The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-09-04
FOR WELFARE OF THE
COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Recommendations Made By State
Superintendent.


intendent NJ. Bates Stephens to the
State Board of Education recommends
lions are embodied which make for
more constructive work along school
lines. Some of these are very important
and all meet the approval of the mem
bers of the board. the Governor COM
mending the report as whole. The
recommendation reads as follows:
First. the real status of each coun-
tvs school system is not known to this
body. Aside from statistics compiled
in our annual report we have no
means of determining the efficiency of
schools in any particular county, and
such statistics, valuable as they are for
instituting several comparisons, will
not furnish a safe standard for measur-
ing actual schoolroom results. In view
of this lack of definite information.
suggest that this board make an educa-
tional survey of at least two counties
each year, such survey to require from
10 to 20 days, during which all types of
school shall be visited and closely ex-
amined. For such an examination there
should be three persons-one to be APP
pointed by the United States Com
mission of Education to represent his
department, one by the State Board of
Education to represent the State Board
of Education, and the third to be named
by the county school board, and a resi-
dent of the county to represent the
county school board. The State Board
of Education should select the county to
be surveyed, and after a conference
with the United States Commission of
Education the line of investigation
should be determined
Second, an awakening on the pub
lie school question is an urgent need.
If people were as Indifferent to their
other business interests, which are less
important and sacred than the education
of their children, it would be regarded
as little less than criminal. They are
indifferent for the reason they have not
been caused to feel or realize such
sacredness. They are not agreeable to
many of our good educational practices
because they are not informed as
to their real merit We must in
augurate some plan which will scatter
broadcast this knowledge. If, under
the direction of this board, one meeting
can be held in each county for instruc-
ton and entertainment and organiza-
ton, it may result in many smaller unit
meetings out of which will grow healthy
school patrons or civic leagues whose
subject will be to bring the home and
school into closer and more sympathetic
relations.
Third, since 1910 the high schools of
the state have increased in number and
also in efficiency. 1t is possible for
adequate and effective supervision of
these schools to be given by the state
superintendent and his assistant In
behalf of the other schools no state
supervision is provided or required.
The rural school is not developing as it
should, and this condition is in part
chargeable to an absence of state CO.
operation along the line of supervision.
1t would be long step toward placing
the rural schools on higher plane of
usefulness if this board can use its in
fiuence in having provided rural school
supervision for the state.
Fourth, the following school legis-
lation is needed, viz:
(a) A statewide mandatory school
attendance law.
(b) A minimum school term of seven
months for the colored schools.
(c) Appropriations made for APPROX
ed high schools and also for retired
teachers should be paid out of the
general treasury and should not be
charged to the 16 cents public school
tax. The growing demand on the ele-
mentary schools makes it necessary to
have at least l6 cents of the state tax.
Id The appropriation made for the
three state normal schools is inadequate
and should be increased. The Mary
land State Normal School will likely
move into its new home in about
year, and the approaching legislature
should provide for an additional cost of
maintenance. The expense of main
tanning the Frostburg Normal and
the Normal and Industrial School are
larger than the annual appropriations.
(e) The institute law should be so
modified that it will be legal for
county school board to provide tuition
for percentage of teachers to attend
a summer school in lieu of holding an
institute;
(f) The position of assistant teacher
should be made more secure;
(g) In the absence of a state ar
chitect, plans for public school build
ings should be approved by the State
Board of Education;
(h) Until the state provides adequate
ly for the number of normal graduates
will equal the annual loss to the profess
sion, each county with an approved first
group high school should have the
authority to provide a teachers train
ing course under regulations to be pre-
scribed by this board. With such a law
a time limit should be fixed, after which
it will be illegal for a person to enter
upon the duties of teaching withoat