The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-12-03
HAYS MCKINLEY.
For the Telegraph.
Correspondence from Bristol

think that upon a proper examination
OF what the law requires OF the County
Superintendent and the amount of labor
he performs there will be found "no cause
HE machinery Of ouI
Common School System in this county is
passably well SupeTintended, and the
least tibet can be said is that, it is as well
superintended as any other enterprise
could be for five hundred dollars per year
One would judge from ''Patron's" remarks
that visiting schools was the sole duty OF
the superintendent. At any rate he has
laid out five hundred dollars worth OF
labor in that single direction Visiting
schools is only one item of his labors. The
conduct ofthe Teachers Institute devolves
on the superintendent, and thorough
preparation for this involves large out
lay of time and labor The preparation
for and the examination of teachers and
issuing of licenses also involves a large
expenditure Of time and effort. To visit
every school in the county once while in
session according to the requirements OF
the law necessarily involves the expense,
OF horse and buggy unless our Superin-
tendcnt were "waIkist" like Weston.
The Teachers Institutes and public ex-
animation giVethe Superintendent good
knowledge of the qualifications Of those
aspiring to teach and the law requires
him to issue licenses on the basis Of that
knowledge
The teacher with the proof of his quail
fications in his hands contracts with the
proper officers to teach their school and is
amenable to them alone for the rightful
performance Of shis contract The Super
intendent has no right or duties as an
oversecr in school. lie cannot say to the
teacher do this or that in this way or the
other. Patrons plan of visiting is I'M
doubtedly good but the question is can
the Superintendent afford to perform this
additional labor for the present compensa-
ton. IF Patron" kaows of any person
having the requisite qualifications who
IN addition to all other duties devolying
on the Superintendent will do the amount
of visiting and blank book writing pro-
posed by him and digest the result of his
labors SO that the materials gathered can
be used to promote the cause ofeducation
for the sum of five hundred dollars, let
him come forward and he will be triumph
antly elected next fall We are too selfish
to refuse any man the privilege Of sacrifc-
ing himself to the good of his country by
doipg a thousand dollars worth of work
for five hundred
As the question is an open one will
take the opportunity of stating here my
reasons for prefering the County Superin-
tendent system. A greater interest ha:
been felt by teachers and patrons in the
Teachers Institutes. The public examin-
ations of teachers has given an increased
impetus TO the work. The standard OF
qualifications has thereby been raised and
and also made uniform for the different
grades of teachers. In the Town Superin.
tendent system there was no uniform
standard of qualifications and if remcm
Der rightly school visiting was a more an.
certain thing than under the present
regime. | think the present system car
be made still more efficient by requiring
the Superintendent to devote al his TIM
! to promoting The interests Of our schools
and paying lima fair compensation there
for. VIDL