Evening journal., 1921-02-23

partisan board No other method Of
selection Is rational n this officer is
20 be responsible TO the board. The
term OF efilee should have no refer
ence 90 the change Of officers con
nected with tho partisan government
or the State. II should be indefinite
or for a period OF years, long enough
to make possible the consistent de-
velepment OF administrative policies.
The Commissioner of Education
should be the executive officer Of the
State board OF education and under
its general control and should have
charge OF the entire public school
system OF the State, and should be
given such freedom OF action az IL
necessary for executive efficiency.
Under any right conception OF the
duties and responsibilities OF the Of
floe OF State Commissioner OF Educa-
tion, Il must be regarded as the most
important educational office in the
State. requiring knowledge and Rbil-
ity OF tho highest order, Its require
ments and compensationH should be
ia keeping with this conception, 10
In only reasonable that the salary OF
the CommiEHloner OF education
should be as large, or larger, than
that OF any other officer OF education
In the state. city or county superin-
tendonts OF school, tho presidents OF
normal schools. colleges or universi-
tics.
=. A competent stan OF expert
deputies, assistants and clerks, ap-
pointed By tho state board OF educa-
tion upon tho recommendation OF
tho Commissioner OF Education. The
size and organization OF this stan
will. Of course. vary from State 20
state. There should, however, In all
States be separate and well-organ-
lzed divisions for all tho more i'm
portant phases OF tho educational
work OF the State, and for such ad-
ministrativo tasks as the collection
and preparation OF statistics and the
promotion OF general educational in
! tercsts. The organization Of the de-
partment OF education OF the state
! OF Alabama. which follows closely
recommendation made by the United
states OF Education. illustrates fairly
well what IS needed for states of
average size. In Pennsylvania, New
York and Massachusetts, the depart
ments OF education approach the
ideal FOR the larger states.
More important than the size OF
the staff Is the character OF its per
sonnel. The heads Of the several d.
visions OF this stan and their prin-
clpal assistants should be men and
women OF the highest and best abil'
itty. To a very large extent, the et-
ficiency Of the department and th'
character OF all the educational worh
OF the state will depend upon this
character OF these men and women
Like the Commissioner OF Education
thew should be chosen from th'
country At large, and only for theil
fitness for the work 70 be done. sal
aries and conditions OF servic'
should be such as 10 enable tn
hoard Of education 20 obtain an'
! hold In these positions the service
, OF the most competent men and wo
men. False economy here cannot fai
} I 10 have its evil effect throughout IN
b. entire school system, and the eftec
) NAV be disastrous. Even for the SAX
OF economy in the department itseli
4 ! IL is important that responsible head
= OF divisions should be able to direc
effectively the activities OF the cler
s ical assistants. The principles geneI
e ally recognized In business, whio
d demand efficiency in responsible p'
= sitions at any reasonable cost, ratn'
$ than a practice too often found
D government Offices which sacritc'
S efficiency TO cheapness, should be oh
{ served. The value Of the retur
o. from the expenditure OF millions q
s dollars OF public funds for education
r OF the other millions which parent
70 and guardians expend privately tha
r the children may attend school, an
y OF all the time and energy Of chi
e dren. teachers and local school OF
- ficers. depends upon the support an
s efficiency OF the department OF edu
a cation. Cheap policies and bad busi
= ness principles should not be tol
z Grated.
= Responsible officers in the stat
n department OF education are, q
} should be. the guides and leaders {
p the people in all matters pertainin
e to education upon which, in den
a ocracy like ours, all else waits. II
10 neither safe nor good that the lead
10 ers be weak or blind. Where theT
!. is no vision. the people perish whei
e there Is weakness in place
n strength. there can be only stagn;
ton and death. where there shoul
T. be progress and life.