Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-12-19
The superintendency Again.

Mr. EDITOR We hear it urged
By those who oppose the system of
Cunty SUPPLEMENTARY, that the
Office does no good because the in
CT mbent never visits their schools
thy never see anything OF him and
b. pays no attention TO the rnral dis
tr,cts. This ia often said ut random,
b, those who do not know whether
b comes or not, but often the COM
pl int is lust, by reason of the impos-
81 iity of his having complete super
vi ion of so many schools. There
al about two hundred aud seventy
five schools in the county, and from
Ole hundred TO one hundred aud
twenty working days in which TO
visit them with any prospect of find
iny them in session. To inspect them
in the most hasty and cursory mans
ner, he might spend half day in
each but it so happens that he finds
the school not in session at the time
Of bis visit, that by industry and good
driving be can seldom call on more
than eight schools per week. And so
IT, brief term of three or four months
passes away and only u hundred or a
h. ndred and fifty schools can posi-
bly, be seen. Therefore large num-
b are neglected, aud the sighted
ci .zens want the office abolished
I lis would be like placing one teach
er in charge of two hundred and
seventy-fve pupils; If he neglected
to hear all their lesson, each day,
part of the parents would doubtless
say, "Turn him off he is doing no
good, for be don't teach my children !"
wnile others who understood the
facts better would say, 1.-THE poor
fellow is over worked we expect too
much of one man He is doing all
he possibly can, and if we DO our dn-
ty and provide one or two assistants,
then they may be able to do the work
we require"
In the examination and licensing
OF teachers, about twelve weeks of
the year are consumed. In holding
II stitutes for the advice and instrucs
tons of teachers, six or seveu more.
A continual succession Of miscellane
ols business, correspondence, appeals,
travel, private examinations, prepar-
ing questions for examinations, &c
t lie up great deal of time. The
large distances to be Como over, con-
same another portion. Having more
I, do than his time will allow, some
o his duties must remain unperform.
ell. He does all his other work, and
l. ayes many OF the schools unvisited
Now the present system never con-
tmplated any such state OF things
The law never demanded that one
man should annually 90 four hundred
days work, and employ no assistance
The statute that authorized the coun.
ty system says that any county
having more than $4,000 people
may divide into two districts and
elect two Superintendent. IfI6 00(
people may divide, then each officer
may have a district of perhaps 5000
| oople, and fifty schools. He coulc
tnen hold all his meetings Of teachers
ansact all his Office business, anc
5 Ill have time to inspect every school
c ch term, spending the day and Civ
i z such example and instruction t
the teacher as the case may require
gIis would resemble the practice in
al the cities, where the principa
teacher is required to spend at leas
| half his time in visiting and oversee
ing every schoOlroom in the city, anC
seeing that his plans, method anC
rales are followed by every subordin
ale.
But instead Of this liberal and use
fll design, contemplated by our law
E % what a sham we have been max
ing Of this important part Of the la
h0r, through mistaken economy
aid general apathy to tho cause 0
Education. Here we have been re
@ hiring man to superintend twelvt
blndred square miles of country. Cal
most as large as Rhode Island Will
nearly 40, 900 inhabitants, and school,
enough to employ every working day
in the year in visiting them eacl
once. And because it cannot be vel
done, we hear some condemn tn,
system as failure, and cry out fo
the days Of the good old town system
There are so many argument
gainst the old system as com
! ared with the new, that | woulC
1 1t advertise the back wardness O
lr portion of the state by printing
item at length suffice it to say, th,
present system is so largely in favo
throughout the state that it is not q
all probable that any real attemp
will soon be made to change it. AM
| would merely ask the grumbler
about taxation who oppose payin,
two thousand year for two qualified
superintendent, to cipher out tn
saving they would make by employ
ing thirty-one petty town superin
tendents, ofattainments ranging from
tlose of a Normal professor down Il
tnose of some saloon politician at$10
CT $500 each, making the office TAX
rank with that of constable and roa,
raster, and taxing the people thre
four thousand dollars for the ser
vices of incompetent and fogyisl
men, Liberal.
An TT,,rr;eo r1o.-