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

htUA iulA lIaAhb III Il SUtiAuA EEliOIi uAE-
trict Qike Milford, Dover, Georgetown
or LaureD. 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 to 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-.
eial school districts like Milford or
Dover, or Georgetown or Laurel 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 until July I.
1920 As in the other cases, a school
election viii be held in cach school
district next year under the new INV
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. al
ter the school elections Of juno, 1920.
the people have all the TOlce 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 10
cal schools. If the trustees don't do
as the people wish, they can be voted
out at the elections. If the County
Superintendent gels stubborn and
won't work with the local trustees,
then the people can elect new
Board Of Education who will hire
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-
lem as provided by the new school
law II the people don't Ike 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 special district, every local
school district board Of commission
ers out of Office. And these boards ap-
point the superlntendents, the al
tendance officers. the other school
teachers. and employees. So the peo~
ple 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 who pay
the taxes have all the voice.
The State Board Of Education hires
no teacher anywhere. It does appoint
and hire the State superintendent
The State Board Of Education hasn 3
as much power or voice in the hiring
of teachers as the local board Of trus-
tees In school district. The local
board may recommend or ask Tor a
certain teacher The state Board can
not do that.
The local board in any school dis
trict can positively refuse to accept a
teacher which a county suerintendent
may assign to their district They may
do This without giving any reason.
They may refuse a teacher who is per-
feetiv qualified according to her eX-
animation papers and certificates, sim
nIv because she has red hair or is too
faf or for any reason. The State Board
og Education has no veto on any teach
er's assignment provided she Is quail
fed.
All the state Board docs is to estab
lish certain qualifications which all
teachers must possess before being
riyen a certificate But having passed 1
Tho examinations required by the State
BOARD. having measured up to the quail
iaeations the State Board requires the
teachers employment is wholly in the
ands Of the county and local school
authorities. The State Board can neith-
er veto It, on the one hand, or force 1t
on the other.
But 10 is asserted the county superin-
tendent will force teachers upon conf
munities 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 teacher to their
district, without giving any feason
whatever for their action Of course,
if a county superintendent insisted'I
upon forcing an unpopular or ineom-
petent teacher upon a community, he
might do so. But if he did, the local
people could and would protest to the
County Board Of Education, who
''hire and fire" the county superinten
dent. 1t is not likely any County Board
of Education would long tolerate any
who was playing IA
vorites" among teachers and forcing
to take incompetent |
teachers. Moreover, no county super
intendent with brains and a desire TO
|
will take place for the purpose of
arousing interest in the Bible study |