Milford chronicle., 1920-05-07
ASK FAIR TRIAL FOR
The SCHOOL CODE
STATE PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
REPRESENTATIVES APPEAR BEFORE
THE COMMISSION.
TELL OF MUCH BETTERMENT
ONLY A FEW MINOR CHANGES TO THE
MEASURE RECOMMENDED AT The
HEARING ON MONDAY.

At the session of the Legislative
School Code Revision Commission
held at Dover on Monday representa-
tives of the State Parent Teachers
Association appeared before the COM
mission and made an appeal that the
Code be given a fair trial and that no
drastic changes be made at this time
The delegation included Mrs. John
Cleaver, president Of the association.
of MiddletOwn Mrs H. NJ Waller, of
Delmar; Mrs. George Virgins, Town
send, and Mrs. R. E. Lewis. Dover
The sessions OF the commission to-
day were held in the hall Of the House
of Representatives and was mainly to
hear suggestions for or against the
Code from the county special district
and local boards of education Of Kent
county.
The afternoon session was open to
the general public for general sugges-
tiOns.
Among those in attendance at Mon
days meeting included representatives
of the Parent-Teachers Association
and members of the State Board of Ed
ucation, including George B. Miller,
president; former Speaker J. Harvey
Hall and A. B. Peet; A. r. Spaid State
Commissioner of Education; H. V.
Holloway, Kent county superintend-
ent; r. c. Daily, former State Senator,
and Mr.. Simpler, members of the Kent
County Board of Education; Robert
Jones, Garrett s. Harrington and Rev.
Eggert, members of Harrington, Del,
special school district; Superintend-
ent Nickel of the Caesar Rodney
School District, and ]. G. Brown and
J. " McCOmmons, two of the commits
sioners; Professor TOtten, superin
tendent of Harrington schools. All the
members of the Code Commission were
present.
Mrs. Virgins of Townsend, repre-
senting the Parent-Teachers' AssO-
citation, who was formerly a teacher,
stated that their association was es-
pecially anxious that the compulsory
features of the code be retained. She
said she realized that there were times
when the farmers have to have their
out of school. but that such
could easily be met. She
gave her experience as a teacher that
the boys of Is and 16 would be graded
with girls of IL and 19 because the |
boys had lost much time from schools. /
Small Opposition
Mrs. Waller, of Delmar, found the /
greatest opposition outside of the in /
creased tax rate to be that commits /
sioners of the smaller schools felt .
that something had been taken away
from them, and that much of the op
position to the code was for a proper
lack of the right understanding of it.
70,
luPont, member of the commission,
Is to whether any apparent injustice
lad been done by compelling the chill
iren to go to school when they were
needed on the farm, the reply was
,nly in a few cases.
The question of transportation of
pupils to the consolidated school dis
riots during the winter month was
mother subject under discussion and
me against which much opposition
las developed in Kent county, espe- ;
tally during the past severe winter
When the roads for many weeks were
n an almost impossible condition. I
Professor Nickel of the Caesar ]
rodney School, stated that there were
ew days during the past winter when
he school busses were not able to
name luG u Apo III lLclL A0NdA4Ngs AAC
omitted that there had been com
,laints, but that the farmers realizing
hat condition had assisted by bring
ng the children themselves. Z
Representative Soper, member of {
he commission, said that he had l
eard of a complaint Of children hay- &
ng to walk further in the Caesar Rod
ley School district than in any other \
snk To- 41,, T1VsAfacgnrs Mol
/ expressed the belief that such cases
we're very few. Mr.. Soper also stated {
hat he had heard complaints against {
he transportation plan, to which Pro-
essor Nickel stated that such COM {
laints should have been made either
D the board or himself and such con-
itiOns rectified.
Mr.. McCOmmons. of Wyoming, ex-
ressed the belief that if the farmers I
with the school authori- 5
les there would be little trouble.
.obert Jones, of the Harrington spec 5
Il school district, expressed the be-
EFF that the principal of the schools d
-ho under the Code automatically be- !
anne the secretary of the board, I
lould be relieved of this clerical ?
ork and that it should be delegated
SOulS DlHeI person leaving al tuS -
me available to the supervising prin- y
pal for the supervision of the ?
,hools. g
On the question of abolishing the
,ecial school districts as far as the y
lances are concerned, retaining all
their other features, Mr.. DUPONT h
iked if it would be a disadvantage. M
he reply from Professor Nickel was tc
at he thought it would be a distinct W
Vantage. al
Professor Nickel recommended sew b,
al minor amendments to the Code. cl
Assistant State Commissioner of g,
lucatiOn John Shilling spoke of the in
)rk of the attendance officers, which as
ID also been under some criticism cc
2 gave figures to show that for the w
esent school year of seven months re
E attendance to date was 3S per cent
tier than last year and 20 per cent
tier than in 1918.
State Commissioner of Education
aid read a lengthy report, includ- w
: consolidation, school finances, and 70
Iciency in school today as compar- tn
with years ago. re