The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-13
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
Object To RULING
Believe Superintendent Should Be
Best Man Regardless of
Residence.
PROTEST BY ALEXANDRIA
State Board Urged to Ignore
Opinion OF Attorney General,
Who Reversed Predecessor.

Earnest protest against the recent
ruling OF Attorney General Samuel w
Williams that division school superin-
tendents must BIO residents of the To-
caifties they are to servo. has been
made to tho State Bpard of Education
by the trustees OF Alexandria County,
who believe such mn attitude wrong in
principle. Every trustee in the county
has signed the paper. which asks the
board not to be guided by the decision,
but to consider the schools rather than
giving jobs 10 local men,
In consideration of the illness OF
Governor Mann it is now hardly proba-
bic that tho State Board or Educat ton
will go into contests for Huperintend-
ents positions wien IT meets Thurs
day. 1t Is more likely that the uncon-
tested places will BIO disposed Of and
that the board Will then adjourn to
some day early in June. The super
intendents must be elected before July
/. when the terms OF all incumbents
expire
The Alexandria Protest.
Tho Alexandria County protest Is as
follows:
Alexandria County Va,
May 10, 1913
The Honorable State Board Of Educa-
ton, Richmond, Va:
Gentlemen,-We very much regret
the recent ruling Of the Attorney Cen
residents to the positions OF division
school superintendents, and VIC trust
that in the coming elections you will
not BIO guided by this decision.
While your doing will not affect
our county, our superintendent, whose
reelection we desire. being now a Cit
izen of Alexandria County. we should
regret seeing this backward step taken
by the State Board OF Education
Having had for four years a division
superintendent who had never met n
man in this county until he came here
to take office. we feel that we can
speak on this matter with some au-
thority. AS we were four years ago,
we are now unanimously of the opin-
ion that the education OF the children
of our county is OF infinitely more i'm
portance than providing job for a
local man. The very best possible man
in the State of Virginia or outside Ia
sion superintendent. AS plain bust
ness matter this should be apparent
to anybody. The public schools of our
State Will never reach their highest
development, or even serve the people
commensurately with their expense
until they are administered by capable
men Of professional training and ex-
perience.
If the great Commonwealth of Mas
sachusctts few years ago could
search the nation for n State Super
intendent and choose n professor in Co
lumbia University for the position; II
Woodrow Wilson. when Governor OF
New Jersey, could bring to tho office
of State School Superintendent at a
| salary of $4,000 per annum the super
intendent Of indianapolis. Ind. II no
cities in the Union other than those
of Virginia are restricted in their
choice of superintendent to local men.
al M M las hn1 10 ~
superintendent the best men OF Vir-
Einia. regardless OF their local resi-
dence?
tSigned)--R. A. Wilkinson. chair
man; George w. Zachary, clerk: John
Fl. Trimyer. Jefferson District. Frank
Upman. chairman; Z. NJ Shreve. clerk
b. G. Foster. Washington District.
Charles B. Munson, chairman; w. A.
Z. McShea. clerk: Ralph Baldwin, Ar
lington District.