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Board of Education is likely to cost the
State some highly qualified persons who
would accept an appointment by the gov-
ernor but would shy away from any candi-
dacy that would involve campaigning for
the position.
In short, then, what is the effect of the
addition of this phrase which the minority
now accepts? It recognizes that a board
and not one person will head the state
school system. It insures that that board
will be appointed by the governor. It elimi-
nates an apparent inconsistency, within the
constitution that we are drafting, between
the general provisions proposal for educa-
tion and the article in the executive branch
in their section 4.21. It does not impair
the General Assembly from creating any
other subsidiary school systems as they
may want to provide in the future; so a
degree of flexibility still remains.
There is much —
THE CHAIRMAN: You have one-half
minute.
DELEGATE ROBEY: This is surely to
be commended by the minority. I submit,
however, the simple addition of this phrase
does not destroy the minority's intent nor
their flexibility. This change will, however,
provide great comfort to those citizens of
our State vitally interested in education,
while diminishing the possibility that edu-
cation will be subject to political capture.
I urge the members of this Committee to
accept this compromise in the light that it
was fashioned.
THE CHAIRMAN : Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, at this time I yield five minutes to
Delegate Blair.
DELEGATE BLAIR: Mr. Chairman and
ladies and gentlemen of the Convention, at
first I did not know whether I heard Dele-
gate Henderson right when he was talking
about not freezing anything into the con-
stitution, and I thought possibly he had not
read the amendment that was offered by the
minority group, because that is what is the
first step in the freezing process that he
was evidently against. Now, apparently
from my point of view he should go one
step further, and he should extend that to
a geographical division of this board; I
think we should make it a lay board, and
I think he should go a step further and
prescribe who shall be on that board con-
cerning the state superintendent to be se-
lected by the board itself.
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Now, we know that in the case of Purnell
v. State Board of Education in 125 Mary-
land, the legislature could modify, control,
abolish, and change all the appointed mem-
bers of this board. I am glad to see at least
that the minority has conceded the fact that
we should now constitute the State Board
of Education as a part of constitutional
recognition.
The State Board constitutes a representa-
tive body in education more than any other
field. The voice of the people is to be heard
clearly and distinctly.
State constitutions have provided an ave-
nue through which oncoming generations
may have their educational needs satisfied
and supplied by a board with authority to
take into account the desires and require-
ments of citizens.
The State Board of Education keeps the
State's educational program effectively
functioning to prohibit outside forces from
encroaching where federal management is
remote and minimizes many elements. So
essentially in adopting education to state
and local demands, the State Board also
protects the forces of private interests,
seeking to sublimate quality education for
financial equality. There are forty-eight
states in this union having State Boards
of Education, together with commissions
and superintendents managing the affairs
of the educational department.
We should therefore constitutionalize the
state superintendent as an ancillary factor
in this board of education. He is chosen by
the board. The board should be a lay board,
and he should be the professional member
of that board. The combination of a lay
board control and professional administra-
tion is a proper democratic process that
has still the test of time. A state board
relieves a single state official from the sole
responsibility in public education. The state
board can serve to maintain for education
the place it deserves and has rightly oc-
cupied in the structure of the state govern-
ment.
Education is no longer the three R's.
With the passing of time the tree has
grown, and many branches have come
forth. The State Board continues to meet
challenges in discovering new social de-
mands and in devising effective ways in
meeting them. As a matter of internal op-
eration the board has chosen liaison among
its members, not blind agreement but
rather an atmosphere of mutual under-
standing. By extending this atmosphere to
a geographical area where board members
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