CHAPTER VI

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

schools as

part of a state

system.

77. School "Districts." No part of the work of Local government is better understood than that of education at public expense, and yet many people imagine school that the regulation of schools is solely a matter of local government. This is not the case, for although the management of the schools is left with local school officials, and the character of the schools depends to a large extent on local pride and interest, nevertheless, our local schools are simply parts of a state school system.

For convenience the counties are subdivided into Large and small school "districts," which may be very small or may districts. be as large as townships. If there are few people living in this district, there is likely to be but one school, in which instruction is given by one teacher in all branches from elementary spelling to higher arithmetic. Where there are a larger number of pupils in a district, there are more schools, some of which will be divided into grades, each with a teacher of its own. It can easily be seen that it is possible to do better work in graded schools, because more time can be spent on each recitation. If there are enough schools in the district, moreover, the people can afford to employ a superintendent who will devote

Selection of school trustees.

Duties of the trustees.

his time to improving the schools in his charge. For these reasons, intelligent people favor fairly large school districts with many schools under one manage

ment.

78. Local School Boards. As with any other business, there must be some person or persons who will manage school affairs. Because the cost of maintaining the schools is met by the public, the members of the school board are chosen at public elections, at which all men and often all women may The members are usually called school trustees or committeemen, and are often three in number, one retiring each year in order that two members of the board may be fully acquainted with the needs of the schools.

These trustees select the teachers for the schools, employing them for terms of one year. As the character of the teachers has a greater influence on the school system than all other forces combined, the selection of strong, well prepared, and skilled teachers is quite essential, if good work is to be done. The trustees also hire the janitors, and purchase school supplies such as crayons, paper, and fuel. In doing this they necessarily look after school expenditures. They may also construct additional rooms, when these are needed, and erect new buildings, but as this requires more money than they ordinarily have in any one year, they are obliged to ask for additional funds, which must be voted for them by the people. In addition, the school board makes rules for the management of the schools, purchases books for the

school library, and may decide what text-books shall be studied. The excellence of the schools therefore depends to a large extent on the wisdom or broadmindedness of the trustees, who receive no pay for their services.

courses and special

79. School Courses. In the schools below the Regular grade of high schools, the subjects taught are much alike in all parts of the country, but the methods subjects. used vary greatly from state to state, and may differ somewhat in adjacent districts or schools. As already stated, the methods are likely to be superior in the more populous districts where superintendents devote special attention to examining the schools and abolishing defective methods. When there are special teachers in the different branches, as in many large cities, the work is better done in the subjects to which special attention is thus given. In the cities, also, it is possible to have, in some of the buildings, special rooms devoted to manual training, including cooking and sewing, so that the pupils get some instruction in those subjects as well as in the more substantial ones of arithmetic, grammar, spelling, geography, and history. The advantages are, however, not always with these schools, for, as in everything else, it is not the variety of the tasks accomplished, but the quality of the work done, that is of value to the pupil.

and required instruction.

A minimum number of months is usually prescribed School year by state law, so that all schools are in session for a large part of each year. A minimum list of subjects. is also likely to be given in the school law of the state.