Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-07
UNITED SCHOOL
SYSTEM OF THE
STATE IS UNIQUE
Board of Education Issues
Statement Explaining the
Plan of Cooperation Fol
lowed in Idaho.

The state department OF education
has issued a statement dealing with
the work of the state board of educa-
ton showing the plan of cooperation
followed. The statement is as fol-
lows:
mot all Idaho citizens know that
themselves voted for and initiated an
nj solutely unique form Of state school
administration. Nevertheless, this is
the case. The Idaho system differs
from all others in its complete unity
of the school affairs o, the state, from
the primary grades to the university
which are under the supervision of
one single state board of education.
This board. in the first place, acts
rs governing board for the six state
educational institutions, including the
university, the two state normal
schools, the Industrial Training
school and the State school for the
deaf and blind. This same board ex-
ercises general supervision over the
public elementary and high schools
PASSED UPON BY PEOPLE.
This new plan was passed upon
most thoroughly by the people of the
state. Their representatives in the
legislature Of 1911 proposed a con-
stitutional amendment providing for
a single state board OF education to
supervise both state institutions and
the public schools; the people of the
state passed this amendment by a
sweeping vote in November, 1912; the
legislature of 1918, in obedience to
this amendment. passed the law pro-
viding for the present state board of
education.
ONE BOARD IN PLACE OF SIX.
In April, 1918, this new state board
of education, consisting of five mem
bers appointed by the governor, and
one ex-officio member, the state sup
erintendent, assumed the great and
burdensome task of directing the at
fairs of the six state institutions and
experimenting the public schools In
the state. In this way it was charged
by the law with duties which had pre-
viously been distributed among six
separate boards. The appointed
members of the new state board of
education ere all business men, with
duties and responsibilities of their
own-probs bly, considerably heavier
than those of the average citizen.
Nevertheless. during the first year of
the boards work. the members devot-
ed an average of over two months of
solid time to the work of the board.
In two cases a total of 70 days was
given to the work in one year.
This service Is given absolutely
gratis through an interest in the cause
of education and an earnest desire
to help in the Improvement of the
school system of the state.
A UNITED SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THE first policy of the board, and
the one which dominates all the rest
may be embodies in the phrase, Get
ting Together Internationally" This is
the very essence of the new Idaho
plan. In other states 1t is not I'M
common for two state schools to be
competitors and rivals. and even enc
mics to each other. This condition
results in waste and injury in the
school system which cannot be estim
ated The new plan in Idaho is de-
signed expressly to eliminate these
evils.
THE state board of education is us
ing every means to create harmony
cooperation and mutual assistance
among the state institutions and the
public schools. Even in the short
time during which the new system
has been in operation great progress
has been made In this respect. From
time to time the heads OF the state
institutions meet in Boise with the