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Show Arguments Given Favoring Constitutional Amendments Amendments 1, 2 and 3 are nonpartisan non-partisan in character since both major ma-jor political parties in their platforms plat-forms of 1934 pledged themselves to work for the removal of the State Superintendent of schools from politics. pol-itics. The last legislature almost unanimously and without regard to party lines approved these amendments. amend-ments. Dr. C. N. Jensen, former Superin- tendent of Public Instruction, said in his last biennial report (1932) ; "We agree with the view that the State Superintendent of State Com-misioner Com-misioner of Education should be appointed ap-pointed by a board rather than to be subjected to the upheavals of a partisan election." The present incumbent, in-cumbent, Superintendent Charles H. ISkidmOre, in his report of 1934, recommended rec-ommended the same policy. Leading Lead-ing educators, 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. educa-tion. In 1926 Utah spent approximately $13,000.00 for a survey of our schools by the U. S. Department of Education. Edu-cation. Among.. the strong recom-mtendations recom-mtendations made was the removal of the State Superintendent of schools from partisan politics in conformity with modem ideals and progressive practice. In 1934 the Investigating In-vestigating Committee of the Utah Governmental : Units also recommended recom-mended this change. The present constitutional and statutory provisions provide divided and contradictory responsibility for the administration of the schools. Article VII, Section I, of the Constitution Con-stitution makes the State Superintendent Superin-tendent an officer of the State government gov-ernment while Article X, Section 8, states "The general control and supervision su-pervision of the public school system sys-tem shall be vested in a State Board of Education." rThe School Laws of 1933 state that "the State Superintendent Super-intendent shall be charged with the administration of the system of public pub-lic instruction and with general su- perintendency of the district schools of the state, "but the same law is vested in. the State Board of Education." Edu-cation." The proposed constitutional constitution-al amendments would place this responsibility re-sponsibility on; theState Board of Education. The State Board of Education Ed-ucation would in turn select a superintendent su-perintendent of schools to be its chief executive officer. Tt is believed be-lieved that a State Board of Education Edu-cation selected in a noh-partisan manner representing all sections of the state (at present by conventions of local school board members within with-in judicial districts) can secure the best possible leadership for the public pub-lic schools of Utah, free from par- tisan control and frequent change. This would permit a sound, progressive, pro-gressive, educational policy to be carried forward in the state without interruptions caused by political uncertainties. un-certainties. o |