Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-25
For the Bradford Reporter.l
THE OFFICE OF OUNTY SUPERINTENDENT
HOW IT

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10 inspect all teachers to be employed in the
common schools of the county. He must sec
that in every district there is taught O~rthogra-
ply, Reading, Writing, English Grammar,
Geography and Arithmetic, as well as such
other branches as the board of directors may
require. To this end lie is required to ~vlSit,aS
often as practicable, the several schools OF the
county. and to note the course and method OF
instruction and branches taught, and to give
such directions in the art of teaching and the
method thereof in each school as shall be deem
ed expedieut and necessary, so that each school
shall be equal to the grade for which it was
established, and that there may be as far as
practicable uniformity in the course of studies
in schools of the several grades respectively.
These are the principal duties of the county
superintendent. There are about $50 schools
in this large County, and to inspect and license
teachers for them it is necessary to pass into
the several school districts twice every year
This course has been adopted-in fact, is the
only course that can be adopted with any de-
gree of success. To reqnire all the teachers of
the county to go to Highland to be inspected,
would be extremely oppressive to them, would
do violence to the law upon the subject, and
would have the effect to leave many of the
more distant districts without a teacher. The
Superintendent, therefore, passes around, first
giving notice to each district of the time of
meeting for examination. The arrival of so
high a functionary-a man of literary and sci
entiic requirements, and skilled in the art Of
teaching, creates some little stir and talk. The
more timid, and many times more worthy aud
intelligent, modest!y distrusting their abilities
to pass such an ordeal, do not appear-while
some of the more Independent, and not unfre-
quently, self-conceited and unworthy, are on
hand. They are strangers to the Superinten-
dent and he to them. He knows nothing of
their respective characters and habits, their
success as teachers, or their mode of teaching.
A silent examination is gone through with by
the Superintendent asking questions, the most
of which tax merely the memory-not tie
knowhMgc of the teacher. Their answers are
written down silently and according to the best
OF the teachers recollection. Not a word passes
between Inspector and inspected-no explana-
lions are allowed which might many times show
the answers to be substantially, though not
technically correct, and which might also salts
fy the inspector that the teacher understood
the principles inyolved-even better than him
self. No inquiries are made with reference to
their mode of teaching the different branches.
Nothing asked about school government, and
nothing elected as to their ability to impart i'll
struction. At the close of these exercises, he
takes those written answers to his room, and
in the absence of the teachers, and without
their explanations, qualifications or defences to
their answers, compares them with his standard
authors and pronounces judgment.-To some
who have always had good success as teachers,
but who could not tell him "the elements of
the Sun" or tell what those sounds were called
which were made 10y the use of the teeth and
tongue, he gives a third class certifcate-and
to some inferior teachers, who could answer
like a parrot, a first class certificate. Having
supped with some of the well paid school d-
rectors he leaves for another district.
Now, we maintain that a stranger is not the
proper person to examine teachers, and that
these silent written examinations are not the
proper way to ascertain their qualifications and
abilities to teach. What does a stranger from
Highland know of the success a man in some
distant district may have had in teaching p
What does he know of his moral character
of his abilities to govern a school, and to i'm
part to others what knowledge he may possess
himself? All these things it is important to
know and yet, of all these things the Super
intendent is necessarily quite ignorant, and
about which his mode of examination does not
enlighten him. 1t matters not that the peo-
pie and directors of the district nag attend the
examination. 1t may be very inconvenient for
them to attend, and those that are present can
learn nothing by these SALIENT examinations. An
inspection of the deaf and dumb would be equal
ly as satisfactory. All look equally knowing,
and write their equally correct, so far
as spectators may know. Their presence can
be no protection against the unworthy and ig-
norant for they can as we'll be examined else
where and at other times-for the Superinten-
dent is obliged to examine all who present them
selves for that purpose. True, they may have
the privilege of examining the written answers
after he has left, but those written answers
without the Superintendent uritten or printed
questions would be "Greek to them" MANY
of those answers are barely commenced-many
merely numbered and not answered at ALL
Where this results from inability to answer, for
the want of time to consider the subject, or
from being unduly hurried by the inspector. no