The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-30
BOARDS METHODS ARE
HIT AT BY JOHN REGAIN
From Thursdays Daily.

From thursdays Daily.
Attacking the present methods of
the board of education in selecting
teachers and advising better sys-
fem, one which would lay more re-
sponsibility upon the superintendent,
are few of the things that were
uncorked at last nights adjourned
meeting of the board This attack
was made by Attorney John E. Re
gan, who severely criticised the
methods of the board. The signal
for these structures which were lis
tened TO with Impotence by sew
eral members of the board, was the
resignation of Miss Martha HOdapp,
who has been teaching the sixth
grade in the Union school.
When the letter was read by Sec
rotary Soaring, DR.. Beach thought
that the board might just as well
give notice to teachers that resigna-
tons would not be accepted unless
some reason for resigning be given
in the letter. Miss Hodapp's con-
tanned none He thought teachers
should be made to honor their con-
tracts and wanted the bylaws chang
ed, requiring them to give at least
a months notice before resigning.
1.-The teachers do not seem to
realize what position they place the
school board in, when they resign
just before school begins said DR..
Beach.
Mr.. Regain then arose and began
his criticism:
In one way, l don't blame the
teachers for resigning the way they
do. We have given them a bad
habit i'm the past. This summers
vacation / have utilized in way,
by visiting the schools outside of
Mankato to see how they are being
conducted and handled, and schools
especially in our state and I am
convinced that we have the poorest
organization of any school district
in the state.
Found Some Surprises.
THE way things are run in the
schools of the size of Mankato in
this state are surprises to me. We
elect a superintendent, we pay him
a good salary and then this board
steps in and assumes all responsible
ity. The other day young man
came to my office to apply for a
position in the manual training de-
l. tDll ho no @
and told me what he was applying
for, showed me letter, but outside
of that | knew nothing of him and
yet I am called upon to vote upon
him. Now this is thing that / be-
lieve comes directly under the direc-
ton of the superintendent.
IF that young man was making
application for position with any
ether big concern outside of the
school board of Mankato, he would
not apply to the directors; he
would go to the superintendent and
the superintendent would be held re-
ponsible. ....
THE principle is wrong; the sys
tenn is wrong; we must centralize
the responsibility and systematic it.
| have made mistakes, not because
] made them wilfully, but because
did not know all about the bust
ness. If teachers come to me about
their troubles | would direct them
to the superintendent Up in the north
ern part of the state, l found, in
talking with the superintendent of
a school that while ago, / really
did not know of this until he told
me-a member of this board went
up to the state university for the
purpose of selecting a teacher of
German.
Why" said this superintendent
you are the laughing stock of the
state. What have you a superintend
ent for? How can you expect that
man to be respected by the teachers
when you give him no responsible
ity?" -r..
Wouldn't Know an Algebra.
1.-The changing of text books came
up here and we were asked to pass
upon this change. | did not know
.dnyC1lIlS ABOUT algebra, Ill ldCI IL
so long since saw an algebra that
l wouldn't know one if I did see it
1T is time to give this matter to
the superintendent of the schools
and give him all the business per-
tanning to the selection of the teach
ers, something that has not been
done in the past.
Mrs. B. d. Smith thought Mr. Re
gan went little too far, and stated
that because the superintendent was
away, he had asked all those making
applications for positions to do so to
the chairman of the school commit
tee, but Mr.. Regain would not agree
with this either.
Just think of a teacher applying
for position, to see eight different
school board members We have a
superintendent to look after this
matter, and from now on, will
never interfere if the superintendent
fires the whole school board mean
the whole faculty, for I'll stand for
if And if he hires an entirely new