The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-02-11

County IN the State. Points TO Neee
Of More supsrintendsnts, Higher
Salaries and Changes In Existing
Laws
Baltimore. Md. LIB. e.--The Legls
lature of Maryland IN 1914 authorized
the appointment nf Commission I,
procure survey of education In Nary
land and appropriated 5000 for IT ex
penses. The Governor appointed n,
members Of this Commission b. Howell
Grlswald. Jr.. Of Baltimore Col. Albert
". sisk If Preston. and DIR. ] Nc
Pherson SOFT. Of Hagerstown.
At the request of the Commission
the General Education Board of New
York undertook to make the survey
agreeing - bear any expense Incurred
IN excess Of the state appropriation
The results IF the survey are made pub
lie to-day.
The report Is the Rork Of Abraham
Flexnef md Frank 7. Bachman The
former Il tie author of '''rhr American
College. and several year. ago con
Quoted for the Carnegie Foundation In
sestigationz of medical schools In the
United sIaiea and Europe: Dr Eaeh
man, formerly Assistant superinIend
ent Of Schools Ia Cleveland. xas 4
prominent member If The HAMS Cum
mission which investigated the Sew
York sehunl- and ! The author n I'M
portant educational Studies
Essry County inspected.
Every county In Maryland wa sIsit,
ed aud fSni.al A'hoplz Of all Kinds Here
studied throughout lhe state. the re-.
ords nf IL state mud county depart.
ments YER carefully examined. md
much uew material Nas gathered. The
material : st forth IN = compTehen,
zlSe Sgluas dealing aifh each detail
Of the siIHHIInn
'I'uhlIa education N Maryland = un
the whole snnudly organized" ~ The
report of tn General Education Heard
Further IL state deHIs generously
with IT, nHlsIi.. -choeI= n The matter Of
money
We d. nj propose therefore my
fundamental changes In the general
Structure n the public school system
Of Maryland nor do - suggest TINT
The stste Increase II I'll It's appnopfl
ations 10 Ine schools.
.'But tleHs are other aspects which
VII cBnza gave concern. A feH eoun=
ties possezz good aud steadily Imnros
Ina sehesIz. goed school ma b.
found heHe md there n other counties.
Bui the lHfEe majority Of the sehonls
are pour teachers Hne. for the most
part. poerIE iralnei. instruction : IN.
effective NJ obsolete. children aIlsntl
school vii disastrous irregnIafItg
school buildings nHe far ton aIIen
IN unsatisfactory condition. school
grounds. neglected and untidy.
Need = More supsfin,sndsntz
'Srhc county SUPPLEMENTARY i In
even more unsatisfactory condition. In
the first pIaee. the Ia does not cen
require he County Superintendent IL
lie q trimmed or experienced Hehaol
man; In IL sccond place, adequate
provision fnf skilled assistance exists
IN only On IT two counties,
+In mozI counties. therefore. IN IN
trained official without expert AID. car.
uhentcs teachers, arTanses courses Of
study. superriscs instruction, and 81.
amlnes far promotion pupils rh9 1t
tend school regularly oT not. ns thes OF
their parents please.
"FinallY. The states urge srhooI fund
i not distributed % n to accomplish
the greatezI possible good For i i
distributed almost Internationally. Tho
counties Ct their quota whether they
do their educational duty Ut not. With
the result TINT the backward counties
sometimes 10 much less thau they
ought aud Honc well=Io=io counties flo
much les Ihan thcy should.
'"fhe HIaIe fund thu Jceomea n
source Of positive decentralization. II
can bc converted Into : real heIn md
stimulus nnly II payment by the sIala
i conditioned upon The performance bl
local dutY
I'm View Of these conditions. II i
easy enough Ia understand why fun.
damentall. correct TYR Of organization
produces Unsatisfactory educational r.
suits In Maryland. INT. M a maIIef
Of fact. lie state doea not even fire n
well with : present fsanization as II
might: VIZ noti
Education ls IN Politics.
"A feN words suffice 10 explain.
Public edemtion In Maryland / In
politics. Politics are apt 10 prevent
The State Eoard from acting with fig
or. to determine the composition Of tho
County Raartls: 10 affect the choice Of
the County Superintendent even ii
enter Into The selection OF the on
room ruraI school teacher.
.0f course. there are exceptions
Some of the county boards are excel
lent; some schools are entirely free
from political iaint. hi In general po
lItieal and personal considerations IN.
pair the YIgor. independence, thorough
ness aud efficiency Of the school sss
tenn. The public does not begin to real
lie the seriousness Of the poIiileal IN.
lection or he damage It does"
The report of the survey says TINT.
.BnltImnT. County must be singled