Oral history interview with Dr. W. P. Shofstall, October 1974., about 1974 October 1, 2005 May 20

Bury interviews Shofstall at the end of his fifth year in the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Shofstall describes his educational experience and reveals that his educational philosophy developed fully after living for four years in post-World War II Germany (1946-1950). He describes his love of free enterprise and attempts to eliminate "communist" or "socialist" ideals from the classroom, while taking a balanced look at the role of church and state in the public schools. He strongly supports private schooling. He expresses his disapproval of teachers who strike, backing of local autonomy in textbook selection and adoption, refusal of Federal aid and a belief that teachers should have a sense of professional ethics which seems to be lacking. He also states that he is wary of supporting sex education in public schools and that he agrees with bicultural and not bilingual education.