The Portland daily press., 1871-12-22
Supervision of Schools.

1t is a singular historical fact that every step
made for the last fifty years in this State to-
wards advancing the interests of our common
schools has met with the most determined op-
position. Every public office in the depart
ment of education has been constantally expos
ed to attacks of the most virulent character
from the press and from legislators. While all
the other officers of the State have quietly pur-
sued their work, the State school superntend-
ent has always been looked upon with a certain
amount of suspicion and distrust. Every sug-
gestion made many years ago and which has
since redounded to the benefit and glory of the
State, was the subject of these attacks. Men,
who would never be seen in a school house,
knew perfectly well how to govern school,
build school house and make our school laws.
1t is high time a change was brought about in
public sentiment Instead of trying to sus-
tain men who acquire transient notoriety in
their opposition to our school interests, and
who in a short time will certainly fall into OBJ
scurity and be forgotten, it is high time that
those to whom are entrusted the guardianship
of the State should take the broadest and most
comprehensive view of our condition as peo-
pie. No officer should deem himself beyond the
IcstCl VI Uut WLCu IL 10 pcfSiotOuGiy
followed up every year, it is time for those who
have the interests of society at stake to pause
moment ard see what is to be the result of any
course that is to be proposed.
We need State Superintendent of schools.
1t is the most difficult office in the State to fill
Ten successful judges or governors can be found
to one superintendent Supervision is necessa-
ry in anything of Importance in this world. A
gang of worlzmen must be supervised. A body
of military men must have a superior officer
and one thatis supposed to qualify himself especi-
ally for his position. No man can succeed who
does not supervise his own work.
In nothing is careful supervision so neccessa-
ry as in our school system, and in nothing does
it pay so good dividend. County Supervision
has not proved failure. On the contrary, no
one thing has ever been done to elevate our
whole school system rapidly and so well as
the County supervision of the last three years.
/ have visited large number of the counties in
the State and have a right to an opinion:
There are counties where hundred good
schools can now be seen where there were but
ten when the office was established. Thousands
of teachers have attended the county and more
humble town institutes, who are now doing
splendid work in our schools. In a
neighboring county / entered school last
week in a rural district The teacher was
young lady from Cumberland county. I could
find no such school three years ago. The i'm
pulse she and every one fit to be teacher re-
ceived at the town and county institute was
school. Beautiful maps were drawn on the
blackboard. Every scholar was taught in PEN
manshlp, and shown how to do business in
business way. Free hand and geometrical
drawing found a place, so that the pupil will
not go out into the world with his hands tied.
This is now no unusual scene in very many
schools. A
Let teacher stand aloof from these improve
ments in teaching brought about by supervis-
ion, and he will make failure Of it. The
scholars know more than the teacher and are
quick to see it, have in two or three instan-
ces been witness to this.
There is mistaken view In regard to the du-
ties of the County Supervisor, He is supposed to
take the place of the town committee. 1t is no
such thing. His special province is to confer
with the committee, make such suggestions as
his enlarged experience gives him, and aid them
in carrying out these suggestions in every school
in his county. This, they will geuerally do.
No class of men have been benefited so much
by our present system as our school committees,
and where this kind of cooperation can be Sc
cured, it always manfests itself in better
schools. The mere visiting of schools should
be subordinate to his duties with the commit
tee. In some counties the number of schools
is too large to be under the immediate inspec-
ton of the County Supervisor, but he may put
in operation methods that will reach every nook
and corner of his county through the COM
mittee.
AS result of our present system thousands
OF young men have been induced to leave the
SeiNSe1
res. These are generally filed to overfiowing
Our colleges will soon be full, for there are
those whose desires are in that direction. Fo-
gylsm may enter an institute, sit there half an
hour, put its finger on its nose and leave thor
oughly disgusted, really because it did not
know how to appreciate what was going on. 1t
may shake its head at progress, but nevertheless
it will march steadily on. Break down our pres
ent system, and the rich will send their chill
dren to the higher seminary or private school,
and let the children of the poorer classes take
care of themselves This always was so, and it
always will be so. The best possible facilities
should be furnished in every school in the State
for the poorest child, and then the more
wealthy will patronize them.
A great deal has been said, and great deal
of groaning has been expressed at the tax far
suppose It was greafef than ali our other taxes
put together But let us see Here is man
whose farm is valued by him at three thousand
dollars His tax is less than fifteen cents
year-not half as much as it costs to bait his
horse once at a country hotel, nor quarter as
much as he pays for his boys to attend the cir
Gus. Yet that mans boys may receive value
which will be worth thousands of dollars to
them when they go out into the world
Some men say they do not see anything for
the better, Sure enough, you never see such
men in a school, have visited school where
there was splendid exhibition of school work,
but would step out of doors and find the near
est neighbor cursing the school. His local, po-
htlcal or sectarian vision is so narrow that he
can see only in one narrow direction. Such
mems own opinions expose their narrow minds
at once.
If our legislature should break down our
present system of ditfusing knowledge into
every corner of the State, unless they can pro-
duce an equivalent, it would be a calamity that
would fall most heavily, especially upon the
rural population of the State. Three years ago
our schools were about as low as they we'll
could be. To-day we have an array of live
teachers growing up who are doing excellent
work. Carry on this system for ten years at
the rate of progress it has advanced for the last
three years, and tho State of Maine will be the
brains of the Union. 1t will literally be the
Dirigo State. If there are defects in our pres
ent system let them be remedied. If there is
MN be removed, and q better man take his
place. but do not let us disgrace ourselves as a
state by gong ACKNOWLEDGMENT instead of
onward and upward in a glorious career with
the States of the Union MoNo Wv"
Mr. Editor In looking in your nanar Jn.,