Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-06-01
Circular.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMON Schools,
Harrisburg, May 81, 1854.

To School DireccOrs:
GENTLEMEN Your attention is respectfully
invited to the importance of the office Of County
Superintendent, which you called upon to
fill on the first Monday Of June next. Ifincom-
petent, unworthy or inefficient men should be
selected, the new system, from which so much
is expected, may prove Intellectual to produce the
reforms required; but if proper persons are cleo
ted County Superinteudcnts, the result must be
most advantageous. Upon you, gentlemen, in a
great degree, rests the responsibility, and no
doubt is entertained but that you viii perform
the important duty dcvolving upon you as be-
comes those placed in positions of public trust.
In makinga selection, strict regard should be
had to qualifications, habi Of morality. indus
try and previous jealous support of Education by
Common Schools. The thirty-ninth section Of
the law requires that the person selected should
be of - literary and scientific requirements, +"
and of skill and experience in the art Of teach
ing" The forticth section requires the State
Superintendent to commission - the person prop
crly qualified who shall receive the highest NAM
Der of votes" Thus if it should be shown that
the person you elect was not "Properly quail
fed the State Superintendent would be requir-
ed by the law, to commission the candidate next
highest in vote if so qualified
What arc the proper qualifications? good
education is one qualification; " Of literary and
scientific requirements" is another; integrity,
energy, industry, morality. are also required.
Another, Of great weight and Importance, Is THAI
the person selected shall be skilled and expert
enced in the art OF teaching. To this point yonr
attention is particularly directed. j few months
expcrien c, or the fact that the pctson selected
was once in his tlife teacher, will not fulfil the
law. The experience must have been ample and
of recent date. This is the construction placed
upon the law, and no person will be commits
stoned Is County Superintendent, when the fact
is known, who is not fully qualified IN this res
poet. This is not only in accordance with the
spirit Of the law, but it IS also required by
proper regard for its due administration Ger
tainly 10 enc should be appointed to examine as
teachers who IS not able to pass, with credit, a
rigid examination in all the branches te be taught
in the schools, and III the art Of teaching. In
less County Superintendent undcrs ands the
business of teaching thoroughly, as 4 science,
theoretically and practically, he will prove an
incuu brance and an annoyance TO the Schools
instead of an able director and promoter Of 4her
best interests. The best interests of the public,
therefore, as well the spirit OF the law, point
clearly to your best teachers as the most proper
persons to be selected for this important position
The law properly leaves the rate Of comPensa-
tion of County Superintcndents to be fixed by
the directors. Each convention can best deter
mine the time necessarily employed in discharg-
ing the duties of County Superintendent and the
value Of the services to be rendered. The COM
pensation should be liberal, without being oxtray
agant, and should be sufficient, at least, to cna-
bic that officer to visit and inspect all the Schools
of the County as often as practicable.
Ii. L. DIEFFENBACH.
DsPmdy Superintendent of c. s.