THE
LETTERBOX
Dear Miss Daniels:
There are some important
points in connection with school
boards which I would like to call
to the attention of all interested.
To do this, I shall quote from
the School Board Manual, which
is the official organ sent out by
the Commissioner of Education
"for the purpose and hope that
it will help school board mem
bers in Alaska to become better
informed as to their duties and
responsibilities to the schools
they serve.”
The School Board as a Policy
Forming Body—“The local board
should act as a policy-forming
body and in a judicial capacity
rather than in an executive ca
pacity.”
The board should formulate
and adopt policies, but place the
responsibility for the execution
of its policies in the hands of
the superintendent of schools.
Selection of Teachers and
Other Employes— Of all the dif
ferent phases of school admin
istration, none is more impor
tant and difficult than the prop
er selection and placement of
teachers and other employes.
Such duties should not be at
tempted by the school board, but
be delegated to the superinten
dent.”
Relation of School Board to
Superintendent and Teachers:
(a i Relation to Superinten
dent:
The school board should de
termine the general policies of
the schools and delegate to the
superintendent the powers he
needs to direct the educational
and financial program of the
school.
The board should then hold
the superintendent and em
ployes, whom he selects, respon
sible for the success of the
school. The board delegates only
administrative powers: It can
not legally delegate its legisla
tive powers.
<b> Relation to teachers and
other employes:
The relationship of the prin
cipal. teachers, and other school
employes to the school board is
through the superintendent. In
no other way can responsibility
be definitely fixed and co-or
dination secured.
Hoping these points will be
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better understood by the people
interested.
Sincerely.
AMY IRWIN,
Treasurer. School Board.
Frontiersman editor:
In view of the fact that your
paper gave considerable publi
city to the proposed incorpora
tion of the Palmer public school
district, in the last issue, and
two prominent organizations
gave it a boost, it seems fitting
and proper that one might ask
some pertinent questions at this
time, which should be answered
before the election takes place.
First, what are the expected
benefits. Can anyone definitely
assure the people, who are going
to have to pay the taxes, that we
will get any additional school
buildings, or more teachers, this
year or even next year, if the
proposed incorporation succeeds
at the polls on June 28?
Can anyone definitely show
that the new territorial tax on
personal and real property will
be sufficient to provide any
funds for school improvements,
that cannot be secured under
the present set-up? According to
the best estimates available, it
will cost the Palmer school dis
trict about $30,000 in addition to
the amount that the Territory
will give us, and all of this will
have to be used for operational
and maintenance expense.
Strange as it seems, a lot of
people seem to think that Santa
Claus or some other benevolent
person or agency will furnish
the money, free of charge, for
new buildings and equipment, if
we will just incorporate. Perhaps
there might be some help from
territorial or Federa’ funds avail
territorial or Federal funds
available as a grant, some time
within the next two years, and
it might be necessary to incor
porate to get it. but we will have
plenty of time to do that when
it becomes necessary.
Why try to increase our taxes
until it becomes necessary, or it
can be shown that it will bene
fit us, for sure. Should we go u>
the expense of incorporation just
to assure a worthy young man
that he will have a job teaching
in the Palmer schools next year?
The writer agrees that we will
have to incorporate within a few
years, regardless, but why im
pose additional taxes on our
selves until we have to. especi
ally when there is a question as
to whether it will benefit us in
any way.
Sure, we all want better
schools. Just show us how we
can get them and we will all be
for the plan that will get them
for us. But. during the mean
while, cast your vote against in
corporation, for it won’t solve
the que«tion at the present time.
Respectfully yours,
CARL RASMUSSEN
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