El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-11-29

tenn IL ID possible TOT every memDer
of a board to be retired before he has
really mastered the questions with
which he must deal. These members
should be appointed, or better, elect
ed n at a time, for a period OF five
or ten years and 1t should be the pol
icy of the state to continue in office
efficient members regardless of po-
litical utilization. Three times the
writer has faced, on the most critical
day of the year, a new board made up
of persons who had served In
that capacity with one exception and
that gentleman had not served dur
ing a period Of seven years.. In this
meeting Of the board 1t was neces.
sary to make all plans for the next
year and to employ the faculty. l
have made my recommendations to
the board, both as to policy and as to
faculty, and they have said to me we
are not in a position to- really know
what is the thing to do, and we must
trust to your judgment for the pres
emit The board under which / now
serve said to me at its first meeting,
Carry out the plans and policies OF
the old board until we have time to
know the situation and judge for our
selves You can see that have no
complaint concerning the board UNI
der which I serve. yet it would have
been more helpful to me IL three or
four of the board had been old men,
ters, knowing the policies of the past
and the reasons for the same,
THE Normal anniversary began its
career in 1898. In ten years it haa
to its credit five presidents. The
Ohio university elected its first pres
dent in 1904, and in the century and
thirteen years since it was founded,
it has had eight presidents. Its
J regents are appointed by the COVER
nor and serve for life. One must be
trained to be a regent as one must be
trained to perform any other import
ant function.
A Vital Error
"This brings me to a vital error
in the present law for the election of
school boards and directors. AS the
law nov stands, these men take their
office just as the work of the year is
being cleared and the old board Ia
not permitted to remain in office to
complete its work and it does no.
know whether it has authority to
make plans for the future or not.
Il would suggest that the state SUI
perintendent, county superintendent
and all boards of state institutions
and of school districts, and all other
educational officers be elected in the
fall of off years and take their posi-
tions early in the fiscal year. There
would be less lack of harmony, fewer
attacks upon teachers, and the new
members of the board would have suf-
ficient time to investigate thoroughly
the needs of the schools before they
would be required to act.
Gan election in the fall would cost
the state nothing additional since it
would eliminate the election in the
spring.
"Of course, I have had in mind in
all these suggestions that we must
keep the schools as far away from
politics as possible.
For the last seven years or more
the cry has been to the teacher, Pre-
pare yourselves for, a better certifl-
cate, for we will eliminate all third
grade teachers from our counties as
soon as possible This cry has been
a most helpful one to the school in
terests of the state.
while we are improving the quail
ity and the character of the teacher,
we should also bear in mind that we
must improve the opportunities and
surroundings of the teacher. Better
salaries, better living conditions, ana
wider opportunities must be offered
to the teachers, if we expect to con-
tinue this improvement.
Zone of the greatest needs Of the
schools, not only Of New Mexico but
of the United States, is a longer and
more certain tenure Of the school
teacher, Our great manufacturing
plants have determined the cost Of
employing and discharging a man and
as a result of these Investigations, or
ders have been issued to those Ia
charge of employing men to be more
careful in their selection of employees
and to retain them if possible for a
longer period. 1t is infinitely more
important that the teacher be chosen
with strict care and with a view to- a
longer term of employment than at
present. The teacher should be em-
ployed for n year, and If re-employ-
ed, for a period Of two years, and
thereafter employment should depend
upon the maintenance and fidelity to
duty.
ut has been shown beyond the
chance of discussion that an educated
community is a better community for
the railroads, for the coal dealers,
the manufacturers and all other bust
ness interests. To increase the edu-
cation of a state is to increase its
economic resources, and when the
educational quality of the residents
of New Mexico is everywhere equal
IN Tint ~ ;fc biohoct opd hoof tho