The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-11-28
Schools Of
Washington
BY MRS. JOSEPHINE PRESTON


nounced Washington the state ranking first in the efficiency
its school SYSTEM people asonhed that and
ud spossess older states and particularly Massa-
chuse from positions of enhance But those familiar with
educational Washington and in other
specially surprised The for the exceance OF the
public schools Washington the progressive character of
czens and the wisdom Of her legislatures which have enacted
laws providing for the careful organization Of school machinery
and the standardization of requirements for the state unit
The Office which vested the responsibility for the direction
administration setting school
superintendent pubic instruction So well
the school system Washington that the orders and rulings
the Superintendent of the state board of education
felt down the line aud Immediately observed throuSh
This enables the to have unified and pro-
Igressive school system.
The major responsibility Of the that of deter
mining school standards and policies and of seeing that the pol
icies determined upon put into effect.
leading departments of the office OF the state
nendent that relating the examination and certificate OF
All teachers of the except those teaching in cit
employing teachers required the
certificates All certificates except the special and
tempory certificates and deplomas the unvers
y the college and the normal schools issued by the
superintendent public In 1912 there 1862
certificates ssue by the department and in 1913
5000 All examinations required for virtually all kinds
certificates the task reading the manuscripts recording the
and issuing the certificates being performed in the office OF
the superb In the May examinations this year
1880 persons who 1t took 13 people four
weeks grade the papers and get out the certificates
superintendent also the clearing house for
educational information regarding the schools of the state In
this data the Office furnishes all forms for reports
we'll other forms for school purposes The that
made compiled and published from time to time The
statistical publications department the biennial
port Educational directory and the High school directory
preparation of the statistical tables publications IS
la very heavy task
On the reports the county superntendens is based the
portionment the fund.- which aggregates nearly
So each The law governing apportonmens is
complex and the department must keep wachu
credit that is claimed by each county
Under the direction department. education high school
inspector the field continuously from September to June
visiting inspecting the high schools of the state Acting
board education determines what schools
accredited list distinction much coveted by high
schools
The superintendent has certain judicial duties to perform
Points school law appeals from DECISIONS Of county supen
tende conserving the revocation of teachers
be desded by the superintendent In addition is the
work of the department education progressive school
legislation legislature and confer with the house and
committees education regarding proposed laws
While the duties department. education dis
ncy and part judicial the law allows the
rcse of with respect to the fixing the
state course Of study rules and regulations governing
pupils It is forming the state OF study
latitude for the initiation OF educational
policies present the department putting effect recent
ruling Of the state education the eethat pupils tax
ing the eight grade examinations must either agriculture
manual training, economics This is in line with the
policy the department put emphasis on the
development of industrial education.
Along line the great work Of the depart
men il inauguang boys girls agricultural and industrial
fairs IN different communities counties and in the state The
legislature appropriated $4,000 for agricultural and indu
extention this that made possabe
the rst state which held recently in Spokane and
proved remarkably successn Mrs Preston plans follow uI
this work With additional IN extending agricultural and
industrial activity into The schools Of tho stats
Another sducaoRs policy ~ which Mr. Preston STANDS =
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