Arizona republican., 1915-10-31
COUNTY UNIT F0R SCHOOLS
County Superintendent Rig gins Before Central Fed eration of Woman Clubs Urges the Supplanting of Old System

Among the papers read before the Central Federation of Womens CluoS at the Neighborhood house on Wednes- day was one by County School Super intendent J. A. Higgins on the county Unit Versus the District School Sys- tenn" MT. Higgins is an advocate ot the former, which is rapidly coming into favor and is urged by many educa-
 7s tors in this state on grounds CI greater efficiency as well as econ omy.
 MT. Higgins paper follows;
 The business of conducting the schools of this state and county is of the greatest importance for many req sons. Irpon our schools depends the future citizenship of our great state and country. Upon our schools the taXpaN CT is expending great amount of his money. For these two reasons, if for no other We should have the very best school system obtainable There are many systems in operation throughout this country and the Vari- ouS countries of Europe. The systems differ chiefly in the unit of organlza- ton for administrative purposes The units used in this country are the dis trict, the township and the county. The township and county units may or may not include the city schools.
 The district system originated in Massa chusetts with the establishment of the first public schools when each settlement was separate and distinct from all others and necessarily became a separate school district. Massachu- setts retained the district system till 1882 when the township system was adopted. The district system was the original system for all the states As population increases. it is gradually passing away and is now found in only three states east of the Mississippi river, Illinois, New York and Michigan, and only in part of Michigan, as all the townships of the upper peninsula and part of the lower have adopted the township system.
 The consensus of opinion among school authorities is that the small ru- ral district must be replaced by a larger administrative unit before q county or a state can bring about the best educational results. With the dis trict unit of organiza tion, there may be efficient schools but there can never be an efficient system of schools There is sufficient evidence in our own county to prove this assertion. We have many efficient schools throughout /he county-schools with the very best up-to-date buildings. good and efficient teachers, first class equipment plenty of pure, fresh water, out buildings in sanitary condition, etc. Yet there are other schools where just the opposite conditions exist. Buildings are anti quatcd, teacher selected without regard to needs of school. poor equipment, perhaps no well. outbuildings covered with filth and obscenitY. These condi- tions are due partly to lack of funds, partly to lack of interest of patrons and trustees, etc. Happily the parent teachers associations and neighbor- hood organizations are helping to rem edy many of these evil conditions
 The district system is managed by a school board of three members. elect cd by the people for a term of three years. This board has almost absolute power in conducting the affairs of it's school. In fact, no authority outside the district possesses more than ad- visory power in the management of the school. The county superintendent is supposed to be at the head of the schools, vet it is in name only In the majority Of things he can recommend. but not enforce.
 As rule, city boards delegate their powers and duties to the city super intendent giving him ample power to manage the schools as he thinks best. Tn most cases he is q man trained in the school business and conducts 1t in businesslike way. IT he has a teach CT that IS not doing good work. he transfers her to another grade or to another building and gives her fair trial. lf after this she fails to make good, he sees that she at once resigns or at least Is not re-employed for an- other year. This is impossible under. the district system in the rural schools. IL IS hard, indeed, to weed out the poor. teacher. He may be- successful in getting her out of one schooi but she steps into another just q lew miles further on. Under the district system, the constant chaneine, IS menace to efficiency. In many of tle rural schools it is rare thing TOT a teacher to stay more than two years and great ma ajority of the one-room schools change teachers every year and sometimes two or l three times.
 The distritc system does not give