Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-05-26
WILL BETTER The
COMMON SCHOOL
Central Board Bill to Place All
Institutions on Same Footing.
POLITICS IS Done AWAY WITH

Informed of Their Needs-Other
Bills Pending Provide for Improve
ment of Rural Schools.
Madison, (SpeciaD What will the
Wisconsin legislature do to improve
the common school system in the
Badger state?
In his campaign, Governor E. l..
Phillip said that it would be his aim
to do something to improve conditions
in the rural schools.
To what extent the administration
hopes to make good its promise, is set
forth in d statement issued IL the
executive office relating to bills touch
ing upon the question of education.
Places All Schools on Same Footing.
The statement follows:
Common schools of Wisconsin are
the ones which will greatly benefit by
the new central board of education.
The interests of higher education
are to be amply cared for, but the un-
DERIVING principle of the bureau will be
to place all educational institutions on
the same footing. Long before 2. l..
Philip was candidate for governor
he had an interest in common schools.
One of the planks in his platform was
a demand for improvement of country
schools, and in ali discussions of the
proposed central board of education
the governor has not lost sight of that
principal.
preparation of the bill which will
60 to the legislature has been gil
gantic task. Characteristic OF the
present administration, the subject
was approached from ali angles, and
while the interests and especial needs
Of one institution or another attained
a special prominence in the discussion
of certain stages the interests of no
department of education of the state
was lost sight of.
Gain for Rural Schools.
''Now that the bill is practically
completed it will be interesting to
friends of rural schools to see what
has been gained for them.
ITO begin with, the great evil in the
past has been the natural competition
before legislatures between education
al institutions for appropriations. The
higher educational institutions have
been represented before committees
and in the making of budgets by train
ed men. The demands of the univer-
sity and of the normal schools have
been presented, backed by carefully
prepared arguments, and there has
been a natural rivalry between these
Institutions On the other hand, the
common schools have had no repre-
seDtation before committees and their
interests have been left to individual
members of the legislature. Many
members of the legislature have for
years realized needs of country
schools, but there has not been the
concerted action necessary to take
proper cognizance of these needs.
The legislature in the past has
failed to provide proper supervision
for the country schools. The question
of better salaries has not been given
proper attention, the country schools
have been forced to draw their teach
ers from high schools, and the volume
of work placed upon the county super
intendent has increased until the eff
flciency of that official has been sadly
Impaired.
Will Make All Budgets.
Zone of the advantages of the GEN.
trail board to the country schools is
the making of the budget for all the
schools. This will avoid competition,
for members of the board will be re-
sponsible for all institutions, and will
not be allowed to forget country
schools In the making of the budget
the commissioner of education will
have information upon which to adj
wise the board concerning needs and
requirements of all schools.
The bill provides as much co-opera-
ton between the superintendent of
schools and central board as the con-
stitution will permit There are GER
tain duties laid down by the constitu-
ton for the state superintendent Of
schools which can not be taken away
from him, and in the preparation or
this bill there was no desire to do so.
For the purpose of budget making a
report will be made by the state SUI
perintendent once in two years, which
will bring our needs to the country
school, and the state superintendent
will report at any time on other mat
tiers. Because of the constitutional
provisions the entire educational pro-
gram could not be included in the
present bill.
Bills to Improve Country School.
while the central board of educa-
ton bill is being discussed, however,
it must not be imagined that the pres
ant administration has no other plans