Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-08-25
CHANGES ARE MADE
IN SCHOOL LAWS
Boards of Education Abolished.
Committee TO Do Work.
Supervisory Assistants in Each COun-
ty New Feature Better Qualified
Teachers Will Receive More Pay.

According to the Madison Journal
sweeping changes in the conduct of
the school systems will be inaugural
ed as soon as the new educational law
goes into effect. The county boards
of education have been abolishd and
a committee appointed by the board OF
supervisors will supervise the school
affairs. Supervisory assistants Will
be appointed in each county, and
these men will work directly under
the control of the county superinten-
dent. Grant county gets two, and the
size of the county, the large enroll
ment and number of schools, JUSTIFY
at least one more The Journal says:
Chief among the bills is the one
passed abolishing the county boards
of education, and Supplantlng IT by a
committee on common schools each
county, appointed by the county board
of supervisors. There was and still
is sharp disagreement as to whether
this method of selection is better than
by a direct vote of the people, as was
the case in the county board of educa
ton. The new committee on common
schools has considerably less author
ity than the county boards of educa-
ton.
More Supervision Provided.
''The most important changes for
the better in the new law is the pro-
vision for supervisory assistants work
ing under the direction of the county
superintendent. This feature will
provide for more supervision, one of
the supposed weaknesses in our ru-
raj school system.
IAN attempt is made to meet the
other of the two defects, namely, to
provide better teachers, in the bill
passed, which provides special state
aid out of the common school fund to
teachers remaining continuously at
one school. and also to teachers, who
have two years training in normal
or county training school.
In school districts not composed
wholly or in part of an incorporated
village or city, any teacher teaching
the second year shall receive two dol
lars additional. for each month; a
teacher remaining the third year, re-
ceives four dollars, and for each year
thereafter eight dollars.
Those teachers in similar school dis
tricts. who have had two years train
ing in a rural school course in nor
nal or county training school beyond
nigh school graduation, are to receive
ten dollars additional per month for
the first year. and fifteen dollars for
each succeeding year, making the min
imum in the state, fifty dollars for
teachers with the qualifications nam
ed.
The expense of the supervisory as
sistants TO the county superintendent
and the state aid to teachers is to be
mt of tho Cnhnnl fund
raised by the seven-tenths mill tax.
No additional burden will be imposed
except that the direct aid per pupil
of school age will be decreased.
Consolidation of school districts was
encouraged by the passage of bill
increasing the maximum state aid
from $500 to 81 900 a year and provis-
ion made that transportation must be
provided for all children living more
than two miles from the school house.
A bill purpOrting to prevent book
companies from charging a high price
for text books in Wisconsin than in
other states was passed.
Minimum Salary Bill Killed.
Chief among the bills killed was the
one establishing a $50 minimum wage
for teachers. The establishment of the
$40 minimum two years ago was look
ed upon as big step in advance at
the time and the members felt that
any further increase was inadvisable.
The passage of the bill giving special
state aid raised the minimum for those
with better qualifications.
The bill TO permit all school dis
tricts to furnish lunches for cost or
less was bitterly fought on both sides
and barely missed becoming law,
passing the assembly but losing out in
the senate by a close vote"