Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-17
STATE EDUCATIONAL REFORM.

The leading Vermont educators who
met at Burlington on Friday of last
week and adopted recommendations to
be submitted to q referendum vote of
all the teachers of the state evidently
are working along the right line for the
betterment of Green Mountain educa-
tional conditions. Whether or not they
have worked out a plan that in all of
its details will appeal to the majority
of the teachers and the majority of the
people of the state may be quite another
matter. But the "plebiscite" will de-
termne the sentiment Of the teachers
and free and open discussion through
the columns of the press and otherwise
will tend to fix and make plain that of
the general public. Undoubtedly, there
Is much need of a thorough going re-
construction of our state policy of edu-
cational administration In the interests
of unifcation of effort, correlation of
agencies, standa rdizing of requirements
in short, the introduction of a genuine,
up date system-in the introduction
of such approved new methods, new fea-
lures, and new policies as appear to be
best adapted to the needs of Vermont
as they exist today and as they are
tending to develop, and, by no means
least, II last named, the concentration
and improvement OF our far too much
neglected rural schools.
The educational commission of nine
members recommended, with a represen-
taton of both sexes, with the terms of
the majority not to expire 'in any BIZ
ennial PERIOD" with its executive Of
ficer-not a member-to be named by
the commission, itself, and to be the SUI
perintendent of education, and with
plenary powers for the board as to all
state expenditures for educational pur-
poses, has very much to commend it,
and very little that would seem to sub
ject it to reasonable criticism. The rec
ommenda lions that the proposed COM
mission fix a minimum salary standard
for teachers and relative to the estab-
lishment of industrial and voca tional
education, also, are very much needed
advance steps in Vermont educational
administration. Probably, too, the APP
pontment of the members by the gov
ernor would be the best method of Sc
lection-although this feature of the plan
would give extraordinary power to the
chief executive first acting under such
law-placing the entire personnel of
the original commission in his hands,
and making 1t possible for him virtually
to name the superintendent However,
Vermont usually elects men of true
statesman-like spirit and calibre for it's
governors, and it Is not very probable
that such power Of appointment would
be in any way abused.
But it is first of all to be remember
| ed that probably the chief reason for
| the demand for radical reform in state
| school administration is the need of the
| elimination of politics to the utmost
possible extent Nothing so initiates
| against the efficiency of the public
| schools as the influence of politics,
| whether local or state, and we take it
that it is mainly with the purpose of
| subordinating, If not absolutely elimi-
| mating, politics from Vermont state
| school administration that the pro-
motors of this new project are ami
| mated.
| In all this, however, the Reporter has
| no sympathy with the sentiment that
| has been given some circulation to the
| effect that these educators are after
| the scalp of Superintendent Mason S.
| Stone. 1t is the system-or lack of it
| that is at fault, and not primarily any
| individual, and If any of these men
have any such Interior motive, the
| movement that they are fathering is
much greater than that, and will be
| considered by the teachers and the pub
| lie, generally, with little reference to
| that. Superintendent Stone has been
handicapped by the system, and the fact
| that he has been able. to accomplish so
| much, in spite of that handicap, is very
| highly to his credit. And, doubtless, he,
| himself would be free to admit the need
| Of just the kind of reform aimed at in
these recommendations Re-
| porter.