The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-04-27
population of the counties as thus clas.
sed.
GJr Rrgistrr.
MIDDLEBURY, APRIL 81, 1853.
Our Common School system.

school system naturally eXcites solictude
among the real friends Of popular educa-
ton. While other states have been ad-
vancing, in regard to this great pub
lie interest aud have adopted liberal and
enlightened measures for the accom-
plishmcnt ofthe highest practicable good
through this instrpmentality, we find a
humiliating contrast in the course of
things for the last NO years, in this state.
Nowhere in the world, it would seem.
ought common schools to be better Or
ganized, or of higher order intrinsical-
ly, than in Vermont. No other state
interest should have a stronger hold up
on the popular mind, or awaken more
united and efficient action than this
And yet, we believe those who best I'M
derstand the matter will concede. that
manifest check has been put upon the
the advancement of this cause in our
state; that we are at this moment far
behind many neighboring states in the
perfection of our common school system;
and that, while this condition of disor
ganization and of consequent inefficency
remains, the isolated efforts of individ.
uals. or even the combined exertions of
numbers in particular locality, can ac.
complish little or nothing to stay this
downward tendency.
Holding these views, we come direct.
ly to what appears to us the chief cause
of this evil, and the only practicable rem
edy In our judgment, the only expedi-
ent and feasible system to be adopted in
this state, at least for the present, is es
sentially that now contained in our stat
ute-book, and the observance of which is as
much the duty of every good citizen, as
obedience to any other law of the land.
To the neglect. or rather to the repudi-
alton of this law by one branch of the leg
islature, for two years past, the evil con-
dition of things of which we have spoken
is undoubtedly to be referred. Hence,
we think the only possible remedy is
return to the faithful observance of the
law as it is.
When this subject was before the
House last fall, it appeared to be uni
versally granted that provision should
be specially made by the state for the
education of teachers--either by insti-
tutes or otherwise This is a PROPOSE
ton that will hardly be questioned in
any respectable quarter. In order to
such instruction, there must be some or
ganization, with an authoritative head.
All business affairs are conducted on
this principle. If for no other than this
one purpose, state superintendent is
nearly indispensable.
Wherever important interests are to
be managed, an executive head is as IN
variably required by men of business as in
the army, the navy, or the federal gov
erument. The magnitude of the interests
involved in the case we arc considering,
and on much higher ground than merely
the education of teachers. clearly and en-
phatcally brings it within the rule There
is public investment of hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually, to be used
for the education of the rising genera
ton Whether we consider, then, the
amount of money invested, or the meal
culably momentous work for which it is to
be expended,we must be forced to confess
that most careful supervision is here
demanded. As well might the Railroads
of New England be safely managed and
without superintendent, as
the common schools of Vermont accom-
plish their proper work without an ex-
ecutive, supervisory head.
A return to the law as it is, then, we
deem indispensable to the success and
elevation of our free schools. The Office
of State Superintendent may be "unpop-
ular" in some localities, and with partic-
ular individuals, but such is not the case,
we are sure, with the active friends of
common school advancement generally,
or with the great mass of our citizens who
feel any interest in this subject. They
believe the Office is essential and should
be retained. What we want isl concentra-
ton of effort on this one point Let the
matter be agitated, and let organizations
of teachers and others, in behalf of popu-
lar education, keep this one aim steadily
in view, and we believe another session
of the Legislature need not pass without
the election of State Superintendent
Above all things, it seems to us important
to avoid division of strength upon new
projects Improvements will undoubt-
edly be made hereafter, but until We have
Superin tendent-until we have made
the existing law obsolete by deriving
from it all the benefit of which il ia ca
pable-any attempt to introduce new
and higher system, will, in our judgment,
inevitably fail