New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-08
THE PEOPLES COLUMN.


John Ray.
Hon John Ray. State Senator:
SIR-The recent discussion of school mat
tiers in the Senate, together with your intro
duction of another school bill. brought out
several assertions concerning the expense
of our public school system which ought to
be carefully considered; not only by Sena-
tors, but by all taxpayers and persons who
have atbeart the interests OF education 1T
was cla1hed by one of the Senators opposed
to our present system that the State edu-
cational officers are paid an enormous sum
for the superintendent of our free schools
Two questions naturally arise: ]. Is the
present system of superintendent required
to bring our schools up to the desired stand
ard! g Are we paying too much Tor school
superintendent
We will find that the experience of States
in which public schools have been long es
tablished will aid us much in determining
the value of local and general superintend
ence. The States which first inaugurated
public schools were compelled to struggle
through years of experiment and compare
tive failure before arriving at the point to
which we have already attained IN Lou
isiana
We have profited by their experiments
and failures and have a truly eclectic sys-
tenn made up of the good features of many
others. In the early experiments in franz
ing public school systems the feature of
systematized superintendent was in many
instances almost wholly ignored. The re-
suit was that the public schools in some
States were SO inefficient that grave doubts,
were entertained by many as to the wisdom
and economy of the public school system.
Practical educators were not slow to dis
cover that the weak feature of the imper-
feet systems was lack of superintendent,
and that it was hopeless to expect the best
results from class Of teachers who We're
accountable to no intelligent superinten.
dent for the professional discharge of duty,
according to the latest and best methods OF
instruction and discipline.
As well might we expect good cotton or
sugar crops from a plantation without a
suitable manager to plan and direct. The
school superintendent is to his division what
the manager is to the plantation. One is
Just as indispensable as the other.
Superintendent is no longer an expert
ment. The glorious results accomplished
by its aid in such States as New York,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Mime
sofa, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas,
California, Mississippi, Texas, and others,
has settled the matter forever.
May we not rejoice that Louisiana is
second 20 no State in the Union in the
modern appliances OF educational work!
We certainlyshave occasion to regret that
tic civil war, prevents us from doubling or
trebling our corps of local superintendent.
We have at present only six: our nei ghbOr,
Mississippi has 65 q for each county: Mis-
souri, has ia Illinois l02. PENNSYLVANIA 76,
West Virginia "a, old Virginia 81, Wiscon-
sin %, Iowa 81, Michigan 81, Kansas As. New
Jersey Il, Texas r. and New York l33.
| These superintendent are employed IN the
| rural districts alone.
The following extracts from reports
of General Eaton, National Commissioner
| of Education. and those of several State
superintendent of States where the value
of superintendent has been fully studied,
will indicate in what high estimation it is
held by those best prepared to judge of its
| efficiency:
ut is hardly possible to separate school
supervision from efficient instruction and
training. No State or city system. propos-
ing the highest efficiency. presumes to do
without 1t. '-GencrM Euton'S Report Of 1870.
Il proclaim again that the county super
intendency is the right arm of our school
system; its strongest living element of
power; the most closely identified with its
future progress and development. No more
disastrous blow could be aimed at the
system than one directed at the life of the
perintendency. Let the right man he chosen
in every county, and the thought of such an
assault could not be entertained. "-H0n.
Ne,rton Bateman, Superintendent Of Public
Instruction, Illinois.
Long experience in those States where
the county SUPPLEMENTARY system has
been tested, as well as our own, proves be
yond controversy the efficiency of this plan
of school management. Hon. II. g. vi
son, state Superintendent instructions, Mn
NcSot0.
In all business enterprises supervision
is acknowledged to be an essential condi-
ton of success. A manufacturing or com
mercial firm which neglects to employ this
safeguard invites failure and insures bank
ruptcy. 1t economies motive power adapts
means to ends and protects against fraud
and deception. Is it wise to lntrust the
vital interests of education to teachers al
most as immature in years and judgment as
their pupils, without providing some means
whereby their efforts may be aided. tested,
controlled and encouraged !'-Hon. Z. ".
Hurley, State School Commissioner Of ohio.
Many more quotations might be made
from the reports of State superintendent if
space would permit, testitying to the eff
cheney of the system. We think we have
already shown that, so far from having too
much school superintendent, Louisiana
has not half so much as she actually needs
to thoroughly root the public school system
in this uncongenial soil.
Now for the second question, viz Are We
paying 100 mucn LOT Scnool superlaten0-
ence!
The cost of our six superint endents, in
GLIDING contingent expenses, secretary and
messenger of superintendent of New Or
leans division. is so. 600, of which amount
s. 100 is expended tor superintendent in
New Orleans.
Mississippi employs sixty-five supcrin-
tendents, or one for each county. at a
salary of S. per day for time actually en-
ployed. Those who devote their entire
time to the work. exclusive of Sundays,
would therefore receive Sl56j per year.
The average salary of superintendent in
Mississippi may be put down at $1,000 per
year at least, making a total OF S65,O0C,
or almost two hundred per cent more than
is paid for superintendent in Louisiana.
Besides city and town superintendent,
the State of New York pays Sl05,6O9 for
superintendent in/rural districts.
Illinois employs a superintendent for
each of her one hundred and two counties
at salary of S. per day. The average
yearly pay of superintendent is about
$1,000 making total of SD, 100. This is
exclusive OF superintendent in large towns
and cities.
larger sum is paid for superintendent
III Chicago alone than for that OF the whole
State of Louisiana, including the city OF
New Orleans.
Hon. w. D. Henkle, late State School
Commissioner of Ohio, makes partial re-
port of cost of superintendent in that State
Tor 1870, which foOts up Sl25, 1873 for towns
and cities alone. OF this amount Cincin-
natl expends S36,600, or more than five
times as much as is paid for superintendent
in New Orleans; yet the population Of Gin
cinnati is less than $500 in excess of ours
The cost of superintendent in Cincinnati
exceeds by 900 the cost of superintend-
ia vi nI Ntlfa in