The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-01-09

discussed should be the largest unit
Of organization, that Of the state.
Oar present constitution places
the administration Of our schools
nominally in the hands of an ex-
oflicio State Board of Education
composed of three members, the
State Superintendent of Public In
struction, the Secretary Of State,
and the Attorney General, but &C
tually the functions OF this board
do not seem TO be important. Mat
tiers are very largely left TO the Su-
perintendent of Public Instruction.
This is but natural, for the other
members of The board are elected to
discharge important duties which
keep them employed. Moreover,
they are not professional school
men, and cannot be expected to have
greater interest in, or be more fully
informed regarding school matters
than the average citizen Of high in
telligence. 1t is, therefore, a non
professional board which quite
properly delegates most of its power
TO its one professional member.
This absence of professional
board is a serious defect in our
system, but not so serious as GER
tain conditions which hamper the
Superintendent. and limit his free
dom and efficiency.
The first of these which should
be mentioned is the political nature
Of the office. The Superintendent
must be elected at general cleo
ton on a party ticket. This de-
mands that he take some part in
two comprehensive primary cam
paign, and the one preceding the
general election. He is thus sub
jected TO annoyance and uncertainty
very Objectionable to many who are
possessed OF high qualifications.
and involved in expense which IS
equivalent TO a material reduction
in the salary as yet much too small,
even since the increase made by re-
cent legislation. The second, and
almost equally serious condition, is
the constitutional provision that he
cannot succeed himself in office, no
matter how efficient he may prove
to be.
To bring out the Objectionable
features of the present system OF
securing a state school superintend-
ent we need only to contrast 1T with
the manner in which city superin-
tendents secure their positions, and
the conditions under which they
work.
Let us take Louisville, as an ex-
ample. The superintendent is
elected by a board of five members
who may seek in any State of our
nation for a man eminently fitted
for the position, employ him for any
length of time they may desire, at
a salary well above that received
by the state superintendent. For
mer Superintendent Holland was
brought from a neighboring state,
and retained his position until he
resigned to accept the presidency
of a western University.
This illustration is more or less
typical Of conditions prevailing in
our larger towns and cities. A
proposition TO elect the school SUI
perintendent of a city by popular
vote, at a general election, on l
party ticket would be, ridiculed by
all interested in the welfare OF
children. Why, then, should the
elective system be followed in Sc
curing the more important head for
a State school system.
The State Superintendent of
schools for Kentucky occupies a
position Of opportunity far above
that OF any city Of 250000 popula-
ton. The superintendent of the
Louisville schools has in his care
fewer than 10000 children instruct
ed by 800 teachers. All are well
housed and conveniently located.
The teachers are well trained, ex-
perienced, and well paid. Under
him is a full corps Of assistants and
supervisors, general and special.
The State Superintendent, on the
other hand, ministers to the needs
Of half a million children. and has
under his supervision almost ten
thousand teachers, scattered from
the Big Sandy TO the Mississippi.
Which man should be the strong
er, the better trained, the more ex-
perienced, possessed OF the broader
vision, freer TO inaugurate and put
into operation fundamental reforms,
more fully supported by thorough
organization, better paid, more GER
tain Of a long continued period Of
service as a reward for faithful eff
forte The 0upsiiOn il answered