 29th.
Much of the state superintendent
time is devoted to rendering legal de-
eisions on perplexing points in school
law. AS all those who have wrestled
with the laws of this state relating to
Will agree, school legisla-
ton is a loosely framed and often
contradictory mass Of ideas on edu-
cational subjects capable of many in
teipretations. all of which focus on
one points, the marvellous elasticity
Of the English language. Such being
the case it is not strange that large
per cent Of the state superintendent's
deals with the inter
pretation of the school law.
Our talk was brief, consuming very
little time, since Mrs. Wixon is Il bust
ness woman used to disposing Of mat
ters speedily though deyoting all the
time necessary to do the work we'll
Those who have known her in other
walks of life will find the same pleas
ing manners and interesting person
atty in the office of the state superin-
tendent of public instruction.
Mrs. Wixon is not in favor of too
much detail in the sense of the routine
work Of the teacher. She does not be-
licve in iengthening the teachers
houses by demanding much OF her in
the line Of bookkeeping. Records are
necessary for the sake of statistics,
but the simpler and easier TO keep,
the better. The state superintendent
believes the teacher, after her days
work, can spend her time to better
advantage in some exercise or recre-
alton that will rest and refresh her
mind, renewing energy for the next
days work, than to make out COM
plicated records, made but to be filed
away in some dusty office.
One of the biggest plans we havs
heard of for many day is very dear
TO Mrs. Wixon's heart. She has set
herself what seems to be stu
pcndous task and there is every rea-
son to believe she will carry It out.
1t has never been done before al
though that is no reason why not.
Mrs. Wixon expects to visit every
school in the state during her ad-
In order to do as much
good as possible two members of the