The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-06-12
EDUCATORS ARE
FOR SCHOOL Law
Act Placing State Institutions
Under Single Boar Will
improve System

improve oySlt'
Althol, g!, e.. ;~..-a.ens'.:t -
associate: Is s~-steo-:.l -rsuade
the teach 80 to pluck its
political { out of the fire by
fighting Ii. yvurd of administration
law, which places the educational,
charitable and penal institutions Of the
state under a commission of five per-
sons, DR.. e. F. Ladd, president Of the
Agricultural college, Prof. Thomas
Kane, president Of the State Univer-
sity, and Prof. Geo. Wilson Of the ex-
tension division, State University,
already have declared themselves in
favor Of this measure, and leading
educators all over North Dakota are
working for the law because they feel
1t will greatly improve u present
system of educational administration.
The law-Senate Bill 134-which
will be voted on at the coming refer
endum, abolishes the Board Of Re-
gents, the Board Of Education and the
Board Of Control and, in place Of these
conflicting boards, creates a commits
sion of five to have charge Of all state
educational, charitable and penal in
situations. This change is in line
with the whole trend Of educational
progress. 1t has been recommended
for this state and many others by the
Federal Bureau of Education and the
majority of other states. have adopted
similar boards.
Object ls Not Political.
Foes of the NOnpartisan League al
lege that this law was passed to strip
Miss Nelson Of her power. This
charge is absurd, for section nine of
the bill plainly provides that her pres
ent powers shall not be limited.
Moreover, Miss Nelson is made a
member Of the board Of administra'
ton. This actually enlarges her pow.
ers, for she is the first superintendent
of public instruction in the history Of
the state who has had a voice in the
direction Of the Agricultural college,
the State University, and the Normal
schools. Under the new law she also
will share in the control Of the school
for the blind, the school for the feeble
minded, the school for the deaf and
dumb, the industrial school, the insane
asylum and the state penitentiary. In.
stead of being stripped Of her power,
she is given more power than any
other superintendent OF public instruc-
~tionCever had.
Furthermore, the functions Of the
A@A~H ~ 11vo{rf cfr0 ~ m mill hn 10 rro1u
of a business managerial nature. The
actual control Of the educational in
situations is to be under the direction
of an educational commission to con-
sist Of Miss Minnie Nelson as chair
man and one county superintendent,
one city superintendent, n represen-
tative of the normal schools and one
representative of either the state Uni
versity or the Agricultural college.
The members of this educational com
mission-with the exception Of Miss
Nelson, who Is named in the law
itself-win be appointed by the board
of administration.
Increases Miss Nelson's Power.
This educational commission, Of
which Miss Nelson will be chairman,
will really take over the duties form
erly performed by the state board of
education. Miss Nelson was a men,
Der of the state board Of education,
but it had nine members so that she
only had one vote out Of nine. She
will be chairman Of the new board
and have n vote out Of five and in
addition she will have a voice in ap-
pointing the four other members who
serve under her.
The law specifically provides that
this educational commission, Of which
Miss Nelson will be the head, shall
shave charge and supervision Of the
certifcation Of teachers, standardiza-
ton of schools, examinations for
eighth grade and high school pupils,
preparation Of courses Of study for the
several classes of public schools and
such other work as may be assigned 1t
by the board" These are the duties
which the board of education formerly
possessed.
Retains Her Preroqatlves.
Miss Nelson will continue to have
LAC Al6AAI w oPpOAAI LAX UOpuIy oopCA
lntendent Of public instruction, the
assistant superintendent, three clerks,
one high school inspector, three rural
school inspectors, ffty-three conduc-
tors of teachers Institutes, %ifty-three
assistant conductors, ffty-three insti-
tute lecturers and the lecturers for the
teachers training schools. Her ap-
pointive power is not curbed in any
way.
In view Of these facts the charges
that the new Law was designed to cur
tail Miss Nelson's power seems dis
honest and absurd.
AS a matter Of fact, the administra-
tion law is intended to unity the school
system Of the state. At the present
time there is no uniformity in our
school system. There is much dupli.
cation Of effort and waste Of energy,
Backed by Constitution.
Section 148 Of the state constitution
stpulates that the legislature shall
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