The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-04-29
ELECTION OF COUNTY sUPERiN-
TENDENTS.

proper performance Of that duty, so as to ef-
fec, the original design OF the liberal and
far-seeing Legislature which established the
office, will be of incaiculabIe benefit 10 the
State; and the contrary will be equally inju.
rious. II is, therefore, our design. as one
amongst the thousands of Pennsylvanians
who are watching the workings< of this new
feature in our educational system with in.
tense interest, frankly to stale the conclu sions
10 which our observations have led.
Three ..years ago, few Directors or others
had any clear view Of the necessity, nature,
mode of operation, or probable results oil
this Office. The natural consequences were,
in the first instance, numerous mistakes in
selection and compensation. These have
been, we think enormously, attributed, in
and out of the State, 10 a settled purpose to
defeat the Office, out of general hostility I O
the system itself. In few cases, ibis feel
ing may have had lie influence; but ID most,
the action complained Of really grew out oi
meIe want Of knowleds 70 Of the nature o
the Office itself, and an honest belief that
such an addition to the expense and the
working machinery of the system was wholly
unnecessary. Whatever may have been The
| cause: il is certain that tae duty Of selecting
| County Snperiniendents was SO performed az
10 produce one of the three following results:
Either,
1. ~ incompetent person was chosen,
who fahed, no matter what the salary. Or,
2. A competent person was chosen, who
failed, or was crippled in his operations, by
total lnadequacy OF salary. Or,
8. A Acompe,eni person was selected, with
adequate salary, who fulfilled The just expec-
tatoHs Of the friends oil the law.
From this it would appear that fitness in
the person and adequacy of compensation
are The elemanls-lhe essential conditions
OF success. OF course, as in all other COM
plex affairs, there are instances that appear
10 couflict with this conclusion; but on close
inspection they will be found rather 10 con.
| firm il. For example: one Superintendent
may have been so we'll qualified for The sta
tion, and SO devoted 10 the SYSTEM that he
discharged lis duties a, a most shamefuliy
inadequate salary. But who will argue from
this, that il is the right Of the public 10 i'm.
| pose such bur,hen on private means or in
dividual palrioiismt Of it may have been
that all the conditions appeared to be secur-
ed-bo,h adequacy of salary and "skill and
experience in The art of teaching"--yei fail.
ufe ensued. Blu! who will condemn the Of
fee, because, here and there, good teacher
may have made a poor uperinlendent?-
Many an able lawyer makes a miserable
Judge; few of :he most successful practising
physicians are qualified for the Professor,
Chair; so a capital teacher of boys may moi
succeed as Teacher of Teachers and admin.
is,rative officer Of complicated school sys
tenn.
Il would be no difficult task TO run owe
the whole State and show the correctness o
the conclusions Just stated. But il is neilhe
proper mol necessary.
Taking j, for granted, that experience ha,
fully justified the wisdom OF the Legislature
10 requiring The selection OF fit person ant
the payrnen, of sufficient salary, for thi
Office, two questions arise:
1. Who is fiji person for the officel
2. What is sufficient salary?
/. sLiterary and scientific requirements.
These are both indispensable, and the de
gree OF them should be considerable. Il
every county, schools of every rank ant
grade-from the lowest primary TO The bigl
school, with its full round of branches-art
or must soon come into existence; and I,
discharge the Office properly, the Superin
tenden, mus, be qualified "lo examine" al
The Teachers, Ito visit" them, and "giv,
such instructions in the an of Teaching aa'
The method thereof in each school" as III,
condition and grade of each shall require
! How can This be done, except by one VIII,
is scholar enough TO teach the Teacher O
the highest branch taught in the highes
school in his coun,ya
1 2. "Skill and Experience in the Art q
| Teaching" is another requisite-not onl
ok i'll TO know, but practice 10 do. II is NJ
doubt true, that, in some instances, The offic
has been well filled BY persons Of no srea
actual experience in the art. This is owiu'
| to the known fact that some men have nat
urally in them go much of the elements o
i the Teacher, and such love for the worl
and the cause, as 10 supply, 10 great desre,
all other defects. But the exception onl,
proves the rule, for the instance of faiiGr
for want OF this element have been too nu
merous 10 leave the question doubtful. Bu
mere learning and professional skill are no
sufficient, unless, as'the law and the neces
si,y OF the case everywhere intimate, the,
are accompanied with power 10 make then
, efficient Hence,
3. Ability to impart knowledge, and Civ
information, publicly as well as privately, l
indispensable. Since the passage Of the &C
of 1s54-iu addition 10 the public meeting
for the examination Of Teachers, and Oh
visitation Of schools in the presence of di
| reetors and parents thereby prescribed-th'
, holding Of district AID county Institutes, As
sociaiions and Meetings, for the improve
ment Of Teachers, and the delivery of pub
lie lectures and addresses for the furtheranc
: Of the system and the explanation Of tb
L. haze harnx,o uaaaroI -.I -