Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-04-16
ELECTION OF COUNTY SUPER
INTENDENTS.

MS may u6 tIle last NO. Oh our jour-
nal that will meet the eyes of Directors
before they assemble 10 elect County Su-
perintendents for the next three school
years. The proper performance of that
duty, SO as TO effect the original design of
the liberal and far-seeing Legislature which
established the Office, will be of incalcula-
BILE benefit to the State; and the contrary
will be equally injurious. 1t is, therefore,
our design, as one amongst the thousands
OF Pennsylvanians who are watching the
workings of this new feature in our edu-
cational system with intense interest, frank
iy TO state The conclusions to which our
observations have led.
Three years ago, few Directors or others
had any clear view of the necessity, ma
ture, mode of operation, or probable re-
suits of this Office. The natural conse-
quences were, in the first instance, numer-
Gus mistakes in selection and compensa-
f. ton. These have been, we think errone.
ously, attributed, in and out of the State,
to settled purpose 10 defeat The office,
out of general hostility TO the system it.
sell. In a few cases, this feeling may
have had its influence; but in most, the
action complained of really grew out of
mere want of knowledge of the nature of
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 NAV have
been the cause, it is certain that the duty
of selecting County Superniendents was
so performed as TO produce one of the
three following results: Either,
|. An incompetent person was chosen,
who failed, no matter what the salary.
Or,
2. 4 competent was chosen, who failed,
or was crippled in his operations, by total
lnadequacy of salary. Or,
8. A competent person was selected,
with adequate salary, who fulfilled the
just expectations of the friends Of the law.
From this it would appear that fitness
in the person and adequacy of compensa-
ton are the elements-the essential con-
dilions-of success. OF course, as in all
other complex affairs, there are instances
that appear to conflict with this conclusions;
but on close inspection they will be found
rather 10 confirm II. For example: one
Superintendent may have been so well
qualified for his station, and so devoted to
/ the system, that he discharged lis duties at
most shamefuIly inadequate salary. But
who will argue from this, that it is the
right Of the public to impose such bur-
then on private means or individual patri-
/ otism! Or ii may have been that all the
conditions appeared to be seeured-both
adequacy Of salary and "skiII and expert
ence in The art OF teaching'-yet failure
ensued. But who will condemn the Office,
because, here and there, good teacher
may have made poor Superintendent?
Many an able lawyer makes miserable
Judge; few of the most successful practis-
ing physicians are qualified for the Pro-
| lessor's chair; SO a capital teacher of boys
may not succeed as Teacher of Teachers
and administrative officer of complicated
school system.
Itwould be no difficult task to run over
the whole State and show the correctness
of the conclusions just stated. But it is
neither proper or necessary.
Taking for granted, that experience has
fully justified the wisdom of the Legisla-
ture in requiring the selection of fit per-
son and the payment of sufficient salary,
for this office, two questions arise:
l. Who is a fit person for the office?
2. Uhat is a sufficient salary2
In answer to the first question, it may,
in the words of the school law, be replied
that fitness consists in
/. Literary and scientific acquire
ments. These are both indispensable,
and the degree of them should be consid-
erable. In every county, schools of every
rank and grade-from the lowest primary
to the high school, " tn its full round of
branches-are or must soon come into ex-