Page:What to do for Uncle Sam; a first book of citizenship (IA whattodoforuncle00bail).pdf/24

20 built a schoolhouse, always just as fine, and large, and beautiful a schoolhouse as possible. Uncle Sam called at every house in every district, too, to find out how many children there were in each, and how it was possible for them to get to their school. He planned to have as few children as possible in each classroom so that the teacher might know them all very well. Later, his towns paid the carfare of children who lived too far away to walk to their school, and bought vehicles to carry the crippled ones.

Uncle Sam is very fond of his plan of government, and he decided next to establish a special school government. He thought about this a long time and planned it with the greatest care. Every school in every state in the Union has its officers whose duties are to appoint the teachers, decide when there shall be holidays, attend to the selection of schoolbooks, pencils, paper, and all the rest of the school supply materials; plan what studies shall be taught, appoint school nurses and doctors to care for the health of the boys and girls, repair and rebuild new schoolhouses, buy coal, and be Uncle Sam’s right hand school-men generally.

Each state has its own name for these school officers: School Committee, School Directors, Board of Education, School Visitors, or something like that. Uncle Sam permits your father, and perhaps your mother, to vote to elect these officers in your