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tendents

The state superintendents usually visit the different coun- State ties, examine schools, and gather information for the state superinboards. In several States, the boards or the superintend- of public ents may suspend teachers for cause, or revoke certificates instruction. issued by the state or county boards.

cation in U.S.,125-148.

124. State Schools. The public school systems of most Normal of the States include (in addition to the local schools), schools. normal schools, agricultural colleges, and state universities. The normal schools are institutions for the special training Boone, Eduof teachers. Until these normal schools were established, teachers were not only poorly prepared for their work, but were only half educated, as a rule. The majority of the present normal schools are well equipped, and are doing much to raise the standard of efficiency among the teachers of the country. Many of those that rank highest now require a high school education for entrance.

schools.

72 (1906),

Agricultural colleges have been established in most of the Agricultural States. By a law passed by Congress in 1862, 30,000 acres of public land were given to each of the States for every Bailey, L. H., in congressman to which the State was entitled, the proceeds Century, arising from the sale of these lands being devoted to agricultural education. Experiment stations are often conducted in connection with these institutions, the national government granting appropriations each year for every agricultural school and experiment station (§§ 284, 286).

733-738.

Powell, E. P., in Independent, 63 (1907), 253-259.

State

Gov't, § 235. Draper, S., in Outlook, 68 (1901), 768-774.

The state universities found in nearly one half of the States are among the largest and best in the land. They universities. are co-educational institutions, offering an exceedingly varied number of courses, in engineering work as well as in professional schools. They represent the highest development of the American idea that education should be at public expense, for instruction is ordinarily free for those students who live within the State. Many of these universities have rendered especially valuable service to the cause of education by aiding the grammar and high schools, and by introducing better and more uniform methods in local education. 481–490.

Harwood,

W. S., in

Scribner's,

34 (1903),

Duties of

county school

boards and of rural school trustees.

cation in

U.S.,113-116.

125. Local School Administration. The officials who look after school matters are usually three trustees for each district or township, and above these the county board of education and the county superintendent. In all of the States in which townships do not exist or are not well developed, the county boards have important duties in granting certifiBoone, Edu- cates to teachers, selecting text-books for the county schools, providing for uniform courses of study, and raising money for school purposes. In most of the other States, the burden of school duties falls upon the trustees of the districts or townships, who almost invariably have charge of selecting teachers and of erecting school buildings, and who may be obliged to assume part or all of the tasks mentioned above in addition. The district system is still more common than that of the township, but, if the districts are small, it is impossible to secure a satisfactory grading of pupils, or careful supervision by local superintendents, which is one of the greatest aids to successful work.

Grammar schools and special schools in cities.

Our cities are likely to have better opportunities for good schools than the country districts, because a more perfect system of grading is possible and because greater inducements are offered to teachers. To what extent these opportunities are utilized depends chiefly upon the public spirit Boone, Edu- of the school board. Most of our cities have, however, gone much farther than the laws require. Almost all have established free kindergartens, and high schools with many different courses of study. Some give instruction in manual training throughout the higher grammar grades, and a few have established separate technical high schools.

cation in U.S.,109-113.

The selection of teachers.

A custom which is practically uniform throughout the country, and which is, perhaps, more than anything else, responsible for inefficiency in the schools where that exists, consists in electing new teachers for a term of one year only, and sometimes of dismissing them without good reason. In a few cities a fair permanency of tenure is assured, and appointments are made by the superintendent.

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