The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-04-13
POLICY OUTLINED
IN OPEN LETTER
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION f.
0. SISSON MAKES PUBLIC
STATUS OF BOARD.
Points Out Great Problems Being
Faced by Its Members and Urges
Patience of the Press and Public.


90 49, o,,o ono ,;,, for
pp-
some oehhlte REFORMS III the euuca-
tional system OF the state, and are
looking to the state board of educa-
+io,, for cotton i, tbo mo+ter Soma
~,
nave pecohie iit,ie impatient Vi ue-
lay, and in one or two cases the press
has given definite utterance to the
I Ieellng-generally III Tatiohal anu
hrief nmt1ina of tho situation and mol
icy of the board so that the public
may more fully understand its pro-
cedure?
First, the board is loaded with a
mass of administrative duties former
ly shared by six separate and distinct
boards. The board is directly respon-
sible for six state institutions, enroll
ing in the course of the year more than
2000 young people. These institutions
cover the whole field of higher and
special education, and include also
statewide work in agricultural extern
sion, experiment and demonstration.
Some of the most important items of
the work are: the appointment of.
teachers and other employees, of
whom there are in all not less than
two hundred in the six institutions;
the supervision of purchases of sup
plies and equipment; the inspection
and approyal of every voucher paid;
the adjustment of educational and bus
mess problems in each institutions.
Each school has it's peculiar problems
which receive the attention first of a
committee and then, if necessary, of
the board.
,,. co.
hahuies upiio ''"ooi''
Besides this, the board exercises,
through the office OF the state super
intendent, general supervision over
the wide field OF the pubic schools,
dealing with the certlflcatlon OF all
teachers in the state, the framing Oh
~ ny 0booI 49, annrovol Of Mans for
school buildings. etc
Moreover, there are no precedents to !
guide us: the whole plan is new. and |
we are very busy finding the best
ways TO proceed. The public should i
not forget that under the new ad-
the work of all the in |.
stitutions has moved along without
a single serious break. and with in
creased economy and efficiency in a
number of lines. So much cannot be
said of several other states which have
ATTEMPTED similar Joint control
Had the duties of the state board of
,ducation been limited to an investi-
cation of existing conditions and the
,ectifying of such Weaknesses as
might be found, it is altogether proba-
BILE that the people of the state would
nave already been in possession of
acts such as indicated in your edi-
.orial. but the dual duty of administra-
ion and investigation has been too
)urdensome to permit of earlier con-
,lusions as to possible reforms, and
he board is only now arriving at the
,o;nt where definite recommendations
IAN safely be made.
D4.4
"us' NC "'''"''
With regard to presumed delects III
he present system, ana the need OF
reorganization, 1t must be remeihDer-
ID that we are dealing with system
which is the growth OF years, ana is {
ooted deep in the hearts and mlnds Oh
men; he would be rash lhdeed VINO
would lay hasty hands upon the {
chools. The problem OF the higher
institutions particularly Is one ol "a
rene dlfflculty, owing 10 tlie laci tid'
eople's opinions vary with the geo
raphical situation ana IN many cases