Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-15
PUBLIC EDUCATION
IN MARYLAND
The Next Step-Report Made by
Or. Abraham Flexner at the
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING.
Maryland State Federation Of Woman's
Clubs, Johns Hopkins University,
Mccoy Hail April 18th.


Board is a non-political boly appoint
ed by the Governor. without the advice
and consent of the Senate and without
reference TO political affiliations. The
county boards of education are to be
appointed by the Governor without ref
erenee 10 politics. The county board
will select a county superintendent
who must have specific qualifications
and experience Central control will
be concentrated in the office of the
State superintendent so that a progress
sive policy can be inaugurated
Under these circumstances what is
il that the women of Maryland can 10?
The law will not function of itself.
How can the women assist it to func-
ton as it was meant TO function?
There are some things that the women
of Maryland can do and ought to do.
There are some things they ought not
10 try TO do.
What can they do 10 interest them
selves in the personnel of the state
and county boards of education
Everything that comes out of the new
law from this moment is going to de-
pend upon individuals. The law is
there. AS far as we can tell ii con
tains all that il ought to contain. The
Legislature passed it as it was drawn.
II was intended TO give the State as
nearly a complete educational system
as could be given at one step. OF
course it can be bettered as conditions
s..,s. o.. 81
all that can be done is to put it into
effective operation.
IL must be operated by persons.
II comes down to a question of per-
sons. If the women of Maryland can
i'm any way assist the Governor in Sc
curing for the state and county boards
persons of intelligence, ability and dis
interestedness, they will have accom-
plished all that outsiders can accom-
plish in the first instance. Unless
these bodies are properly constituted,
the new law will prove disappointing.
With these boards properly constitut-
ed. the new law will function properly.
know too little of your organiza-
tion TO give you specific advice. If
you have a state committee / should
think you might begin to scan the
State for men and women possessing
the proper qualifications. The new
law legislated no one out of office. In
consequence changes will be made
gradually. 1t is very hard to get peo-
pie interested in one appointment out
of seven and yet the State Boad il
going to he built up. block by block,
man by man. Unless good men are
appointed, no great improvements NAV
be looked for at this central point and
the entire scheme may be prejudiced
because of this failure.
The same thing holds true in the
county boards. | do not know wheth-
er there is club in every county
there is not? There ought to. be-
Every county club ought to make it its
business to find the best man i'm the
county to recommend to the Governor
for service on these local bodies. In
soon to make yourself felt in this di-
rection. Governor Harrington is pro-
foundly interested in the new law and
WILL | am sure, welcome your coop
Grafton, for its passage was largely
due to his interest.
There is one other service which
the women of Maryland can perform.
They can help to create public senti-
ment which will make it possible to
enforce the new law. IL is one thing
TO give the State Superintendent large
powers. 1t is another thing for the
State superintendent to exercise these
powers. Precisely the same thing is
true in the counties. 1t will be posi-
BILE for the county superintendent to
appoint to teaching posts the bets
teachers available
Whether they do il or not will de-
pend not only on their own desire. but
on the desire of the county. If the
people would rather that Sally This or
Mary That be appointed teacher than
that someone be brought from another
county. ii does not matter how com
petent the county superintendent is
he will not be able to exercise effect
lively the power which the law puts
in his hands.
The women of Maryland must see to
il that the personnel is sound and that
public sentiment is developed which
will support the State AMI county SUI
perintendents in the proper execution
of the law. There are some things the
women. of Maryland cannot do. They
cannot run the schools. suppose tho
women of Marylnad are not different
from the women of other states. /
have had more or less experience in
school management.
have known very few mothers who
did not want me 10 do something
which was contrary to my judgment.
| shall not deny that sometimes they
have been right and / wrong, but
thing on the whole / was more likely
TO be right than they. My advice to
you. then. is not to try to determine
the details of educational policy to be
pursued and TO deal patiently with
those who are charged with making
improvements.
A short time ago | was in Hampton.
Va. on an occasion not altogether un-
like the present one. Governor Mann.
one Of the educational Governors OF
Virginia. after making an extremely