Smyrna times., 1947-01-30
SCHOOL BOARDS
ENTERTAINED.
Local School Board Extends
Invitation To Over 160
Members
DIR. GRIZZELL SPEAKS

meeting on Monday night when
the Board of Education of the
Smyrna Special School District
played host to the members of the
Delaware Association of School
Boards. There was much favorable
comment on the attractive plat
ters served to more than 160
guests. DIR. G. j. Prickett, presi-
dent of the local board welcomed
the guests who represented all the
school boards throughout the state.
w. r. Brown, of Wyoming, presi-
dent of the Association, presided.
The principal speaker was DR.. E.
d. Grizzell, Professor of Education
of the University of Pennsylvania
and director of the recent Della
ware School Survey by the Ameri-
can Council of Education. He was
introduced by Charles w. Bush, of
the Board of Trustees of the A. I.
DUPONT School. DIR. Grizzell said
that public opinion and support are
in favor of a higher minimum sal
airy than $500 for teachers, and
this could not be judged last Aug
ust when the survey was made. He
outlined responsibility of the local
school boards of education saying
that board members should be
shosen because of their interest in
the community welfare. Members
have four functions: to determine
the policies, to select chief school
officers, to appraise educational
program and advocate improve
ment, and to promote community
understanding of program. AS to
financing education he advocated a
state fund for basic educational
program and special services, and
said that additional local contribu-
tions should be for the purpose of
stimulating local interest and eff
fort. There is need for strong local
boards and competent local educa-
tional leaders, he stated. The re-
suit of interviews throughout the
state showed that Delaware people
want and need the following: kim
dergartens, physical and health ex-
aminations and service, guidance
service, special opportunities for
the handicapped; more scholar
ships for competent, but economic
ally handicapped; Junior colleges;
and adult education. The members
of the Association endorsed the
program of the Delaware Council
for Education, Inc. This program
to be recommended to the Legis-
lature by the Council for Educa-
tion, Inc. was explained by Henry
Toy, Jr. president. 1t provides a
starting salary for teachers with
the bachelors degree of $2400 and
for Masters degree of $27OO; also
adjust to 80 per cent of living in
crease on present state board
schedule at once; $515 increase
all teachers salaries as of July /;
increment of 5000 the second year
of the biennium; separate con-
tributory pension plan for teachers
and the creation of an office of
Commissioner of Education. The
School Boards Association went on
record to petition the Governor to
either publish the report of the re-
cent school survey or to have
printed sufficient copies for school
board members throughout the
state. William B. Simpson, presi-
dent of the Delaware State Edu-
cation Association, presented a
comparison of figures showing
taxes raised in various school dis
tricts throughout Delaware. The
purpose of these figures, stated
Mr.. Simpson, is two-fold: in the
first place, showing that 85 per
cent of residents of Delaware do
pay school tax, and secondly, to
show that any additional taxes in
school districts to support the
school program would create an
unreasonable and unfair distribution
of tax responsibility because of the
great difference in real estate val
ues in the various districts. Among
those present were DR.. George R.
Miller, Jr., state superintendent of
public instruction; DR.. H. v. King,
assistant state superintendent; DR..
H. ". Holloway; State Senator
Paul Burkholder; R. W. Helm; DIR.
w. Earl Armstrong, of the Univer-
sity of Delaware; Jacob H. Speich-
er and Peter Collins, members of
State Board of Education. Group
singing was led by Bert Paul Os-
bon, head of the music department
Continued on Page Eight