The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-05-05

IAT6 ARE ready FOR real progress in education in New Mexico.
supported and badly taught schools are about to be solved.
have Il besn r eogvi fn%S ~ I is,,ni my -, ~ NJ nro y ! "e s enaS, wo" ~
the states conniy. school superintendents held yesterday in Santa
Twenty-four Of the states twenty.ninc county school superintendsnts
ssanss AID several leaders in other branches Of the states school
The writer had the pleasure Of listening to the discussions in
this an-day conference. Il was a pleasure and an inspiration. We at.
tended a similar conference some nine years ago Fifteen county
Or bad been chosen for political reasons, rather than for educational
only equaned BY their ignorance of the work Of the schools. There
we're no politicians in the conference yesterday such Of the men and
sssond place 70 their interest in = and IL sntRSaiSsiis loyalty to their
school work. We would like to make il clear that no criticism is in.
tended Of those who engage actively in party politics. We would
be better off Is a people II more Of us took an active partisan interest
a politician or the TOOL Of a politician. and nothing else. The super
msSden.s Of today are trained school men and women first, last and
Thus IN this vitality important matter of county school superin-
tendenee we have made a remarkable progress in New Mexico an ad-
vance that is more than hopeful; that is an absolute guarantee Of
successful, efficient school work in the rural schools of New Merieo,
where thai kind Of educational work IS most needed
The county school superintendent Yesterday discussed the pend.
ing county school budgets, particularly with reference to teaehers'
salaries III worth noting that only a casual reference was made to
the salaries Of the county school snpert7tendents themselves These
salaries m $50 per month and are wholly inadequate both for the
superintendent ne sol : Office &c and 10 attract r. i to the sss office %s in o f"tare elections % ons
the kind Of men and women who should hll the places. 1t takes a
hold competent meD and women in underpaid jobs II is especially
n9's ,Ss sa, ~, ~ sa ~ sp ct 'h.ir ,ssch wsn ~n., sI So assaa stress { 81
were equally positive in insisting that increased efficiency must se.
throughout the state for the opening of the coming school year.
The county sehol snperiniendents Of New Mexico have caught
i is not the interest Of the individual teacher for which we must
look our but The interest and welfare of the individual school and the
individual enid; 7 ses ,at competent teachers are supplied School
competence can be had only by paying salaries that will attract and
hold competent teachers.
The county school supsrtntendents discussed transportation
with the state highway engineer and showed that they knew some
thing Of the Importance o. highway, construction and maintenance
They discussed school sanitation with the state health commissioner
and evidenced not only a willingness but a keen desire to cooperate
actively ip the utmost protection Of the health Of the children under
their care; But the main work Of this meeting was devoted to the
problem Of paying teachers and Of securing teachers. Instances were
given Of isolated rural schools where the teachers round-trip trans
porfation Is more than a months salary. Other instances were re
so small and so croweded with their own that there is no room for
a teachers boarding place, and the teachers are forced to live in the
did their own janitor work, even to the building of winter fires, in
order to supplement the Eeager salaries IL was made very plain
that il is no light talk to secure competent men aud women for such
jobs IS these, paid as inadequately as they have been; that it is no
Light undertaking to find a competent woman to take a district school
eighty miles from the nearest railroad point when she can command
forts and convenience Also il was made plain that il is ii these
very isolated districts, where the people are poor and where local
oushy organized, aggressive school work are most sorey needed.
New Mexico taxpayers have been generous with the public
schools, in that taxation for school purposes has been borne ungrudg
Of The whole state might have been present at this conference yeser
day first, that they might know at first hand the sincerity and earn
est enthusiasm with which the states public school organization is
working and the fine spirit that is moving it to exceptional effort
and second, that they might understand how far we have to 60 N
educational work IN our state and how much we must provide IN
equipment and trained effort before our major problems OF hhteraey
and imperfect child training shall have been overcome This much
mas be said with certainty The money now being spent ON our public
schools is being well spent. Every dollar coming from taxation is
m nnsa MAJ mn ~ ~ ~ ssate dsnartment ~ education and the fine body Il
of men and women who are the county superintendents, are equipped
10 spend it. We are ready and set for real educational progress in
New Mexico and we must provide the means whercwith this pro-
gress can be accomplished. u
As DR.. David Ross Boyd said yesterday in a brief speech to the
I'm the conduct Of the public business Of this aud every state
our schools are an expensive item probably the most expensive item
good schools. But we must never forget that there is one item
Of public concern infinitely more expensive to the taxpayers and the
state than any other That item is ignorance"
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