The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-02-09

iects shall be taught in the school. All
power is taken from local school boards
except to kcep the schoolhouse in repair.
3. As the executive officer OF the state
board, he determines what town, towns
or parts of towns, may be put into union
districts, This power is taken away
from town school directors,
a. AZ executive officer OF the state
board. he determines what schools shall
be consolidated This is taken from
town school directors.
8. As executive officer of the state
board he determines who may be elected
union superintendent and what salary
they shall receive, This power is taken
from town school directors,
6. As executive officer Of the state
board. he determines what qualifications
teachers must have and the salaries they
shall receive. lnasmuch as all agree
ments for teachers wages made by local
school directors are subject to his APP
proyal.
Our representatives at Montpelier the
other day wisely refused to abdicate to
Governor Fletcher their right to elect
our judges and thus kept the courts
amenable to the people. Now the ques-
ton arises, Are we prepared to surrender
every yestige OF control over our schools,
which affect intimately nearly every
family in the state and are more impor-
tant than the courts, into the hands OF a
state commissioner and then place him
beyond our power to recall whether we
like what he is doing or not? ] do not
believe we have so far lost our good
sense as to do such an n-AmerIcan
thing.
Our state commissioner of education
should be given large powers but orr
lawmakers should carefully outline those
powers.
Our state commissioner of education
should be given a good salary but orr
lawmakers should state exactly what
that salary is to be. also the same course
should be pursued in regard to the sal
ary of union superintendent The pres
ent bin leaves their salaries practically
in the hands of the state commissioner.
Our state commissioner should be CIV
en- term of at least five years, that he
NAV have time to develop his plans and
put them in operation, but not for
longer time till we see what he is Ike,
If he is big enough for the Job he will be
in no danger Of losing il. Neither is it so
much more important than the presi-
dency of the United States that he should
be given much longer term. Besides
this bill gives such power into his hands,
that should our commissioner happen to
be a political wire puller instead Of big
man, he could easily construct power
full machine throughout the state.
Our state commissioner of education
should be appointed by the governor as
the other department commissioners are.
Then we can fasten the responsibility
for his acts TO someone whom we can
reach.
Our state commissioner of education
should be an ex -oificio member OF the
state board OF education and not snb-
servient to il. We want him to feel he
represents us and not board of five be
yond our control
have devoted much space TO con-
sideration of the state commissioner OF
education as under the proposed law, he
might well say, as did King Louis; The
slater | am the state"
dlE1 " 1911 " dhA q WIZ AA $40 -
the state board Of education As a check
on the state commissioner of education,
il should provide that at least one mem
Der OF said board shall have profession
al knowledge OF education and from hay.
ing been engaged in the work Of public
instruction,
The educational commission, by It's
own report, discovered that by a vote OF
two 10 one our people desire "bett,r
trained teachers" But the educational
bill makes no provision for better pay to
teachers, although it greatly increases
the cost Of supervision, and abolishes the
normal schools altogether. Yet better
wages and a good normal school are the
only things that will ever give rs bet
ter trained teachers"
"Our legislators must view this edu'
cational bill from the poilt OF our state
policy. We are spending thousands OF
dollars advertising the advantages o. our
state in order TO induce people 10 come
10 ms. settle on our farms ard build mp
our villages by improving our potential
wealth. such being the ease, T. i wiee
to advertise ourselves to the world -