The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-10-22

Not all Idaho citizens know that
4 within the last four years they have
themselves voted for and initiated an
absolutely unique form of state school
| administration. Nevertheless, this is
the fact. The Idaho system differs
from all others in its complete unity
Of the school affairs of the state, from
the primary grades to the university,
which are under the supervision of
one single state board of education.
This board, in the first place, acts
as governing board for the six state
university, the two state normal
schools, the Idaho Technical Institute
at Pocatello, the Industrial Training
School and the State School for the
Deaf and Blind. This same board ex-
ercises general supervision over the
public elementary and high schools.
Legislature and People Acted
This new plan was passed upon
most thoroly by the people of the
state. Their representatives in the
legislature Of 1911 proposed a consti-
tutional amendment providing for a
single state board of education to su-
pervise both state institutions and
the public schools; the people of the
state passed this amendment by a
sweeping vote In November, 1912; the
legislature of 1913. in obedience to
this amendment, passed the law pro-
viding for the present state board of
education
One Board in Place of Six
In April, 1913, this new state board
of education, consisting of five mem
bers appointed by the governor, and
one ex-officio member, the state SUI
perintendent, assumed the great and
burdensome task of directing the If
fairs of six state institutions and SUI
perintending the public schools in the
state In this way it was charged by
the law with duties which had pre-
viously been distributed among six
separate boards. The appointed mem
bers of the new state board of edu-
cation are all business men, with du-
ties and responsibilities of their own
probably considerably heavier than
those of the average citizen. Never
theless, during the first year of the
boards work, the members devoted
an average of two months of solid
time to the work of the board. In
two cases a total of rs days was Civ
en- to the work within one year.
This service is given absolutely
gratis thru an interest in the cause
of education and an earnest desire to
help in the improvement of the school
system Of the state.
Because know that those who are
gathered here. and those who may Ia
ter read these statements, | am taking
the liberty of indicating on behalf of
the state board of education the main
lines of the policy which they are fol-
lowing with respect to the schools.
A United School System
The first policy of the board. and
the one which dominates all the rest,
may be embodied in the phrase, Get
ing Together Educationally." This
the very essence of the new Idaho
plan. In other states it is not un-
common for two state schools to be
competitors and rivals, and even enc
mics to each other. These conditi
are familiar to many of you who have
lived in other states. They result in
waste and injury in the school sys-
tenn which cannot be estimated. The
new plan in Idaho is designed express
ly to eliminate these evils.
The state board of education is u.s.
ing every means to create harmony,
cooperation and mutual assistance
among the state institutions and the
public schools Even in the short
time during which the new system has
been in operation great progress has
been made in this respect. In the
month of August the heads OF the
state institutions met in Boise with |
the state superintendent of public in
struction and the commissioner of ed
ucation to. consider educational prob !
lens common to all Of them and to the
public schools. Everyone .present was
studying the educational problem of
the state as a whole. Each institution
is striving to build itself up, not at the
expense of any other institution, but
in order to perfom most highly Its
duty toward the state as whole
Cooperation
Cooperation Il being worked out In
the following practical way-in that
ma In attn f}or, f.111n IN asnr,f11nr for ~