Arizona republican., 1921-01-15
School Legislation

Instead of a complete remodeling of educa- tonal in several bills have been intro ducsd. and understand others will be brought in tho removal of such defects exist and for the making of such improvements experience has shown we need These measures the products of careful thought and experiment elsewhere.
 One of the bills proposed constitutional amend ment, makes the office of superintendent of public instruction appontve instead elective office Deferring to the good Judgment of the people may it is certain that the voter is incapable of passing upon the qualifications Of candidates for this office the qualification which puts him is that of a getter and that of trained edu- cator.
 The bill which centralizes the fiscal control of the public schools is also good one. There has been strong sentiment in favor of the county unit plan but there is naturally yet much prejudice against 1t so that probably there will be inter ference with any of the powers of trustees except that one which many of them exercise of buying, right and left supplies and appliances of which they know little nothing. paying such prices persua sve agents are able extort and loading up their school houses with junk of which can be made.
 But the longest advance yet proposed Is that of the Boehrnger bill introduced on Thursday provid- ing for the support of the public schools both grade and high schools mainly from a state fund. Some progress in that direction made by the Third and Fourth legislatures against the opposition of the counties which had great taxable wealth and parativciy few school children.
 They argued that each county should stand its bottom. That precisely the same argu- in principle that was made against the public school system when it first prOposed-that the rich man should not be called upon to educate the cEldren of the poor. looked like confiscation. t not perceived by the objectors that in- equality Of educational opportunities would leave an ignorant class which would be bad thing for all the people. rich and poor.
 Thus communities under the first crude public school system each responsible for giving an educational opportunity the rich and poor within itself. But there were rich communities and poor communities; progressive communities and backward communities They independent of one another and result the public school system produced a spotted effect.
 In the evolution of the system. the county became not the unit but the whole system-each county for itself Then the counties became loosely knitted to- gether though responsible for its own financial support of its schools that in counties there were good schools and in others, bad ones. accord ing to what each could would spend in the cause of education.
 Now, we are preparing to do what all forward looking states done-to connect our counties
 closely together in school management and also make them jonitly financially responsible for tho support of one another. Until that has been ac- complshed can have model state school system
 Two and four years the objection state school funds came from the large mining counties great taxable wealth and comparatively few schoo children. The state fund was favored by the agri cultural counties densey populated and having . only moderate taxable wealth.
 Conditions this year and those for will b reversed as to taxable wealth. The burden will res Q on the agricultural counties. But knowing as the do the importance good schools only for them selves but for the whole state they will not shrin from it.