Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-05-03
EDUCATIONAL Department.
J. BRYsON BURROWS. EDITOR.
School Directors.


School Directors.
The most important office connected with Com
mon School education is that of Directors. And
yet it is the one most neglected and abused. A
director holds the same position, morally, over a
school that he does erhis own family. And he can
no more evade the duties which that office imposes
upon him than he can the duties which the law Of
God and man impose upon him as the father Of a
family. When man accepts the Office Of school
director, he signs an article of agreement with the
people to perform certain duties-if he neglects
those duties he breaks that article of agreement,
thereby losing character and proving unworthy Of
the trust reposed in him. The children of the
school over which he presides are his children by
adoption and he is bound, morally and legally, to
provide for their wants. and assist them in the pur-
suit Of their studies. But how many of the d.
rectors in the rural districts of the State do this
Our school records chronicle but few. To direct
ors the community generally look for example in
all things pertaining to common school education.
"They are the head, and must lead, or We can do
nothing" is the exclamation we hear daily, by
persons deeply interested in education, but whose
energies are crippled by the Indifference and neg
fgence Of in many instances, lazy, Ignorant, dog
in-the-manger men, who, according to law and
constitution lord it over them. The great trouble
Is, that the Office of director is regarded mere
nominal affair, beneath the dignity of enlightened
manhood; and, if accepted, only to be retained as
the manifestation of an enlarged spirit of accom-
mediation. These accommodating men regard the
cause Of education honored and dignifed by their
acceptance of the Office, but never moment think
ofthe responsibility and confidence reposed in them
by parents, who trust to their care the immortal
minds Of their children, the future destinies Of the
country The majority Of school directors, to their
shame be it said, in Louisiana never enter the
school room; they avoid it as they would lazar
house-thcir time is SO engaged-their business
pressing, that it is impossible for them to devote
an hour Of each week or month to a supervision of
the work they have obligated themselves to direct.
This neglect to perform duties agreed to in good
faith, in any other department of life, would be
visited with the severest condemnation. No indi-
vidual could stand under the whitening scorn and
contempt that would be heaped upon him for such
instances of reckless depravity-he would not be
trusted because he had no integrity-he would not
be employed because he could not be relied upon.
If planter engages an overseer to direct and
oversee his business he expects him to be attentive
to his duties; if he neglects them, il he waves
the responsibility which he morally and legally
binds himself to assume, he is disgraced account
of obliquity. This principle holds good with the
merchant, mechanic, and all classes of men but if
director, or board Of directors who are employed
ligated themselves to perform, prove recreant to
the trust and confidence reposed in them, there is
no moral obiquity This is strange code Of morals
1t is time that men should be impressed with the
responsibility they take upon themselves when
elected to the Office of school director, and until
this impression is made, until men are awakened to
sense of moral and public duty, until they are
taught to regard the dictatorship Of school districts
as one Of the highest and most important devol-
wing upon citizen, will our common schools plod
on, peu-d-peu, as they have been doing for years
past legalized shame to the State just and dis
criminate legislation will avail the ffty-three thou
sand children of this great State nothing, unless
parents arouse from the dull lethargy and cold in
difference which now rests SO like pail upon them.
We will mention one or two Of what we conceive
to be the most important duties devolving upon d.
rectors. Visit the schools under your direction, if
possible, every day-at least, once every week.
No school, however well it may be arranged, or
how capable and faithful the teacher, can prosper,
unless enlivened and cbeered by the presence Of
those who direct it.
Pupils improve in proportion to the attention |
they receive, and it matters not what the attain
ments or experience of q teacher may be, he can |
rarely, if ever succeed in teaching well, in ava
kening to proper extent all the energies Of the
mind of his pupils, unless his own mind and
the minds of the children under his care, are slim
ulated by the presence and encouraging words Of
directors. School teachers are like other men who
labor for the pubic-they are actuated as they are
encouraged. Where this is not the case, they will
retire from their fields of labor or neglect their
duties. A director should study the wants of his
charge as physician the wants Of his patient.
He should inform himself by books and observa-
ton Of the best manner to govern schools and
advance their interests. He should exercise inge-
nuity, always devising new systems where old
ones fail; should visit and converse with parents
upon the subject Of their children's education,
particularly enjoining upon them the necessity Of
sending regularly, and of requiring implicit ebe-
dience to all reasonable demands of teachers.
He should collect information for schools, and in
plain, practical manner difuse it among teachers
attend Teachers Institute and educational con-
ventons, to awaken attention to the subject Of
schools, and form correct public sentiment in
regard to popular education. e7's
These are few Of the important duties Of
school directors and until they are followed out,
we need not expect our common schools to be es-
tabtshed upon that basis which the wants of the
State demand.
On Monday the borough election for school Off
GERS will be held to serve for the ensuing year.
Gentlemen Of ability are put forward by two great