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Show Office Would Be Freed Of Politics By Amendments Utah voters- are being asked to study amendments 1, 2, and 3 to the state constitutions, on which they will vote at the election November No-vember 3. The amendments are non-partisan . in character, since both major political parties in their platforms of 1934 pledged themselves them-selves to work for the removal of the state superintendent of schools from politics. The last legislature almost unanimously and without regard to party lines, approved these amendments. Dr. C. N. Jensen, former superintendent super-intendent of public instruction, said in his last biennial report (1932): "We agree with the view that the state superintendent or state commission of education should be appointed by a board rather than to be subjected to the upheavals of a partisan election." The present incumbent, Superintendent Superin-tendent Charles H. Skidmore, in his report of 1934, recommended the same policy. Leading educators, educa-tors, school officials and teachers generally, both in Utah and throughout the United States, have consistently advocated making the state superintendent a professional leader, subject to a board of education. edu-cation. ' In 1926 Utah spent approximately approxi-mately $13,000,000 for a survey of our schools by the U. S. department depart-ment of education. Among the strong recommendations made was the removal of the state superintendent superin-tendent of schools from partisan politics in conformity with modern ideals and progressive practice. In 1934 the investigation committee of the Utah governmental units also recommended this change. The present constitutional and statutory provisions provide divided divid-ed and contradictory responsibility from the administration of the schools. Article VII, section I, of the constitution makes the state superintendent an officer of the state government while article X, section 8, states "The general control con-trol and supervision of the public school system shall be vested in a state board of education." The school laws of 1933 state that "the state superintendent shall be charged with the administration of the system of public instruction and with general superintendency of the district schools of the state," but the same law provides that "the general control and supervision sup-ervision of the public school' system sys-tem is vested in the state board of education." The proposed constitutional consti-tutional amendment would place this responsibility on the state board of education. The state board of education would in turn select a superintendent of schools to be its chief executive officer. It is believed that a state board of I education selected in a non-partisan manner representing all sec- tions of the state (at present by conventions of local school board members within judicial districts) can secure the best possible leadership leader-ship for the public schools of Utah, free from partisan control and frequent fre-quent change. This would permit a sound, progressive educational policy to be carried forward in the state. without"' interruptions caused by political uncertainties.- , . ' |