The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1916-06-03
IN REGARD TO SCHOOL BOARDS.
tNeW Orleans Tlmes.plcayuns,l


tepti,n OF the General Assembly is the
school There have already been In.
troduced At the present session a large
number OF bills affecting the schools
Superintendent Harris has a number.
carefully prepared after consultations
with thu school authorities aud friends
of education throughout the state He
has for instance a general school bill
amending the Burke law, correcting
certain 81 fects therein that have been
brought "a tight. or providing for omls.
sions, bosides other proposed statutes
on pensions, compulsory attendance.
etc All these measures are ln the
direction Of the extension and improve.
meni Of the school system, and based
upon the experience of other states
The United States Bureau Of Education
has made 4 thorough Investigation OF
the educational systems of the several
states and cities aud their experiences.
and has prepared exhaustive and val.
liable reports thereon. which greatly
facilitate Ia making any needed change
There are also q number Of school
bills iaiheTed by others which attack
nearly an the reforms of the last few
years and which mean going backward
again The proposition that the parish
suporlult adent be- elected b. popular
vote is decidedly reacilonary and un-
wise The Times.P icayune believes in
the democracy aud control by the
YoteFs bias We can conceive Of no
worse provision than submitting the
choice Of the man Aho ID to operate
Che parish schools to the popular vote.
nothing that would tend more To bring
In politics or would result In worse
Generalization The great majority Of
the people want their schools sell
managed and placed under the control
~ the best mat; bni We doubt The
ahilliy Of the voters 10 determine sho
Is the best maa maai qualified In all
res poets He can be better chosen by
those elected TO manage our school
affairs and becanse they are believed
TO understand their naeda and require.
menta.
still more extraordinary il the prop
osl.ion contained inI bin providing
for the abolition of the overlapping
school board. such az prevail In nearly
an the other states, but which have
oHly recently been adopted In Louis
lana Formerly the terms Of members
Of the school board all expired stimuli.
taneuusly. SO that there was pew
board every four yeaSs. perhaps radi.
eally changing the methods Of It's pre-
deeeseors. This has been fonnd bad
IN Louisiana as Ia every other section
of the country. and II was proposed 60
substitute therefor what are known az
overlapping boards. onehalf ar 0he,
third If the members Of which are
chosen nj each school election
The laa has not vet gone into prae.
Teal operation In this city. although II
IL an the statute books The oppoat
tion II based on the theory that she
holding over members Of school board
viii be- able 20 influence and control
the new onea. aud being In q ma iority,
sill be Ia a position ia prevent achange,
thus tending to Keep the parish super
lntendpnis in office for long term
This Is purely imaginary danger. for
there has not been time enough 10 test
the law out in Louisiana /, has. how
ever. been tested elsewhere aHd has
given universal satisfaction, assuring
stability to- the schools and preventing
those changes that are So demoralisins
Sea educational work
II ia scarcely likely that the l.egisIa
ture win abandon a system only re-
Gently adopted and which has 50 much
10 recommend u on the possibility that
IL might keep a superintendent In
office In this OF that parish longer than
some people would like To have him
there. The creates, danger go our
sfhools II from ton many aud too
radical changes they lack the stabit
rs they should have, aud 40 provision
Of recent years promises more In the
nature Of stability than The very pro-
vision as 10 overlapping terms. DE-
signed Ia make the sehoo ieards .
continuous body like the United States
Senate. carrying continuous and
progressive policy Ia regard "a edu
cation, instead af = changeahls aud
yariable one