The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-09
DEPLORESSIATUSOF Of
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM IN ALABAMA
Willingham Admits Ala
bama's Justly Low Rank
ing in Education
LOCAL TAXATION TO
BE CHIEF REMEDY
Remaking of Alabama Public Schools
. Most Important Questi0n-'Ten
Reasons Are Given for
Low Ranking

The fact that Alabama has been PLACED
by the Russell Sage foundation at th'
very bottom of the list of all thu
states in its classification of public
school systems is sufficient in the opin
ion of State Superintendent of Educator
Henry ]. willingham, to give to every
Alabamian feeling Of deep humiliation
superintendent willingham admits the
classification of Alabama by the Russell
Sage foundation to be approximately cor
rect, and deplores the weakness in the
public school system of the state.
The state superintendent Of education
believes that the chief remedy for the
deplorable conditions which exist lies in
local taxation. In his opinion, Ala
bama stands in a class all by itself In the
large proportion of it's school funds pro-
yided by the state government aud its
very small percentage derived from local
sources"
Mr.. Willingham believes there are two
remedies, the first of which is consti-
tutional amendment providing for the
people of the state to tax themselves.
and the second, which is already prac-
ticed by some counties In the state, pro-
vides for the levying of a district tax
with which to supplement the state APP
propriation According to the Russell
Sage foundation report, Alabama raises
"a per cent of its public school funds by
local taxes, and 76 per cent of the school
funds is provided by the state
Mr. Willingham believes that the SUBJ
feet of district taxation is of such par
amount Importance as to be incorporated
in the platform of some candidate for
governor The remaSing of the public
school system MI Wilingham believes
to be the most important question be-
fore the people OF Alabama today.
In discussing the report of the Russell
SAGE foundation Superintendent Willing
ham said:
Alabama Placed Last
In last Sundays papers throughout
the United States appeared an eNhaus-
tive and comparative study of public
school systems in the AS states. This
careful review, made by the Russell
sage foundation, has every appearance
of being approximately correct in its
findings although il brings feeling
OF humiliation to every Alabamian
placing. as the report does, this state
at the very bottomo the list of all the
AZ states in its classification of public
school systems
.'1'he conditions set forth in the
pamphlet under discussion refer TO the
school year 1910. That it applies with
equal force to conditions today we have
no reasonable grounds TO doubt.
'-The writer was unwilling to make
any comment on the report until he
could secure a copy of the bulletin
showing fully the methods pursued in
the Investigation aud how the different
subject matter had been treated. 1t is
highly desirable FOR Alabamians TO
know the real causes, whatever they
are, which placed this state at the foot
of the list in summing up the 10 tests
of efficiency of a public school sys-
tenn Whatever the facts are, the peo-
pie are entitled to know them. IL there
are remedies that can be applied to-
ward removing the stigma thus placed
upon Alabama in the widely circulated
report of the Sage foundation, the pat
rlotic citizens of Alabama Will readily
apply them.
Ten Efficiency Tests
1.-THE 10 efficiency tests showing Ala
banas relative standing among the
AZ states in each are as follows: Chill
dren in school, forty -tifthi value oi
school property. eorty-fourth: expense
per child, forty-siNth: school tax pei
child, forty length of schoo
year, forty-third, attendance, forty
third expenditures as compared tc
wealth. forty fifth; daily cost per pu-
Iil. forty fourth; high schools proper
tionate number attending, forty first
teachers salaries. thirty seventh
"Among all these 10 tests, every one oi
which is consistently low in comparison
with other states our best showing is II
the matter of teachers annual salaries
Alabama ranking thirty-seventh on thi'
test among the As states. The II states il
which the average yearly salaries o
teachers are a few dollars lower thar
Alabama, which is given at Sii, arr
states which have larger percentage o
rural population with comparative fewe
cities than Alabama.
IA careful study of this report of thu
Sage foundation Dads one to the con
clusion that Alabama would perhaps hay,
been given the place above South Car