The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-01-18
THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
In the editorial which appears be-
low, The Lewiston Tribune expresses
a fair and unbiased opinion as to the
merits of the work of the state board
of education, through which Idaho's
educational system has been linked
together and made to form unit, in
stead of the various branches work
ing at cross purposes, as was the
case prior to the creation of the
state board. The Tribune also ex-
presses its appreciation of the great
ability of DR.. Bryan as head of the
board
The editorial follows:
DR.. E. A. Bryan, state commission
er of education, recently addressed
an Idaho teachers meeting on the
subject of the state board of educa-
ton, and this system having been in
effect for the past eight years he con-
sidered it was time some judgment
were being passed on it's operations,
as to whether successful or not. AT
the outset, he says, the system was
looked upon as an experiment and
very interesting one. 1t is not yet
beyond the experimental stage, Dr.
Bryan considers, yet it has been a
very successful one, and continues:
II do not believe there is state in
the union where unnecessary dupli-
cation has been so largely eliminated
as it has been in this state and this,
of course, means economy, that not
being the chief end, but it also spells
greater efficiency"
DR.. Bryan, who was not resident
of Idaho at the time the change was
made, reports only from hearsay as
to the reasons underlying the prOpo-
sitiOn, but he understands that back
of it was the very important conclu-
sion that in some way the different
parts of the educational system
should be linked up together SO that
it might from unity. The educa
tional system had simply grown up
prior to that time, without coordina-
ton of continuity, each branch, COM
mon schools, high schools, colleges,
normals and benevolent institutions,
going their own gait, competing and
conflicting with each other and not
working to a common end. Under
the Idaho system, which is the pio-
these different interests come under
one control and are now so organized
that they fit in with each other and
each is kept within a distinct field.
AS a matter of fact the orientation
of this Idaho policy is rather obscure
and necessarily SO, because the state
is SO cut up and separated by phys
ical and transportation conditions |
that, while there is certain state
consciousness, there can scarcely be
said to be state sentiment or a state
ton save as such question finds
itself reduced to statute. In this case
controversies before recurring legis
atures and competitions over the
of the various institu-
.ional boards probably had more to
10 with it than any concrete or def
lite views concerning the educational
and policy. In Idaho
here are no hold-over legislative
erms, and few reflections to that Of
ice. The committees consist in the
main, of new and inexperienced men,
before whom educational problems
md controversies came as original
natter, to be fought over every two
vears with the same intensity and
as if the subject had never
,een heard of before Each institu-
ion had to make it's individual fight
or appropriations and even for sur
ival, and none could know what its
respects were. The education board
5 now given the responsibility of at
ending to these matters itself, and
yere contested in the legislature al
1ost as seriously as under the dis
arded system, it has since come to
AIRY an authority that enables it to Il
xercise the function it was intended
} have. This change is altogether for
Re better, and is not only gratifying
} those who want to see the state in \
titutions made strong and proper, but K
institutes testimonial to the intelli- II
snce and fidelity with which this i
ust has been administered. Il
Sometimes the Idaho system has L
cen spoken Of as centralized" says *
r. Bryan. "As a matter of fact it is K
1T; it is one of coordination; Of CO. X
)eration, of unification. The func- If
ons which were prior to the adop- Il
IN of this system charged to public E
hoo1 trustees in the various districts IL