The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-06
TEACHERS URGE
EXTRA SESSION
OF LEGISLATURE
Association Refuses To
IndOrse Enlarged Board
Of Education
DIR. SHACKLEFORD
NAMED PRESIDENT
DIR. Glenn Endorsed As
Head Of National
Organization
STATE CAPITAL nUREAw,


MONTGOMERY, Ala, April Co.
Election of officers, adoption of res
olution requesting the governor to call
special session of the legislature, in
dorsement of the Boy Scout work, ~
fusal to indorse the act Of the 1928 leg
islature creating the present state board
Of education, were features Of the clos
ing session Of the Alabama Education
association convention today.
DIR. e. NJ. Shackleford president Of
Troy Normal, was chosen president:
J. NJ. Burnett, Tuscaloosa, first vice
president; Miss Alice Boyd, Monteval-
10, second vice president; r. v. ALI
good, Birmingham, third vice president,
and members of the executive commit
tee for the term commencing 1924:
e. p. Murphy, Gadsden, and +. L.
Grove, Mobile.
The request for an extra session was
presented in the report of the resolu-
lions committee, submitted by DR..
Spright Dowell of Auburn.
Governor W. w. Brandon was asked
to call the special session as early as
practicable, in order to provide for
schools, owing to the failure Of the 1928
care of the normal growth Of educa-
ton in Alabama. No enthusiasm was
manifested over the resolution, and in
formal discussion with. several educa-
tors Of the convention floor revealed
that early action to relieve the situa-
ton is not regarded as likely.
c. b. Glenn Endorsed
The convention, on motion of A. IT.
Hartman. county superintendent Of edu-
cation of Montgomery county, voted 20
authorize and request delegates to the
National Educational association to pre-
sent the name of G. B. Glenn of Bir-
mingham before the N. e. A. for pres
ident of that organization.
The drive being waged to raise funds
for Alabama college (Montevallo) was
Endorsed, and the convention went on
record also as indorsing Boy Scout
work. and participation by educators
in scout work. The providing of funds
necessary to enable a state music su-
pervisor to be appointed was also in
dorsed. ~
The association very plainly express-
ed its disapproval of the action Of this
1923 legislature in enlarging the mem
bership of the state board of education
by providing that a member shall be
appointed on the board from each con-
gressional district, the smaller board ex.
listing prior to 1928. Action was taken
on this matter when J. Alex Moore Of
Jasper submitted the report of the leg
islative committee, in which the ac-
ton of the legislative relative to the
state board of education was listed as
a favorable piece Of legislation"
Called Backward Step
DR.. T. e. Benner, Auburn, promptly
moved, from the floor, to strike from
the committee report the reference to
the establishment of the enlarged edu-
cational board as favorable" He de-
clared that this action constituted q
backward step restoring the old ward"
system idea Of school control. DR.. Ben
ner stated that he did not intend to
criticise present members of the board,
but that future members might not be
as good as those in office, that the sys-
tenn is wrong, and that it may be ex-
pected in future to encourage members
in "log-rolling" on behalf of their re-
spective congressional districts instead
of viewing the interests of the state az
a whole. He pointed out that while
highway commission appointed by con-
gressional districts had been abolished
as inefficient, and a smaller commits
sion substituted, exactly the opposite
course had been taken with the educa-
ton board. ~
After some debate, DR.. Benner's mo-
ton was adopted, the convention vot-
ing by a large majority to strike from
the committee report as adopted the
word favorable" applied to the action
of the 1923 legislature in establishing
the present state board of education.
In this legislative report, it was set
forth that the work of the legislative
committee was largely defensive. to
protect the existing educational system
Of the state from being torn down.
The problem of the committee with
reference to the 1928 legislature was
illustrated with the story of the plighe
of Alice in Wonderland, who had to
run as fast as possible to stay where
she was.
The executive committe was called Oh
by the association to acquaint the peos
pie of the state with the real status
of education in Alabama, in the hope
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