Page:History of Public School Education in Arizona.djvu/82

76 as much as 250 miles. Notwithstanding these difficulties the meetings were well attended, the programs were well filled, and much interest was manifested. It would appear that they were now becoming of real value to the system and had already contributed to the organization of the teaching forces.

As if taking up the school question where he had dropped it 12 years before, Supt. Long again turned his attention to the course of study which had been originally outlined and put into use during his earlier administration, in 1885–1887, but abandoned under Strauss. From that time to 1899 the schools had gone on their uneven and creaking way without rudder or compass. The new course of study as prepared by Supt. Long was adopted by the board of education on September 26, 1899, and was published and distributed among the teachers. At the same time a course of study for the new Union High School of Maricopa County, at Phoenix, was approved.

The examination questions for the use of the county boards of examiners were prepared quarterly, printed, and forwarded to the proper officers in time for the regular examinations in March, June, September, and December. New rules for the government of the county boards in giving these examinations were now adopted, and the questions themselves were large in number and searching in character. The fact that 277 teachers out of 399 were holding life, educational, or first-grade certificates indicates that the qualifications of teachers were rising. During the two years there were granted 21 educational diplomas, 5 life diplomas, and 18 certificates granted on diplomas, and 27 Territorial certificates.

The development in the growth of statistics during this period shows great progress over earlier years. These are now so complete that they begin to be of real service in a study of the Territory.

Mr. Long was again nominated by Gov. Murphy for the office of superintendent on March 19, 1901, and continued to serve in that capacity until July 1, 1902, when he resigned. Nelson G. Layton was nominated by Gov. Brodie and confirmed as his successor.

Under the system of appointment in use in Arizona the general supervision of the schools was made subject to the whim of the governor every two years, and during the nineteenth century it was customary for each governor to change the school superintendent, in this way subjecting the schools to a succession of new men who, however well disposed and anxious to serve the schools, were hardly through the initiatory stages of office before called on to vacate for another, who began not where they left off but where they began. This constant change was always a cause of serious interruption to the progress of the schools. With the beginning of the present