Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-03-26
THE SCHOOL 1MBRoGLIo

THE SCHOOL IMBRoGLIo.
We have read with interest the
replies 10 the criticisms of the &C
tions of the County Board OF Edu-
cation contained in the letter OF Mr.
B. M. Edelen published in our issue
of February 10Th and our own Edi-
torial in the issue of February goth,
which ito all intent and purposes
demonstrate conclusively our con-
tention that the School Board has
been to a large extent at least, a
figurehead, and particularly SO tar
as fixing salaries is concerned, which
the law specifically says shall be
subject to the provisions of Chap
ter 5 of this Article (this Article
being ny. The replies, too, prac-
tically admit that the law in this
respect has been ignored and abro-
gated, hence, we may properly and
iustifedly ask, what good are the
laws on our statute books if they
are to be ignored or abrogated with
impunity? Perhaps too, the query
might aptly be asked and answered,
When is law not a law? When it
is made for the Board of Education
Of this County. We have been UNI
able to find any law delegating the
duty Of the Board to fix salaries to
others. We can neither find any
law making the amount Of salary
discretionary but do find that sala-
ries must be fixed according te
Chapter s Of Article II.
In its joint letter the Board says
1T sometimes happens that thu
Superintendent is unable to obtair
certificated teachers, and is foreeo
to employ those who have no Ger
tifcates. The salary required b.
law for this grade is small, and no
having the power to draft into serv
ice. it necessarily follows that thu
Superintendent is expected to maxi
terms as to salary" The Language
in the latter part Of this statement i
conclusive Of the fact that the law
IS ignored as to the amount of salary
paid and fixing the same. Win
should the Superintendent be sx
becfed to make ferns of Sdldr1
when ii is provided by law that ti1i:
is the duty of the Board Is it tht
Boards custom TO pass the buck
or saddle any blame that might arise
for ignoring the law on the shoul-
ders of others?s
These replies, too, again, bring te
mind the County School Budget
There being a law fixing teachers
salaries and this ignored, how car
a budget in compliance with the law
be made up and submitted as re
CURED? If the former is true ther
the budget must be guess work, i
naturally follows Guess work may
pay sometimes but the taxpayers
with the heavy burdens they have tc
carry are not in a mood to pay foi
guesses. When the taxpayers bill
confronts him, he must either shell
OUT or through due process of law
have his property sold. The tax
payers are willing to pay what /:
necessary and needed for schoo
purposes but do not relish paying
out their money for expenses tina
are guess work.
Our criticism in reference to thu
budget is taken up by our trient
Mr.. P. P. Williams in his individual
letter and to him we want to sal
that he is in error as to the Schoo
budget always being ready when
ever the County Commissioners arr
ready to receive it. The law fixe
the time in which the budget is t.
be made up and submitted and w
have never known the Count,
Fathers to refuse to receive it. Il
fact, they have always had to wal
for it and upon numbers Of &C
casions sit idly by and wait patientl,,
for it, and too, there has never bee
one submitted made up as provide
bv law further than setting fort
what it was alleged to be necessar
TO operate the schools during tn
year following its submission w
challenge proof to the contrary 0
this fact. The efficiency of the Su
perintendent does not relieve tn
Board Of its mandatory duties lai'
down in the school law. The Law
sets out fully the duties of tn
County Boards of Education an
they are expected to adhere strict,
TO them. Referring again to hi
letter we beg to remind him that s.
far as the curriculum in the school
is concerned that we have heart
no criticism of the same but we arr
tempted to believe that were an in
spection of the same made that /
might bring forth. further criticism
on the heads of apparent figure
heads in the school system of thi:
County too heavy to bear. And We
might suggest here, that unless The
school curriculum is such that the
children in the schools can secure
thorough grounding in the three
Rs that ii would bear strong criti-
eism at least, from solid educators
not developed in a lot Of useless
modern fandangles. As far as the
financial records are concerned we
have not doubted their correctness
We might add, too, for friend Viii