Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-12-03

There are several reasons, SO far as
the county superintendent is concern
ed, why the rural schools are the lag
CARDS in our educational system.
First: A political instead of an edu-
cational basis has been fastened upon
the schools in the selection of a county
superintendent. In this state choice
of a superintendent of the county
schools is confined exclusively to local
candidates. Moreover, two states out
of forty-eight apply the principles of
rotation in office" to the position of
county superintendent of schools =
Washington is one of the two. In this
state a county superintendent who has
served two terms is ineligible for
reelection, regardless of competency
and efficiency, until the Office is
rotated about and someone else has
had chance.
There are no better reasons for
selecting the county superintendent
of schools by direct vote of the
people than for selecting the city
superintendent in the same way, but
practically every city and town in the
United States long ago abandoned the
plan of selecting the superintendent
of their schools at the polls after
political canvass. Today school super
intendents in town and cities are
selected by small board of directors
without reference to their residence
and upon merit alone.
The opinion is widespread that the
present method Of selecting the county
superintendent of schools is radically
wrong and should be changed. At
present, over ten thousand teaching
and supervisory positions in this state
are filed by boards of directors elected
by the people; that Is, on the principe
of representative government 1t is
only when we come to selecting the
superintendent of the rural schools
that this principle is violated.
Second: The county superintendent,
under the present law, has no power
which enables him effectively to su
perintend the schools of his county.
His duties are largely neutralized by
the power of the directors of the local
districts into which the county IS
divided. His most important func-
tons are advisory in character With
his numerous clerical duties he cam
not efficiently supervise the schools
in his county. Such supervision con.
sists principally in visiting, once each
year. the schools under his direction
and In meeting his teachers, once
each year, in a county institute. In
the average county 1t would be a
physical impossibility for the county
superintendent to efficiently super
wise the schools Money spent for
such irregular, perfunctory and spas
modic supervision is the grossest ex.
travagance and accomplishes little
worthwhile.
Third: The salary and tenure of
cfiice are. not such as to attract the
degree OF ability which the rural
schools, above all others so greatly
need.
The commission believes that
under the present system the country
children are not getting a square
deal. 1t believes that one OF the things
the schools most need is a profession
of county superintendence divorced
from partisan politics. After thirty
one years under our present system
there is no profession of county super
intendence in this state and no
promise of such profession. The
position is of such Importance that
a longer tenure, reasonable salary,
adequate assistance and opportunity
for promotion are imperative.
The State Department Of Education.
In the State Of Washington there
are two centralized state agencies
by means of which the public school
system is administered. These are
the State Board of Education ana
the State Superintendent Of Public
Instruction.
q. The State Board Of Education.
The law provides that the State
Board of Education "shall consist of
the State Superintendent of Public
instruction. the President of the Uni
versiy of Washington, the President
of the State College of Washington,
the principal of one OF the state nor
NAL schools elected by the principals
of the state normal schools. and three
persons holding life diplomas issued
under the authority of this state and
actively engaged in educational work.
appointed by the Governor, one OF
whom shall be a superintendent OF
district of the first class, one q
county superintendent of schools, one
principal of fully accredited four
year high school," The superinten-
dent OF Public Instruction is ex-officio
Dcocfdopf ~ tho POord