The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-10-22
PROPOSED LAW
KEEPS SCHOOLS
FROM POLITICS
Restores Power to Officer Elect
ed by the People on Non
Political Ballot
NELSON'S CA S E
Editdl's Note-This is the
fourth Of a series Of articles deal
ing with the five initiated laws
TO be voted on Nov. ,. ...

Shall education in North Dakota be
supervised by the elected, constitu-
tional officer, or by appointed Off
GERS?
This is the question before the vo'-
ers in the initiated measure dealing
with the superintendent of public in
struction.
Or it might be stated: Shall the
schools be in or out of politics?
The people of North Dakota, and
most states in the union, elect thei,
superintendent of public instruction.
1t is made an elective office by mos:
state constitutions. Through elect
ing this official the people themselves
maintain guiding hand on /educl
ton.
North Dakota not only provides
that this official shall be elected. but
shall be elected on nonpolitical bal
lot. And if the power of the state
superintendent is assumed by per-
sons appointed by officials elected ON
straight political issues the schools
necessarily are dragged into poll
tics. E
The initiated measure, designed TO
give the superintendent Of public in
struction the power the constitution
intends the superintendent shall
have. This measure, with the nonpo-
litical ballot election, would do much
to keep the schools out Of politics
What Law Provides.
The measure prOvides:
Section 1109 (rescribe courses
of study. He shall have charge
and supervision of the certifica-
ton of teachers standardization
of schools and uniformity of text
books, examinations for eighth
grade and high school pupils and
preparation OF courses of study
for the several classes of public
schools.
Section 2. All acts and parts
of acts inconsistent herewith are
hereby repealed.
The motive which prompted the in
itiation of this measure was the be-
lief that the powers Gtaken from Miss
Minnie Nelson, state superintendent,
should be restored. But, as outlined
above, it has a larger application.
The announcement of the Joint CAM
paign committee Z asking people to
vote Eyes, on this measure, fol-
lows: ... .
Committee Statement. ..
Carloads of public records have
been taken out of the superintend".
ent of public Instructions office. Tie
certification of teachers work, that
used to be performed under the Sill
pervisiOn of and in the office Of Sill
perintendent of public instruction Is
now being done independent of that
office in a spare room in the Bank OF
North Dakota. Teachers certificates
are signed with a rubber stamp sig
nature OF one Mr.. E. P. Grain who is
clerk of the motor vehicle register
office, and under the supervision Of
N G.. Macdonald part Of the time AMI
Mrs. Macdonald part of the time. This
law proposes to separate the educa-
tional work, including supervision o.
the certification of teachers, stand
ardization Of schools and uniformity
of text books from the management
of state penitentiary and the asylums
for the blind, deaf, dumb and insane,
and all purely commercial affairs OF
the state. Supervision of the stand
ardization of the schools doesn't mean
that the superintendent Of public in
struction let's contracts for school
houses or buys fuel or hires teachers,
neither does the supervision Of uni.
fOrmity of text books mean selection
or purchase of text books and othe:'
supplies. 1t simply means that the
superintendent of public instruction
shall furnish to all school officers in
formation regarding, text books, aud
in what units, school, district or town
ship uniformity is recommended by
he educators in charge.
This the department of public in
struction has always done. It is safe
to say that the legislature would not
have been asked to indulge in the
work of tearing to pieces the duties
and powers of that office if N. c. Mac
donald had been reelected for super
intendent of public instruction. The
motion of John N. Hagan, commission
er of agriculture and labor, who is a
member of the board of administra-
ton authorizing the educational COM
(Con.inued on Page Three)