Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-05
EDUCATING BOARDS

not fully understand the OBJ
jects of q democratized educa
ton, that they are too busy witt
politics and with details of busines
to pay proper atten
ton to the higher duties of directors
is the indictment of a commit
tee of which DR.. Nathan {
Schaeffer, State superintendent O
Public instruction in Pennsylva
mia, is the. ranking member
The striking report of this com
mittee was the feature of las
weeks conference of educators il
City, gathered there to dis
cuss war work and the revision o
the school system to meet the high
est ideals of the nation following tn
war. Says the committee:
In many localities a fine spirit
of cooperation between the OFF,
cial representative of the people
and the active members of the
teaching profession has always
existed, but there has been as
yet no national movement to or
ganize the lay leadership consti-
tuted by the membership of
Boards of Education the country
over for the purpose of studying
education in a broad way and
for the purpose of cooperating
with the professional forces so
organized.
Attempts to organize associa.
tions of members of Boards of
Education have frequently been
made upon a State basis; in fact,
some dozen or more organiza-
tions of this kind are now in eN-
istence either as sections of the
State associations or as separate
organizations.
The history of these organiza-
tions shows that they have been
short lived; that they have been
animated by no great common,
all pervading purpose, and that
along the lines of detail of school
administration. This committee
does not minimize in the least
the good that has been done by
these organizations, nor does it
fail to recognize them as the be-
may have great possibilities.
But there can be no question
of the seriousness of the crisis
facing the public education sys-
tenn of the country; even the inn
minence of revolution in it's gen.
eral aims and objectives and it's
relation to a permanent victory
for the democracy of this great
standard making nationality of
ours. This crisis-this revolution
is even now upon us and this
committee believes an intelligent
lay leadership of public opinion
can be a potent factor in recon
structing the public school sys-
tom of the country to meet the
great needs that are every day
more and more apparent to the
professional forces engaged in
education.
An organization of Boards of
Education upon a national basis
with such an end in view. ami
mated by such vision of useful
ness and of service, and insti-
tuted as a cooperative parallel
with the reorganized National
Education Association-as pro-
posed by the Committee on Re-
organiZation-could be of i'm
measurable service to the Nation
and to civilization.
Generally speaking, these crit
cisms are fair, although of cours
there are notable exceptions. Bu
if school directors do not measur
up to the ideals of trained educa
tors who give their entire time t
study and practice of the subjec
the fault is not entirely theirs. Th
public has been all too prone to pu
the school director at the bottom @
the election ticket, along with war
constables, precinct assessors an
judges of elections. Too often tn
candidates have been mere pawr
upon the political chessboar,
Not infrequently they have been til
creatures of school furniture @
textbook representatives. More frC
quently they have been just plai
office seekers, intent upon maxim
the school board a stepping stone t
something higher. OCCASIONAL
there is a director who is we'll quail
fed to serve and is doing so for pur
love of the school system. Harri.
burg has had such and it also hs
had the other kind. And for thes
latter the voters and the taxpayer
have themselves solely to blame.
II the public were as much inter
ested in the election of high-tyr
men to the school board as it is /
seeing men Of big caliber chosen
superintendents, supervisors an
teachers, there would be no sue
criticism as this special committt
has offered.
In the long run. public office az
ministration is just as good. an
never any better. than the public |