The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-19
FIX SCHOOL PLAN.
Report of Commission Has Been
Completed.
The County Unit System Is Rec
commended.
MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE
Small Districts Could by This
MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE
Small Districts Could by This
Means Be Eliminated.
Permit Children to Attend the
Most Convenient School.

The commission designated to study
the needs of the school system of the
state and recommend new laws and
changes in the old. has completed its
report to the board of education and
with slight alterations it has been
adopted. Among other things recon-
mended and urged by the commission
is the county system of unit organiza-
ton. The benefits of this system are
discussed in the report as follows:
ut is claimed that the county unit
is superior to the present district sys-
tenn for the following reasons: 1t is
less expensive. BY that plan it will
be easy to eliminate small, useless
school districts, and only the number
OF schools necessary would need to be
maintained. 1t equalizes the tax levy
for school purposes All districts
could then have fairly good schools
with an adequate length of term, and
the revenue would be sufficient to
maintain all of them properly which
is not possible under present condi-
tons. The railroad property and 9TH
er corporate property would then pay
its equal share toward maintaining the
schools, condition that does not now
exist.
1T eliminates district boundary dis
putes and makes it easy to permit
school. 1t makes consolidation of
schools both easy and practicable be
cause there would not then exist the
difference in the school conditions of
adjacent districts.
Under this system it is possible to
provide for the employment of all the
best teachers before the poorer ones
are assigned. strong and more per-
manent teaching force can also be Sc
cured. and since there would be easier to
poor positions it would be easier to
establish higher standard for the pre-
paration of teachers. Under this sys-
tenn most of the defects that call for
the remedy of legislation would be re-
moved.
Higher Standard for Superintendents.
THE county superintendent have
agreed that the qualifications required
for nomination and election to their of
flee should be raised. so that hereaft er
either a state certificate or a special
superintendent certificate issued by
the state board of education shall be
required.
I'm the large counties of the state
especially the office work of the county
superintendent has increased to such
an extent that the work of supervision
is interfered with seriously by clerical
work. The county superintendent
should be an active inspector and su-
pervisor of the schools of the county,
1t is desired that he shall direct his at
tention as exclusively as possible to the
visitation and actual supervision of the
school work of the county Repeated
visitation is required for effective work
1T is also recommended that the sal
airy of the county superintendent be
raised. The legislature for the last 30
years has added school duties and re-
sponsibilities to the county superin-
tendent, making him at present the
most far reaching influence in the
whole educational system of the state.
This being true, the salary should be
such as to attract the strongest persons
in the profession to the office. At the
present salary that cannot be expect
ed