Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-01-02
No Politics In
Education?


Educators from far and near seem
to agree that DR.. John G.. Rockwell
has done an excellent job as Com
missioner of Education for the State
of Minnesota. In spite of that he is
under suspension by the Board OF
Education on the grounds of "inef-
ficiency and activities inconsistent
with his duties.
Mr. Rockwell had some trouble
with individuals who were strongly
patronage-minded in the 1878 state
administration. Now he seems to
have the same kind of trouble with
this state administration.
The battle between Mr.. Rockwell
and the Board of Education developed
when Eugene D. Carstater was dis
missed from his duties as state di-
rector of vocational training under the
Department of Education. The Board
fired other able assistants to Mr.
Rockwell. The Commissioner refused
to stand idly by and see his organiZa-
ton disrupted.
With the national defense program
getting into swing, it is expected that
the state director of vocational train
ing will be directing the spending OF
huge public funds. The patronage
interested the Governor immensely
and therefore Carstater had to go and
Harry c. Schmid was temporarily
substituted. The Civil Service Board
however, re-instated Mr.. Carstater
but that was not satisfactory to the
Governor and therefore the Board
of Education appealed to the courts
When the heat at the public hear
ing before the Board of Education on
the Rockwell suspension became toe
great, the Board was suddenly called
to Governor Stassen's office to get
instructions on how to proceed. Fol-
lowing that the Board adjourned the
hearing and would not permit Mr.
Rockwell's statement of defense to &c
into the record. That is not much
credit to longtime educator like
DR.. Julius Boraas and the other men,
bers of the Board.
Apparently the legal talent from
the Attorney Generals office is not
good enough, for the Board of Edu-
cation, upon instructions from the
Governor, secured special counsel and
also referee. The two attorneys thus
engaged are amongst the best in the
Twin Cities, and usually do not func-
ton without being well paid.
The majority members of the Board
of Education, it would seem, should
be able to run their affairs without
attorneys at their elbows and with
out dictation from the Governor
office. If unable to do so they should
resign without being asked. Who is
to pay for all this monkey business?
The taxpayers, of course.
The Governor who was supposed
to be keeping hands off, says there
must be no politics in education. A
citizen may properly ask: Who put
politics into education in Minnesota,
if it was not Mr.. Stassen?
Even The Pioneer Press of st. Paul,
which has certainly been a pro-Stas-
sen newspaper for the past three
years, is disguised with the whole
affair. 1t states editorially that the
thing should have been thrown out
of the window and that it adds moth
ing to the luster of the state admin
stration. The editorial headed "Drum
Head Tactics, follows:
Governor Stassen did well in sus-
pending the Board of Education's So
called hearing on the dismissal of
DR.. Rockwell and ordering appoint
ment of a referee, but he should not
have stopped there. He should have
thrown it completely out of the win
dow.
fridays proceedings might have
been suitable for drum head court
martial but this is supposed to be an
inquiry into certain specific charges
that have been brought against the
State Commissioner of Education. AS
far as the intimations of Communism
are concerned, if nothing more worthy
the name of evidence can be found
to back them up, they had best be
forgotten with as good grace as
may be possible.
"The State Board of Education has
accused DR.. Rockwell with being in
efficient and with actions inconsist-
ent with the duties of his office. 1t
is striking fact that this same board,
excepting one member, got along with
DIR. Rockwell for two years before
discovering these impediments to his
usefulness. The only new factor that
has arisen is the Carstater dismissal.
Mr.. Carstater, however, has been vim
Dictated by the Civil Service Board.