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For School Commissioner, Who?

For School Commissioner, Who? image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
March
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Ypsilanti Commercial of last Kriday contains the following on the school commissionership: The School Commissioner is an educational officer. With the duties of his office politics has and should have nothing to do. Schools are to be managed in the interest of the children of the locality. What is best for them is the all important question. How raay each local school secure the most and best schooling for the money expended ? How are the patrons to be secured against incompetent teachers? Who can do most to aid teachers in becoming more efficiënt ? These are the questions for the voter to settle in his own mind before determining his choice of candidates for this office. As a farmer will not employ one to oversee 'his stock who knows nothing of their care; and as no one will consent to have the expenditure of his money managed by a man who is unacquainted with the needs of his business; so it is a sign of good judgment and thrift to employ as overseers of our schools only those who have the age, maturity of judgment, experience in teaching and familiarity with what concerns schools and teachers which tends to beget confidence and to give weight to their counsel and advice. Of the two men whose names are at present before the people for this important office, what are their relative merits according to this standard? No othei question need be asked. Let the following simple statement of facts concerning them answer. On the one hand, Mr. Hammond is a man of mature age, being thirty-nine years oíd, and has been a life-long school man. His education was acquired in the rural schools and in the Normal School, established and maintained by the State solely to prepare teachers for the public school. He is familiar with the district schools not only as a pupil and teacher, but as an oversser and examiner. For two years he taught in the district schools, For two years he was a township superintendent of schools. He also served two years on the county board of examiners, the second year as secretary of the board, and four years on the state board of education, of which he is at present a member. From this it will be seen that he has had wide acquaintance with the work of examining teachers. In addition to this Mr. Hammond has had long experience as a teacher and superintendent both in village and city schools. His teaching experience aggregates seventeen years. During much of this time also he was an active worker in teachers' institutes. His opponent is a young man,born March 22, 1873, and consequently is but twenty-two years of age. He has taught one term in a district school, and has served two years on the Board of Examiners. He is at present a senior law student in the University. VVhile in every way an estimable young man, he is inexperienced in supervising, counseling and directing the work of teachers. Should he be elected Conimissioner, he will be placed over teachers much older and with vastly more experience than himself. District boards generally and very properly object to employing inexperienced teachers. If experience is so essential in the teacher, is it not much more important in the broader sphere of the commissioner who is a teacher of teachers? For a Commissioner to be inexperienced in these important funcüons, is to deprive him of those qualifications most essential in a leader, and the schools of that wise oversight which it is the intention of the law to secure through this office. That the schools, the children and teachers may receive the greatest returns for the outlay, the Commissioner should be a man whose counsel is based on that maturity of judgment resulting from experience and whose guidance is therefore safe. The people have the opportunity of rilling the office with an experienced man, without any extra cost over an inexperienced one. What shall the verdict be?

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News