Imperial Valley press., 1929-04-30
HEAD OF STATE
SCHOOL SYSTEM
GIVES ADDRESS
Fine Talk By Kersey Is
Heard By Schoolmasters
Of Valley.

With a strong plea that Califor-
MIA = educators turn their faces
forward, disrogarding worn out
traditions and customs Of the past,
and think in terms Of the California
Of the future and its needs, E.erling
Kcrsey, superintendent Of public
instruction gave splendid and
interesting address at the meeting
Of the Imperial Valley Schoolma3-
ters Club, held at the Oregon hotel.
Nearly 100 school teachers, school
trustees and invited guests listen
ed to the remarks Of the STATE $
school chief, and followed them
closely.
Prefacing his remarks with a
splendid tribute to Imperial Val
lev and its development, the super
intendent declared he had taken Of
flee only after three conditions
laid down by him had been accept
ed by Governor Young. These were:
that the appointment should not be
considered as tying him ~ any
! particular group or political faction
in the state; that lie should not be
subjected to any political pressure
in making appointments: that he
should not be ordered 10 follow out
the program Of his immediate pre-
decessor, but should be let free 10
organize his own program.
Governor Young agreed with
me that the boys and girls of Cali
fornia are the paramount issue IN
the state school superintendent :
office.' Kerscy said, land readily
agreed to the conditions. We are
working unhampered and the results
are entirely up to us.
:" We are not concerned with
politics but seek to provide the
means for the boys and g,'ls OF
today to develop into citizens OF
tomorrow in a way that Will MAKE
them real assets to California;" the
= speaker said.
Declaring that educators shoulC
work for the educational needs OF
the California of i or 20 year
. from now, Kersey outlined Il thre'
| fold objective of his office.
"A sound financial program
the first Of these, - he stated
Sometimes | think a luxury tax
which would make all individual
pay as they 90, would be the bes
means Of providing funds for GU
schools. Cigarettes, cigars, tobacco
radios, and other non-essential
could be made to bear the burden
and it would not fail SO heavily Of
! a few as does our present system OF
school taxation. Our schools shoulC
not be judged by what they cos
but by the results they achieve
There is a happy medium betweel
the penurious idea Of cutting schoo
expenditures to minimum and in
discriminatory spending large sum
Of money for school purposes with
out obtaining beneficial results.
, Readjust Personnel
, \ readjustment of personne
is essential to the schools Of th'
, future,' Kersey stated as the sec
ond objective. 'There is mucl
: deadwood which must be cut out
Teachers must be encouraged Il
take pride in their profession anC
be made satisfied with the poSsibili
ties it offers. They must be mel
and women able to mix in the af
fairs of their communities and tax
ing an active interest in its af
fairs.
:. THE third objective," he ex
planned, "is q program of cduca
Tional philosophy or ideals. W
. must not continue to believe tina
education stops when the clorI
strikes the close of the afternoon
session, We must give attention t.
the child of pre-school age, T.
Continued on Page Six