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

This may be the last No. OF our Journal
that will meet the eyes Of Directors before
they assemble 10 elect County Superinlend.
ents Tor the next three school years. The
proper performance Of that duty, SO as to eff.
feet The original design Of The lbera! and
iar'seeing Legislature which established the
office, will be of incalcuable benefi, to the
State; and the contrary will be equally iniu.
rious. II is, therefore, our design. as one
amongst the thousands Of Pennsylvauiaus
who are watching the workings of this new
feature in our educational system with in.
tense interest, frankly to state The conclu sions
10 which our observations have led.
Three yeats ago, few Directors or others
had any clear view Of the necessity, nature,
mode of operation, or probable results OF
this office, The natural consequences were,
in the first instance, numerous mistakes in
selection aud compensation. These have
been, we think erroneously, attributed, in
and out OF the State, 10 a settled purpose to
defeat tho office, out Of general hostility 10
the system itself. In few cases, this feel
ing may have had lie influence; but in most,
the action complained Of really grew out of
mete want Of knowledge OF the nature of
the office itself, and an honest belief that
such an addition to lhs expense and the
working machinery of the system was wholly
unnecessary, Whatever may have been the
cause, it is certain ,ha, the duty Of selecting
County Superintendenls was so performed as
10 produce one of the three following results
Either,
]. An incompetent person was chosen,
who failed, no matter wha, the salary. Or,
2 A competent person was chosen, who
failed, or was crippled in his operations, by
total inaeequacy Of salary. Or,
s. A competent person was selected, with
adequate salary, who fulfilled the jus, expec-
tations OF the friends OF the law.
From this i, would appear that fitness in
the person and adequacy of compensation
are the elemanls-the essential conditions
OF success. OF course, as in all other com
pick affairs, there are instances that appear
to conilict 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 TO the system, that he
discharged it's duties al a most shamefuIly
inadequate salary. But who will argue from
this, that il is the right Of the public TO i'm.
poeo such q 1","e" u" r.i,s,s noa"s i"
dividual patriotism! Or it may have been
that all the conditions appeared 10 be seour-
ed-boh adequacy Of salary and "skill and
experience in The art Of leachiug"--yel fail.
ure ensued. Blu! who will condemn the o.
fee, because, here and there, good teacher
may have made a poor Superintendent
Many an able lawyer makes a miserable
Judge; few Of he most successful practising
physicians are qualified for the Professors
Chair; so a capital teacher Of boys may not
succeed as Teacher of Teachers and admin
is,ralive officer Of complicated school sys-
tenn.
], would be no difficult task to run over
the whole State and show the correctness Of
the CONC .sions Just stated. But it is neither
proper NOT necessary.
Taking il tor granted, that experience has
fully justified the wisdom Of the Legislature
in requiring The selection Of fiji person and
the payment Of sufficient salary, for this
office, two questions arise:
I. Who is fit person for the office!
What .s a enH,nio eaIory1
/. Literary and scientific requirements.
These are both indispensable, and the de-
gree OF them should be considerable. In
every county, schools Of every rank and
grade-from the lowest primary 10 The high
school, with its full round of branches-are
or must soon come into existence; and 10
discharge The Office properly, the Superin.
teudent must be qualified "lo examine" all
the Teachers, ''lo visit" them, and 'give
such instructions in the art Of Teaching aud
the method thereof in each school" as the
condition and grade of each shall require
How can this be done, except by one who
is scholar enough 10 teach the Teacher Of
the highest branch taught in the highest
school in his county7
2. "Skill and Experience in the Art of
Teaching" is another requisite-not only
SIX i'll 10 know, but practice 10 do. 1t is no
doubt true, that, in some instances, the Office
has been we'll filled by persons of no great
actual experience in the art. This is owing
TO the known fact that some men have nat.
uraly in them so much of the elements Of
The Teacher, and such love for the work
and the cause, as to supply, 10 great degree
all other defects. But the exception only
proves The rule, for the instance Of failure
for wan, of this elem ent have been too nu.
merous 10 leave The question doubtful. But
mere learning and professional skill are not
sufficient, unless, as the law and the neces-
sity OF the case everywhere intimate, they
are accompanied with power 10 make them
efficient. Hence,
8. Ability TO impar knowledge, and give
Information, publicly as we'll as privately, Is
indispensable. Since the passage of the act
of Is54--in addition TO the public meetings
for the examination OF Teachers, and The