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CHAPTER II.

ADMINISTRATION OF SCHOOL AFFAIRS.

Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The chief officer of the state educational system is the superintendent of public instruction, who is elected at the time of the general state election for a term of two years, commencing on the first day of January next following his election.

His salary is one thousand dollars a year and his office is SALARY. at the capitol in Lansing.

ASSISTANTS.

He is assisted in the performance of his official duties by a deputy and five clerks appointed by himself. The deputy is required to take the constitutional oath of office and is authorized by law to execute the duties of the office in the absence of the superintendent or in case of a vacancy. Appointments made by the super. intendent may be revoked by the superintendent at any time (4639).*

1.

POWERS AND DUTIES.

To visit each and every state institution that is essentially educational in character and to meet with the governing board of each institution at least once in each year (4639).

VISIT STATE

INSTITUTIONS.

ANNUAL

2. To prepare an annual report to the governor, which report shall contain the following information: (a) A statement of the condition of the University and of

REPORT.

*NOTE.-These numbers refer to sections in the Compiled Laws of Michigan.

each of the several state educational institutions, all incorporated institutions of learning, and the primary, graded, and high schools.

(b) Estimates and amounts of expenditures of all educational funds.

(c) Plans for the management of all educational funds, and for the better organization of the educational system, if in his opinion the same be required.

(d) The annual reports and accompanying documents, so far as he shall deem the same of sufficient public interest, of all state institutions of educational character.

(e) Abstracts of the annual reports of the school inspectors of the several townships and cities of the state.

(f) All such other matter relating to his office and the subject of education generally as he shall deem expedient to communicate (4639).

COMPILATION
OF SCHOOL
LAWS.

3. To compile and cause to be printed all general laws relating to schools, with necessary forms, regulations, and instructions for conducting all proceedings under said laws. Such compilation must include rules for the management of libraries of townships and school districts, one copy to be furnished to each of the several school offices intrusted with the management of school affairs (4641).

PRIMARY
APPORTION-
MENT.

4. To prepare statements directing the semi-annual apportionment of the primary school interest fund among all the children between the ages of five and (under) twenty years of age. Between the first and tenth days of each May and November these statements are made to the auditor general, showing the number of pupils of school age in each county, township, and city, as appears from the reports of school officers filed in the office of public instruction during the month of October just previous to the May apportionment. The auditor general, on receiving such statements, is authorized to draw a warrant upon the

state treasurer in favor of the treasurer of each county for the amount due to each county. In case the reports from any county, township, city or district, are defective, the superintendent is authorized to ascertain, by the best evidence he can obtain, the facts upon which the apportionment shall depend. It is the intention of the law that districts shall not lose public money on account of inaccurate or incomplete reports; if the superintendent is unable to gather such information or if he finds that school has not been taught in the district at least five months (4665, paragraph 11), it is his duty to cause such districts to forfeit their share of this fund. He may, if he finds that officers failed to comply with the law through no fault of their own, apportion such deficiency at the time of the next apportionment (4642 and 4643). The preparation of this statement is one of the most important duties of the superintendent of public instruction.

FORFEITURE.

5. To prepare statements for the division of library money among townships and districts entitled to receive a portion of the same (4761).

LIBRARY

APPORTION

MENT.

EXAMINATION
QUESTIONS.

6. To prepare all examination questions to be used at county teachers' examinations. He is required to send the same under seal to the commissioner of schools (4812). He shall also send to commissioner of schools the questions furnished by the president of the Agricultural College for use in the examination of candidates for admission into said college (4821).

7. To prescribe rules and regulations relative to the granting of certificates by county board of examiners (4815).

COUNTY CER-
TIFICATES.

8. To approve and countersign, in his discretion, first INDORSED grade certificates (4813).

CERTIFICATES.

9. To prepare and furnish to school officers blank forms BLANKS AND for annual reports to the department (4815).

REPORTS.

INSTITUTES.

10. To arrange for a teachers' institute in each organized county of the state and act as conductor of the same, or appoint some suitable person or persons to act as conductor or instructors. He has general supervision of the institutes and directs the disbursements of money belonging to the institute fund (4839).

11. He may appoint, in his discretion, boards of visitors to any incorporated institution of learning within the state (8145).

VISITING
BOARDS.

12. He is a member of the state board of education (Art. 13, Sec. 9, Mich. Constitution) and the state board of geological survey (1519).

DUTIES
EX OFFICIO.

12a. It is also his duty to prepare for the district schools a course of study comprising the branches required for third grade certificate, said course to be known as the Agricultural College course (4791).

OTHER
DUTIES.

13. He shall perform such other duties as are or shall be required of him by law and, at the expiration of his term of office, shall deliver to his successor all property, books, documents, maps, records, reports and all other papers belonging to his office, or which may have been received by him for the use of his office.

13a. The legislature of 1899 made it the duty of the superintendent to authorize the establishment in cities of day schools for deaf children, such schools to have an attendance of not less than three deaf children (Act 176, 1899).

State Board of Education.

Including the superintendent of public instruction, this board is composed of four members. The three members of the board other than the superintendent are elected for terms of six years and receive three dollars per day for their actual services, together with necessary traveling and other expenses. At each biennial state election one member is elected.

The board has general care and management of the state normal schools, and its general duties relating CARE OF STATE thereto are prescribed by law (1812 to 1832). We give in this chapter only such duties as pertain

NORMAL.

to the general school system of the state.

PRESCRIBED
COURSE OF
STUDY.

POWERS AND DUTIES.

1. The board is required by law to prescribe in the state normal schools a course of study intended especially to prepare students for teaching the rural and elementary schools of the state, such course to provide not less than twenty weeks of special professional instruction. The board is also required to maintain uniform and reciprocal courses of study in the two state normal schools, and provide courses from which diplomas and certificates may be granted, fixing the periods for which said diplomas and certificates are valid in the schools of the state (1816).

SCHOOL.

GRANT
DIPLOMAS.

In addition to the course mentioned above, the board is reMAINTAIN quired to maintain a fully equipped training TRAINING school as a school of observation and practice. 2. Diplomas for five years are now granted by the state board of education upon the recommendation of the principal and faculty of the school, and diplomas for life are granted to those who have completed a full course of not less than four years study. Diplomas granted by the board are legal certificates to teach in all the schools of the state, when recorded with the legal examining officer of the county or city where the holder thereof proposes to teach.

3. The board also holds two examinations each year at Lansing, to examine candidates for state certifiGRANT STATE Cates. These examinations are usually held dur

CERTIFICATES. ing the last weeks of July and December. State certificates are valid during life.

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