Duncan Arizonian., 1913-04-23
Gottlng and Getting Rid of
Teachers

Illinois gives US a very practical
discussion on this subject which
is Of great Importance at this
time Of year when we consider
that more than ten thousand /
teachers WILDE employed within
the next two months to teach in
the country schools. While Mr..
Blair's discussion in a general
way, it would be well for us to |.
consider our own method of get I
ting and getting rid of teachers,
The Arizona school law provides
that the board of trustees of |,
the district. Employ under
written contract all employees
of the school" So far as
getting, teachers is concerned
this provision of the law is COM |
piled with to the letter in Arizona
Trustees take the position that
it is none Of tbe'superintendent' S
business who they employ and
Indicate that they can manage
this affair without any of his ad-
vice or suggestions. If, however
the teacher fails, is found to be
incompetent, cruel, negligent. or
immoral it becomes at once very
much the superintendent's busi-
ness. He is called upon to straight
en- things out Immediately
as the trustees do not care toI
hurt the teachers e sIings or incur
the wrath of hei friends. If the
trustees are competent to get a
teacher without any assistance
they ought to show themselves
competent to get rid Of her with
out ary assistance. TIE law
places this important duty upon
the directors because they are
the proper ones to perform it and
not because they ale the only
ones in the district, county, or
state who are concerned in the
matter or competent to judge who
is a good teacher. The factthat
society is composed Of num5erless
orders and sects makes it safe
to say that no two districts are a
like no more than two teachers
are alike. may add here that
Arizona with her new Statehood
obligations, her foreign element,
the larsing conditions caused by.
the East moving West and West
moving East, her grazing and
timber interests, her mining and
irrigation projects, make many
peculiarly hard problems for the
teacher and school officials. The
best of city teachers make miser-
able failures in our knotted and
twisted mining camps, while Wig
orous and uptodate normal grad
yates are discouraged at their
success in the rural communities
AS result each year the coun-
ty is practically empiied of its
teachers and new outfit is in
stalled by the same plan of secur-
ing teachers with no hope of ever
solving the problem. All we
have to doin the Fall S to get our
teachers and all there is left to
do in the Spring is to get rid of
them. This endless confusion
and expense is uncalled for
Teachers are like mechanics and
farmers, only the best come to
Arizona. This problem can large
ly be solved by the use Of a little
cooperation anb personal touch
on the part of state and county
Superintendents, trustees and CITY
principals, and our normal presid-
ents. The employment of teach
ers concerns all of us. Most of
the confusion is caused ymisfits
and independent action on the
part of the trustees. The col7nt,,
superintendent knows his teach
ers and the peculiaraities Of tho
various districts and ought to he
the most competent person in fba
county to assist the trustees n
getting the ri sht teacher At
this time of year some forfv
aplicationsand inquiries pour into
the state superintendent's office
daily from teachers al over the
country. IF he has anv roliob1o