White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-02-25
STATE SCHOOL REPORT
ENL|VENEO BY WHITLEY

SlHnmenI u COpltS VI tire VI TIC ~
| ennial report of State School Super
intendent w. j.. Hunting. bound In
pamphlet form and containing 100
pages. In the broad subject of state
education. which is exhaustiyely
treated. many topics are discussed In
detail. Among these are the in
creased cost of education, the work
of the state textbook commission,
care Of the deaf, dumb and feeble
minded, evening schools. vocational
education, i%lliteracy, normal training,
consolidation OF schools and several
other matters.
These are Introductory to the re-
ports of the deputy superintendent.
That of this district, composed of
Lander, Eureka and White Pine
counties. is over the signature of
George A. Whiteley, who resigned to
enter the state assembly, Mr.. Smith
succeeding him. For convenience the
districts of Battle Mountain and Hill
Top, in Lander county, and Palisade
and Pine Mountain, in Eureka
ty, have beer set over into the first
district, and those of Currant. Little
Cherry Creek. Duckwater, Gardner,
Riordan and %Sunnyside. in Nye com
ty. have been added to this district.
Mr.. Whiteley regrets that the
country schools have not the funds to
erect better buildings. some of which
he says are unfit for use. Despite
the shortage of teachers he tells of
a better grade of teachers being I'M
ployed in the district. which he at
tributes to the trustees being willing
to pay such salaries as their funds
will allow. But he says a bad feat
ure Is that few teachers remain in
the same district for a second year,
some leaving because of impossible
living conditions. others because of
failures to receive increase of sal
aries, some at the request of the
trustees and others to get married.
They average better than in most
districts of this and other states at
that, he holds.
He declares the high schools to be
well organized. with prescribed
courses of stady. Here he finds a
serious problem. II is that OF 1t
being necessary for pupils who are
ready to be transferred to have to
remain in their schools longer than
they should, merely to hold the re-
quisite number of pupils to enable
the schools to receive their appor-
tionments. Other pupils cannot or
will not he able to attend the county
high schools. They are entitled Ia
receive advancement beyond The
eighth grade, in Mr.. Whiteley's opin-
ion, and 1t is an injustice to deny
IT to them. He says teachers having
some university training are per-
mitted to teach these high school
subjects as a makeshift, which Is the
best plan in view but clearly inef-
ficient.
He criticises the poor library 3ys-
TEN for the public schools, saying
selections of books are faulty. trus-
tee being bullied into buying them,
and laments the utter lack of shelv-
ing and other facilities for preserv-
ing the books. They are frequently
stacked in a corner of a schoolroom,
in the dust and consigned to early
ruin, he says. He regrets the lack
of interest in the election of trus-
tees, saying that 90 per cent of them
had to be appointed by the deputy
superintendent. He urges some
method of removing recaIcitrant, alb
sent and lax trustees. The deputy
should have arbitrary power to re-
move trustees of his own appoint
'ment. declares Mr.. Whiteley.
Visitation of schools in compIi-
ance with law, he says, was impossi-
bic in his term. These require twice
a year visits. He recommends rear
~rangement Of boundaries and ap-
pointment of another deputy TO help
out. The changes of boundaries
mentioned are temporary but have
been a great help. Visits are abso-
lutely necessary to crfticise the
schools. especially those without SUI
peryising principals, he asserts. The
vast extent OF his territory, coupled
with other causes. is exacting an in
creasing tax on the deputy's time,
which Mr.. Whitley thinks is pressed
to the limit.
In dealing with trustees he says
deputies should have real authority,
in the absence of which he must run
a BLUFF, with danger at any time of
the bluff being called, which would
expose his weakness and lessen his
influence.
He recommends that deputies he
made purchasing agents for their
districts. a reform OF the present in
discriminate payment of school bills
that deputies salaries be increased
to $4,000 a year: that the state be