Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-14

CHAIRMAN REPLIES
TO SUPERINTENDENT
Continued on Page Four

lished order Of education as II no"
exists. The present school code IS
simply the old territorial school laws
changed and amended from time 10
time. Undoubtedly the plan served
a good purpose during territorial
days, and probably represented til"
best that could be provided for our
early statehood. But so many
changes have taken place in 20 years
so many new conditions have present.
ed themselves that the traditional
educational machinery Of the state IS
quite as much out Of date as are our
cher provisions of government which
have long since been discarded.
The present district plan is in
herently weak because Of the unfair
basis provided for distributing the
state school funds, because Of the IN
equal tax burdens on the various dis,
tricts within the several counties, and
because Of the resulting inequalities
in the equipment Of the different
schools. Education becomes costly
because the administration has not
worked out the most harmonious way
of governing the schools on an equit-
able basis. In some places money is
wantonly wasted; in other places the
bare necessities cannot be provided.
The code commission is not asking
for more money, but it is asking for
a different plan of raising the money
so that the tax will fall equitably
upon all the taxable wealth. 1t has
proposed that the money raised shall
be distributed in a manner to pro.
vide equal educational facilities and
advantages for all the children.
The plan proposed for the admin
istration of the county unit is opposed
by the state superintendent on the
ground that 1t strikes at the very
heart Of our democratic government.
The truth is that this is the most COM
mon plan where educational efficiency
is sought The city long ago aban-
doned the ward school plan under
which separate school board was
elected in each ward of the city, be-
cause under it there existed, as in our
counties today, glazing inequalities
Of taxation and educational opportun-
ity. Every city school throughout
the country is now governed by a
central board OF education elected by
the people of the entire city upon a
uniform basis Of taxation--a plan
which has increased many fold the
efficiency of city school administra.
ton and supervision.
~ A similar. plan of supervision and
administration is now proposed for a
county district in order that the
money raised on an equal tax basis
may be distributed and adm 'nistered
equally for all the children living
in rural communities. Rural educa-
ton as It is now represented by the
multiplied district system offers all
kinds OF inequalities, and provides
no means OF careful and thoughtful
superyisiop for the children OF the
widely scattered districts. The Com
missions plan makes 1t mandatory
that these schools be as carefully
supervised and as carefully directed,
that they have as we'll qualified teach
ers, and that all in all they offer
educational opportunity equal to that
given to the children in the city.
II the wealth on the farm must con-
tribute its portion of school revenue
for free education, then the children
on the. farm ought not to be denied
the educational opportunity now at
forded city children. /
The. district control of our schools
will remain with the people because
the County Board of Directors will
be elected directly by the people.
With the enlarged school facilities
and improved administration which
are sure to obtain under the plan
proposed by the Commission the
people will surely take renewed in
terest In this scheme of education (
which offers square deal to every .
child regardless of where it may live.
The question may well be asked
whether or not the very heart of
democracy" does not, and should not
demand that simple justice be given
to child education regardless OF
theory or tradition. The truth is
that many communities in the state
are absolutely unable under our pres
ent plan to provide for the actual
educational needs Of the children,
and such conditions ought not to be
tolerated in state like Washington,
which lays claim to high educational
rank among the states of the union,
The plan of a single board of direc-
tors for city, no matter how large
the city, has been recognized as the
most flexible and efficient, and has
never been attacked as undemocratir.