Georgia State School Items, 1931 April

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GEORGIA State School Items

Published by the State D epartment of Education

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Volume VIII

APRIL, 1931

No.4

~eport and Recommendations
of
The State Superintendent of Schools
to the
General Assembly
M. L. DUGGAN
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Entered as second-class matter October 5, 1923, at the Post Office of Atlanta, Georgia, under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of POlltage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 5, 1923.
ATLANTA, GA.

BIENNIAL REPORT FOR 1929-1930
In my last Biennial Report submitted to the General Assembly two years ago it was stated that of the $5,003,200.00 appropriation for the support of the common schools for 1928 only $3,453,315.15 had been paid and that this amount was derived solely from $3,708,000, borrowed from the banks in March, 1928, under the Governor's borrowing power. That left unpaid at that time on the legislative appropriation for common schools of 1928 $1 ,549,884.85, and that balance due for the operation of the schools for the year 1928 is still unpaid at this date. Of the legislative appropriation for the support of the common schools for 1929 there still remains an unpaid balance of $1,691,963.00 and of the appropriation for 1930 an unpaid balance of $500,000.00. Therefore, there is at this date a total unpaid balance on the legislative appropriations for the support of the common schools for 1928, 1929 and 1930 of $3,740,148.39. Furthermore, the common schools have not received one cent during these years from the poll tax definitely ordered both by the Constitution and by statutory acts to be "set apart and devoted to the support of the common schools." These unpaid balances tell stronger than any words could how difficult it has been to operate our common school systc;m successfully during the biennium covered by this report. But for the regular monthly payments of the equalization fund derived from one cent per gallon on sale of gasoline and kerosene, which represents the only appropriation for the support of the common schools that has ever been promptly paid, Georgia's public school system would have broken down for lack of its promised support. Under an Act of General Assembly of 1925 all county and independent school systems are required to make an estimated budget from its proposed receipts and expenditures for the next year, and that "such county or independent system shall conform to said budget." These budgets must of necessity be based on the promises and reasonable expectations of support and when such promises fail the schools must fail to pay their teachers for services rendered under contract or incur debts within the legislative appropriations made for loans against such appropriations as authorized in sections 95, 96, 97, 98 and 100 of the Georgia school code. The public school system of Georgia has never exceeded the legislative appropriations for the support of the schools and the aggregate debts legally authorized and in-
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curred by the schools even with the accrued interest thereon amount to less than the unpaid $3,740,000 due them by the state. The difference between such aggregate amount of the debts incurred by the schools and the total unpaid appropriation to them from the state is accounted for by the premature closing of thousands of our rural elementary schools throughout the state. The injustice and damage thus inflicted upon the state's children cannot be computed in dollars and cents to say nothing of the blighting discouragements to unpaid teachers and to local administrators who were not able to pay them. Georgia's public school system has suffered seriously and long enough from being continually discriminated against in the matter of prompt and full payments of legislative appropriations and I would urge the General Assembly to provide not only for the full payment of all unpaid appropriations to the common schools, but also to make such provisions as will in the future secure as prompt payment for the salaries to public school teachers as to . any others who serve the state, not even excepting any who work within the walls of the State Capitol. Where and whenever the condition of the State Treasury will not warrant all payments in full then all without exception should be scaled alike. The general economic depression, greatly aggravated by the continued failing of the state to pay its promised support, has made the administration of our common school system extremely difficuit during the past two years. However, even in the face of such serious and unusual difficulties and handicaps very substantial progress has been accomplished. Keener realization of rights and privileges of childhood and the duties and obligations of the state to them and the constantly increasing demand for better public school facilities are encouraging and significant signs of the times. More and more the common people are demanding liberal and better support of their common schools. Direct appeals to the people based on full and accurate information is the effective way to bring wholesome public results. Until 1907 Georgia's public school system, except in the cities, depended wholly on state appropriations for their legal support. Permitted by the McMichael Constitutional amendment of 1906 counties and local school districts began to levy local county and district school taxes to supplement the school appropriations. By 1917 the general demand for better schools had so increased that for the first time the aggregate amount of local tax for the support of the common school system had grown to equal
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the total amount of state appropriation. While the state appropriation for its common schools has increased 350 per cent since 1906 the aggregate local levies now yield to the public school system more than twice as much as the state appropriation for the current school year. The fact that the people of the counties and local school districts have voluntarily increased tax levies against their local property for school support so much is ample proof of the increased demand for better schqol facilities for their children. Every county in the state is now levying a county school tax at the maximum limit of the Constitution, and in addition thereto nearly 2,000 local school districts are levying further high rates against their non-profit-bearing farm property. These burdensome local district levies against non-profit-bearing farm property can only be reduced or removed by proportionate increase in the state's appropnatwn. Such state appropriation would not be an increased burden against ad valorem property but would necessarily come from some kind of income, luxury, or incidental tax.
There has been much said concerning many urgent needs of our public school system, but its one greatest need is for the state to pay what the Legislatures have promised for support and maintenance. This one thing would put our schools throughout the state in better financial situation than for the past fifty years and all other handicaps would sink into comparative insignificance.
FREE TEXT-BOOKS
The high cost of text-books has given rise to a good deal of wellfounded complaint and has imposed too heavy burdens upon the patrons of the public schools. What is even far worse than such unnecessary financial burdens is the fact that a considerable proportion of pupils are attending the school without text-books. This is especially true in the lower grades and in the rural schools, and particularly during the first few weeks, or even months of the school year. This results in a considerable waste of the teacher's time and efforts and a still more serious waste of the children's opportunities for an education. The only remedy for such serious waste~ of public money and pupil's opportunities w~uld be for the state to furnish the free use of text-books. Such a policy was urged upon the General Assembly, with well supported ~rguments, at least as early as 1915. This important matter has been much dis-
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cussed throughout the entire state as well as in the General Assembly continuously since that date, until the public, generally, would now fully approve such action. The one and only thing that causes the state to hesitate and delay such an important matter is the general belief that the state at this time cannot find sufficient funds for providing the text-books. This opinion is based mainly upon the mistaken idea of what the total cost to the state would be. If every child enrolled in the elementary grades in the public schools of Georgia was supplied with the basal text-books at the present wholesale contract prices the initial cost would be $1,718,101.69. From the experiences in many other states and in many city systems in Georgia it is found that the useable life of textbooks, under such free systems, averages more than three years. Therefore, it is evident that, when the initial cost of basal textbooks for all of the seven elementary grades in Georgia is distributed over the three years' use of such books, the total average annual cost to the state at present contract wholesale prices would
only amount to $575, 700.56. But the state could doubtless secure
an even very much better wholesale rate in such large quantities than the present contract wholesale prices and the total cost to the state per annum, with an average three-year life of the books, would be reduced to less than a half million dollars.
A RECOMMENDATION
However, the greatest waste of teachers' time and efforts and pupils' opportunities on account of the delay or failure of being provided with text-books is in the primary or first three or four, grades. For many evident reasons, and based upon the experiences of other states and local systems in our own state, I would recommend that the state attempt as a beginning to furnish free use of text-books only to the first three grades. In view of the above reliable figures it will thus be seen that the total cost to the state need not average during the first few years more than about $200,000.00 a year. I submit;; that the above is a fair statement of the free text-book matter and nobody would doubt but that the state could find the $200,000.00 needed for this important proposal from any one of many possible sources. I would only urge that it should not be taken from the inadequate maintenance fund allocated for the purpose of paying teachers' salaries. The increased
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opportunities for education to all the children of the state will

be wholly out of proportion to the trivial extra expense incurred.

The children would thus not only all be supplied with text-books

but would have them on hand from the very opening day of the

school, which would promote much prompter and more regular

attendance at all of the schools of the state, and thus greatly in-

crease the average daily attendance. The free use of text-books

would tend greatly towards further equalization of educational

opportumt~es. There is no good reason why Georgia should longer

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delay furnishing free use of text-books to pupils in the primary

grades of the public schools as has long been the custom of many

of our progressive states. How or by what method the state can

best obtain suitable text-books is a business problem that can and

will be solved by business men.

THE ILLITERACY CAMPAIGN
During the year 1930 a very successful campaign for reducing adult illiteracy in Georgia was waged. This campaign was under the direction and supervision of the Georgia Illiteracy Commission, appointed by the Governor, with the State Superintendent of Schools as its executive officer. Through . subscription and efforts of the members of the Commission funds were raised for establishing and temporarily maintaining a Division of Adult Education in connection with the State Department of Education. Stimulated by an offer of the Rosenwald Foundation which supplemented funds raised locally in Georgia in the proportion of one dollar to two dollars, and through the efforts of the State Division of Adult Education the State Supervisors and county school superintendents of 126 counties, there was raised about $46,000.00 to which the Rosenwald Foundation added about $23,000.00, making in all about $70,000.00 to finance the campaign. As a result of the $70,000.00 investment many illiterate adults were taught to read and write, some of them being advanced to the equivalent of third or fourth grade work. Besides these very many others were promoted from the class of illiterates through the voluntary efforts of teachers and others throughout the state. A recent report issued from Washington shows that the number of illiterate adults in Georgia has been reduced by 118,102, or about 40 per cent. No further funds are available for this phase of work from the

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Rosenwald Foundation but the Georgia Illiteracy Commission will make an earnest effort to secure a modest appropriation from the General Assembly for carrying on this worthy work in the state: There are in Georgia according to the 1930 United States Census report 210,736 persons over ten years of age still unable to read and write, 37,452 of them being white. What shall be done for them?
LEGAL STANDARDS FOR COLLEGES AND JUNIOR COLLEGES
Section 14 of the Georgia School Code enacted into law many . years ago reads as follows: "No oharter giving the right to confer degrees or issue diplomas shall be granted to any proposed institution of learning within the State of Georgia until the proper showing has been made to the State Board of Education that the proposed University, College, Normal or Professional School shall give evidence of its ability to meet the standard requirements set up by the State Board of Education." Also the High School Act of 1925 distinctly states that: "It should be the duty of the State High School Supervisor to inspect the various high schools of the state with a view to their propel" classification and supervision under the State Board of Education and in accordance with standards set up by said board." The fact is that there is no record showing that the State Board of Education had: ever set up standards for "the proper classification and supervision" of high schools or for any "University, College, Normal or Professional School" or any other educational institution except for classifying and accrediting elementary schools. There are reported to be bogus college_s and institutions doing profitable business in Georgia, and several others, which may or may not be meritorious, p-roposing to be established at a very early date, some of which have already filed applications for approval with the State Department of Education. The State Department of Education could neither approve nor disapprove any of them because the requirements of Section 14 of the School Code and the High School Act have never been complied with and we therefore have had no legal "standard requirements" by which we could judge them. This problem was so important that it could not be wisely solved by one man nor hastily. I am pleased to announce, however, that after much study had been given to it by the
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State Department of Education a conference of representatives from all Georgia colleges and junior colleges recently approved Minimum Standards for Colleges and Junior Colleges, which have been formally and legally adopted by the State Board of Education. These Georgia Standards are designed to serve as
(a) A basis for granting charters to new or proposed higher educational institutions under the provisions of Section 14 of the Georgia School Code.
(b) A basis for preparing an approved list of teacher-training institutions for the State of Georgia.
It is not proposed that these standards should operate to make it impossible for a worthy new enterprise to be begun, nor for a worthy institution now in operation to be denied a fair opportunity for development.
It is proposed as soon as practicable to set up similar minimum standards for high schools and junior high schools.
THE JOHN A. RHODES SCHOOL
This worthy new educational institution authorized through an appropriation by the General Assembly of 1929 under the joint supervision of the State Superintendent of Schools and the State Commissioner of Health was opened to the children in the State Tubercular Sanitarium at Alto, Georgia, in January, 1930. The school was conducted in temporary quarters until April 24, 1931, when the new schoolhouse, adjacent to the children's dormitory, which had been provided by the Masons of Georgia, was formally opened and dedicated. This beautiful new schoolhouse, christened the John A. Rhodes School for Tubercular Children, was made possible through small contributions by thousands of children of the public schools of the state and a very generous donation by Dr. and Mrs. John A. Rhodes, of Crawfordville, Georgia. No longer will Georgia's sick children be dismissed from the state's Tubercular Sanitarium cured of this physical ailment under the handicap of illiteracy. This school is said to be unique in that it is probably the only one of its kind in the entire country; During the past year in its temporary quarters this school served an enrollment of 104 pupils with an average daily attendance of 37 and an ag-
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gregate daily attendance of 8,283. By grades they were distributed as follows:
First grade .. . .. . .. . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . . .. . .. 34 Second grade ..... ... . .. ... . . . ...... . . . . 23 Third grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Fourth grade . .... . . .... .... . .. . ..... . .. 24 Fifth grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sixth grade ..... . . . .. .. ............ . ... 10 Seventh grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The school has been faithfully served by two very consecrated and efficient teachers.
'The school attendance has necessarily been very irregular, but upon being sent back to their homes from the Sanitarium they have been able to enter regularly in their respective grades of theit home schools. With the splendid new schoolhouse liberally equipped the attendance will be larger and the work even more satisfactory during the current year. The publishers have generally contributed free of cost such textbooks as are needed by the children. The General Assembly will, of course, continue their appropriation for maintenance of this school from the public school fund.
A REVISED SCHOOL CODE
From the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court down through all of our courts, county and city boards of education, local district trustees, treasurers and others who have had anything to do with administration of the school laws of Georgia all will agree without argument that Georgia needs a new school code based upon some new constitutional provisions. Our school laws have been amended and interpreted by the courts until they are vague and conflicting and in many ways are hindering progress demanded by the people in our state's public school system and sometimes resulting in more or less inefficiency and w~te. A bill was offered in the 1929 session of the General Assembly authorizing the appointment of an interim commission to pTepare a new school code, but the proposed bill was never voted upon. I am giving all the time I can properly spare from urgent official duties to a proposed revision in part of our school code with the help of a small committee, but the intervening
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3 2108 05339 4097
weeks before the convening of our General Assembly is entirely too short for such an important undertaking.
A majority of the State Legislatures are earnestly considering public education as one of their major problems this year, and Georgia should keep abreast of the most progressive. The value to any state of a modern and efficient public school system can not be over estimated.
THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
An event of outstanding and far reaching significance during the past year was the White House Conference on child welfare and protection which assembled at the nation's capital in November, 1930, at the call of President Hoover. A result of this conference was the promulgation of the Children's Charter and Bill of Rights which should be framed a~d hung in every home and displayed upon a large chart in every school room and court house in the land. President Hoover declared that if the rights of the children as outlined in this charter should be recognized and guaranteed to every child for a generation it would solve a thousand governmental problems that are perplexing the states and the nations of the earth. The Georgia State Department of Education has set up as one of its major objectives the physical health and development of our 900,000 children and is assured of whole hearted cooperation from the State Board of Health and the State Medical and Dental Associations.
ECONOMICAL ADMINISTRATION
It is with pardonable pride that I call attention to the comparatively low administrative expenses of the State Department of Education. According to the State Auditor's report to the Governor the entire expenses of administration and supervision has been as follows: In 1924, 1.04%; in 1926, 1.07%; in 1927, 1.29%; in 1928, 1.18%; in 1930, 0.90%. The cost of administration and supervision in G~orgia has been lower than in any other Southern state, yet we are keeping fully abreast of any of them in expansion and progress. The supervisory and auditing forces have contributed most satisfactorily to the educational progress of the public school system and particular attention is called to their several reports published herewith. The clerical force has been most loyal and efficient. Their long and faithful services making them familiar with the requirements
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and operations of the department has made them indispensable. It

is worthy of particular note that under successive administrations

there has seldom been changes in personnel of supervisory or clerical

forces of the State Department of Education.

The continued help given our Supervisors from the Georgia State

College for Women through their Extension Department has been

a valuable contribution to the public schools and is fuUy appreciated.,

The important work in educational measurements, physical and

health education, supervised play, etc., could not have been accomplished without this aid.

The State Department of Education acknowledges with appre-

ciation its indebtedness to the General Education Board for gen-

erous contributions for the 1,11aintenance of important divisions of

the Department.

The Parent-Teacher Associations, the Georgia Library Commis-

sion, the State Board of Health, the Georgia Medical Association,

the State Dental Society and many other organizations have co-

operated actively and heartily with our schools, for which we are

greatly indebted.
No increase in the general appropriation from the State

Treasury for maintenance and support of our common school sys.tem has been asked for or mad.e since the, 1925 Genoclll Assembly.

Atlanta, June 1, 1931.

M. L. DuGGAN,

State Superintendent of Schools.

CHILDREN FIRST

In the face of danger or disaster on a sinking ship we would

strike down anyone who attempted to save himself at the expense

c;>f a child. Children come first not only on sinking ships but in our

hearts, our homes, our schools, and our churches. They are first.

The race can save itself-can lift itself higher-only as children are

lifted up. In this unique period of depression with its extreme want on the one side and its extreme fortunes on the other, many scha"~ls

are carried down to disaster-their doors closed-their funds cut off.

Boards of education and other public officials are often hard pressed

financially but they cannot afford to give up the idea of children

first. To do justice by the child it is necessary to do justice by the

child's teacher.

J. E. MoRGAN.

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