Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-06-11
Albert 8. Cook Heads State School
System.

Maryland has new State Superinten
dent Of Education. The State Board, at {
meeting held on Friday night Of last week
elected Albert S. Cook. Superintendent O.
Schools of Baltimore county. to the place
to succeed DR.. M. Bates Stephens. of Caro-
line county. who had held the place fol
more than 20 years.
The election Of new State Superinten-
dent Of Schools had been anticipated ever
since Governor Richie forced members Of
the old State Board Of Education to re-
scind action in re-electing DR.. Stephens on
the eve Of the reorganization of the board
and few days prior to the going out Of
Office Of one Of them. Although the chances
were against him. DR.. Stephens made a
desperate fight to be retained in the Office
he had held so long, and his friends rallied
to his support in large numbers.
It was the opinion of the board men,
bers, however. that the interests Of the
schools would best be served by new
deal all around and with a new superin-
tendent at the head of the States school
system.
Mr. Cook. the new superintendent, has
been superintendent Of schools of Balti-
more county for 20 years. and at the time
DR.. James H. Van Sickle was retired
from the superintendency Of the schools
Of Baltimore. Mr.. Cook was mentioned
prominently as DR.. Van Sickle's successor.
Mr.. Cook is AZ years old. He was born
In Franklin county. Pennsylvania. and
after going through the public schools Of
his township was graduated from the State
Normal School at Shippensbure. After
teaching for while in the schools of
Franklin county he spent year at Gettys-
burg College and then entered Princeton
University, from which he was graduated
IN 1895. Later he spent four summers in
the study Of pedagogy at the Teachers
College at Columbia University. In 1905
Princeton conferred on him the degree Of
master Of arts for special work which he
nad done at columbia.
In statement made after his election
as State Superintendent Of Schools Mr..
Cook said:
| considered the position seriously only
after committee of the board asked me
to confer with them and assured me that
DR.. Stephens would not be retained and
that salary commensurate with the re-
sponsibility involved would be available.
| shall give all my time and energy to
the position to which have been ap-
pointed.
! shall consider every county superinten-
dent and supervisor member Of the off,
cial staff and as such shall confer with them
on every important educational policy be-
fore lts Inauguration. Corporation foI
professional growth and advancement has
been made the basic principle Of our work
In Baltimore county. 1t is the only prin-
ciple upon which successful educational
administration can be based
Practically all of the teachers and super
visors and many OF the superintendent
were receiving barely a living salary In
1914; statistics show that unless teachers
have received an increase of 100 per cent
since then (and very few of them have)
they are less well off now than they wert
at that time. The problem of trainet
teachers and trained educational leader
ship is now. as it always has been. largely
a problem Of adequate compensation. Il
is the most important single problem in
the educational program Of every COM
munity in the United States at the present
time.
shall give up with great reluctance my
close personal touch with the fine group
Of men who are members Of the Baltimore
County Board Of Education and with the
splendid group of professional men and
women in the Baltimore county system.
with many Of whom have worked during
the last twenty years but shall retain
my residence in Baltimore county.