Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-15
TEXTBOOK REPORTS
, SENT TO SENATE
Educator-M embers of State
Board Defend Recent Book
Adoption.
MINORITY IN SHARP DISSENT
Senate Orders Reports Printed
for Consideration Later On
i'll Session.
MINORITY IN SHARP DISSENT


laid before tho State Senate yesterday.
and were ordered printed as q Senate
document. There was no debate, nor
WAS any time set for u further con-
sidcration OF the schoolbook question.
The printed reports will be in the
hands OF the Senator'S to-day, and, i.
satisfactory, may close the incident.
though IL has been suggested that tho
individual members OF the state Board
Of Education may desire to make
further explanations OF their votes for
different book adoptions.
Tho report OF the board. which Is
signed by the educator members, goes
into detail AZ to the various clnssiHca-
tions OF books and explains the changes
,tt length.
MINORITY DECLINES TO
JOIN IN DEFENSE
The minority, consisting OF the Gov
crror. Attorney General and State Su-
pcrintendcnt ot Public Instruction. do
clincd TO join in "A defense OF Il series
Of books for the adoption OF which
they had not voted. The individual
statement OF Dr. James Southall Will
son, o! William anI Mary College. who
became a member OF the board while
the book adoption was under considcra-
tion. was printed IN foil in The Times
Dispatch OF sunday. The rcpor, OF tho
board and the minority statement are
given IN full In this issue.
There arc several bills before ,h"
General Assembly which owe their
origin to the schooibook controversy,
directly or Indirectly. Including :.
measure 10 limit the adoption Of text
books TO once in ten years. There arc
also pending various proposals for
changes in tho Constitution eliminating
tho nonclnctive members OF tho state
Board OF Education. aimed by thcir
patrons TO make the board more di-
rcctly responsive 10 the wishes OF the
people. both In tho matter or book
adoptions and in tho selection OF di-
vision supcrintcndcnts
TEyT or REPORTS or
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
The report OF the board In response
20 the Jcnreys- Robertson resolution
follows
TO In" Senate OF Virginia:
: The State Board OF Education hogs
Leave 20 submit tho following report
in response to Senate resolution No.
10, requesting the board TO con,munl- :
cate 20 your honorable body tho rea-
sons for the recent changes made in the
textbooks for the primary schools.
The changes were made:
First. To get tho bcs, books on the
market. The children Of Virginia and
teachers are entitled to the BEST bo7ks
published.
Second. To get as low price rs possi-
bile. The prices OF books in Virginia
ar" as low as anywhere in the United
states FOR the same books. Contracts
with publishers amply protect patrons
against discrimination III price and
give them benefit OF all reduction in
price.
Third. To secure uniform single
list OF hooks for the entire state. so
that pupils moving from city to county
or county to city will not have to
change any OF their texts.
Fourth. To adopt books OF such un-
questioned excellence as TO reduce to
minimum tho demand for future
changes
CHANGES ARE CLASSIFIED
UNDER SIN HEADS
The changes are classified under the
following heads:
T. Books changed account of the
fact that they are out OF date, the needs
"f the schools requiring new or rc-
vised material and 10 save needless
added expense by dropping unnecessary
books.
II. Books changed because Of equal
or greater merit At lower price.
III. Books changed on account of su.
rcr!or merit At the same or higher
price. Where tho price is higher than
! the old hooks. the superior merit OF
the new book. in the opinion Of IN.
rI cle rly ln
". Books changed in order 10 bring
about a single list for the entire state
and to furnish TO the children of the
whole State superior texts.
V. Books, the change OF which is a
negligible factor
vi. Books involved in the L. r. John.
sons proposition, OH the acceptance o1
which the State board was divided
These texts are also classified unde,
III.
BOOKS CLAIMED TO HAVE
BECOME OUT OF DATE
l. Books changed on account OF tn,
fact that they are out OF date. the needs
Of the schools requiring new or re.
viscd material and to save needless
added expense by dropping unnrccs-
:nry books.
% Old tcXt-Lec's School History,
So cents Con list for sixteen ycars).
New text-Chandicr's Our Republic, As
cents. Saving, 20 cents
Chandlers Makers American History,
80 cents: book dropped. 40 cents
to) Old text---AIaGills Primary His
tory, IS cents: Magilrs History OF Vir-
s:inia Go cents. y revision Of this text
was offered at 45 cents con list 1877
to present. with exception Of one adop-
tion.) New tcxt--Smithcy's Virginia
History, o. cents. Saving, . cents.
Book dropped. 4j cents.
III. Books changed because of equal
or greater merit at lower price.
a. First supplementary Readers:
Old tcxt--Thc Wide Awake Primer, %
cents: Stepping stones First Reader. 90
cents: Stepping stones Second Reader,
"a cents; Stepping Stones Third
-HeRder. 30 cents; Stepping stones
Fourth Reader. 3S cents; Stepping
Continued on Ninth l'aSc)