The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1925-02-12
Laymen as Members

l recall a discussion had some four
or five years ago with a distinguished
journalist of The Sun concerning this
subject.
My view was that a school board
should be composed entirely of lay
men to education, and that a profess
sionally trained educator on the
board was apt to prove a drawback.
Cautiously yet most emphatically
this journalist expressed an opinion
regarding my mental limitations
which, doubtless, was perfectly sound;
but the opinion should have been Of
fered despite my views concerning
the proper composition of a school
board rather than because of them.
DR.. Ballou says: "The members of
the board of education are laymen.
They are not expected to be profess
sionally trained. The professional
training necessary for the successful
operation of a school system is to be
found in the officers of the board of
education and not among the men,
bers of that board"
In another place he says: "The
board Of education is composed of
citizens who are not expected to have
had professional training in educa-
tional matters. They represent the
lay opinion of the community; they
speak for the citizens"
In still another place he says: "The
board should determine what kinds of
education should be provided, but
should leave to school officials the de-
tails of operating the several kinds of
schools"
Representing The Citizens
The disadvantage of having on a
public school board a member who
knows, say, more about school adj
ministration than the superintendent.
is obvious. This expert member may
not agree with the superintendent,
and then there is a clash; or he may
agree with the superintendent, and
then the force Of the agreement Just
naturally neutralizes the influence of
non-eXpert members on the board.
The board, according to DR.. Ballou,
should determine the general educa-
tional policies. For example, they
should determine whether kinder
gartens are to be provided; whether
vocational education is to form a part
of the school program; whether the
school system shall be organized on
the 81 year plan or the 6-3-3 year
plan, and whether coeducation or
segregation of pupils in the high
school shall be the policy.
"These are policies which have to do
with the kind of education that the
community wants. The board as
representing the citizens of the COM
munity, should determine these poll
cies."
The ideal scheme for administering
public education in a democracy would
be for the superintendent to keep so
closely in touch with the people that
his aims and plans could be explained
personally to everybody and he could
enlist the individual support and CO.
operation Of all the people. But COM
munities are too large to make this
possible, and so representatives of
the people-known as school board
members-are appointed, not to rep
resent the superintendent before the
people, nor to become a rubber stamp
for the administrative Office, but to
represent the people to the super
intendent.
Responsibility of Members
The present-day school board, sup
posedly representing the citizens, is
the body before which the super
intendent should lay his plans and
have them either approved or reject
ed.
"The board of education" DR.. Bal
lou explains, should not try to OPP
crate the schools, but should see that
the school system is efficiently oper-
ated by the boards officials.
"The desirable relationship be-
tween the board of education and the
superintendent of schools will best
be secured and maintained through a
clear definition and a proper under
standing of their respective func-
tons. The division of functions be-
tween the board of education and the
superintendent of schools should be
made on the basis of the principle of
lay control by the board and pro-
fessional operation by the superinten-
dent"
The instant a school board ceases
to be truly representative of the
people, becoming either an unthink-
ing approval stamp for whatever the