Evening journal., 1919-10-08
PEOPLE CHOOSE
SCHOOL BOARDS
UNDER new LAW
Continued from First Page.

lluu can fcslue ln special ScilO0l 0lS-
trict like Milford, Dover, Georgetown
or LAUREL. He must live in the county
but outside these special districts This
/ virtually insures the rural sections the
control Of the county Boards Of Edu-
cation. All qualified male voters and
all women who have paid taxes at any
time during the year previous 10 the
election, are entitled TO vote at these
county elections provided they. too
live outside the special districts. This
is another guarantee that the county
people Will have full voice in their
school affairs, that they will have the
dominating influence in the selection
/ Of their County Board of Education
which runs their schools.
The Boards Of Education Of the spe-
cial school districts like Milford or
/ Dover, or Georgetown or LauteD are
/ filled by the governor temporarily
until July /. 1920. But on the third
Saturday of next June, all the qualified
voters and women taxpayers Of each
special school district hold an election
and select their own special school
board. All candidates must be residents
OF the special school district.
The Board of School Trustees Of
each school district are appointed
temporarily by the county superin-
tendent, acting for the County Board Of
Education. But like the county boards
and the special distrist boards. these
appointments last only untn July I,
1920. As in the other cases, a school
election will be held in cach school
district next year under the new law
and at this election the qualified
voters Of each school district will
elect their local school trustees or
commissioners.
Under the new school law, then. az
ter the school elections Of June, 1870,
the people have all the vplce n their
local school affairs. The people in the
country districts will vote for two
school bOards-for their local district
trustees or commissioners and for their
County Board Of Education Their
County Board of Education appoints
the County superintendent. The County
Superintendent and the local board Of
trustees or commissioners run the To-
cal schools. If the trustees don't do
as the people wish, they can be voted
out at the elections. II the County
Superintendent gets stubborn and
won't work with the local trustees,
then the people can elect new
Board Of Education who will hire a
new superintendent.
There isn't a system Of government
anywhere in the United States that is
more democratic. that gives the people
more voice or is more responsible TO
the people than the new school sys-
TEN as provided by the new school
law II the people don't like the way
their schols are being run by the
school officials they have. the power
and the right TO vote every county
board OF education, every board Of ed
ucation in a special district, every local
school district board Of commission
ers out of office. And these boards ap-
point the superintendents, the at
tendance officers. the other school
teachers. and employees. So the peo-I
pie Of Delaware, under The new law
can say and will say what officials they
will have and what school employees
they will have. The people VINO pay
The taxes have all the voice.
The State Board Of Education hires
no teacher anywhere. II does appoint
and hire the state superintendent.
The State Board of Education hasn't
as much power or voice in the hiring
of teachers as the local board of trus-
tees. in a school district. The local
board may recommend or ask for a
certain teacher. The State Board can
not do that.
The local board in any school dis
tr!ct can positively refuse to accept "a
L. n
NAV assign TO their district They may
do this without giving any reason
They may refuse a teacher who is per-
fectly qualified according to her eX-
animation papers and certificates, sim !
ply because she has red hair or is too
fat or for any reason. The State Board |
Of Education has no veto on any teach- |
er's assignment provided she is quail |
fed.
All the State Board does is 20 estab- |
lish certain qualifications which all |
teachers must possess before being |
given a certificate. But having passed /
the examinations required by the State |
Board, having measured up TO the quail
lflcations the State Board requires the Il
teachers employment is wholly in the
ands Of the county and local school
The State Board can neith-
er veto it, on the one hand, or forco it
on the other.
But iBi asserted the county superin-
tendent VIII force teachers upon COM
whom the people don't want,
teachers who are not qualified, who
are employed because Of a pull" As
set forth above, every local board Of
trustees has a right TO refuse the orig
inal assignment Of o teacher to their
district, without giving any reason
whatever for their action OF course.
If a county superintendent insisted
upon forcing an unpopular or incom-
petent teacher upon community, he
might do so. But II he did. the local
people could and would protest to the
County Board Of Education, who
hire and fire" the county superlnten-
lent Il is not likely any County Board
1f Education would long tolerate any
who was playing IA
vorites" among teachers and forcing
TO take incompetent
teachers. Moreover, no county super
ntendent with brains and a desire to
viii take place for the purpose Of
,rousing interest i'm the Bible study