Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-03
THE HERALD.
County Superintendency.
BY W. II. HoLFoRD.

In former article | said, IL am
very confident that If the good all
ready rendered the schools as whole
by county superintendency, could
readily bc seen by the casual observ-
er, far less fault would be found than
now is, and 80 / am. | believe that
if all tho people of the state could
know and fully realize just how much
aud ,chdt benefit the schools have re-
ceiged from county superintendency
and hOU il has been rendered, the on
" agitation of The suffice. that W.
could possibly have now, woulG be
in relation to tho best raethod OF
completing, improving and develop.
ing The system of school supervis.
ion. But how can the people who
were adults at the beginning OF coun-
~ auperintendency in Wisconsin full
Iy understand and appreciate all this?
They were not intimately acquainted
with the schools before the beginning
OF the system. They really knew al
most nothing of their workings, be-
cause they seldom if ever entered the
school-room while school was IN se--
sion, and even while there they took
no particular notice OF what was do
ing there for the purpose of being
able 10 note improvement or the lack
of il IN the schools of the future and
We know that at the present time it
is almost impossible to prevail on even
our most intelligent citiZers who
ceased TO attend school from twelve
20 fifty years ago, 20 spend a day or
oven an hour in school. We also
know that the only method Of accu-
ratcly testing the real value Of the
schools of any PERIOD is to wait and
compare the men and women trained
in the schools ofthat time, with those
trined IN the schools of other times.
Knowing this, can we expect people
70 be prepared 70 know and fully re-
GLize tho improvement that has been
made in the meantlme2 | think not.
Even if they are inclined, as ! believe
they are, to see every improvement
and to give the system it's due share
OF credit, their acquaintance with the
facts il not sufficient 10 enable them
% render just Judgment in this case.
Almost every person who has at
tended school in Wisconsin since
$50, says tina. there has been great
improvement and especially is this
tho case with those who have taken
pains TO observe the methods Of
teaching since then till now, and to
compare them and their results so
far as known with the modes prac~
tced here prior TO that time and the
results thua obtained. All those who
we're educated longer ago but have
since fre4ueaHy visited our schools,
kept in view the modes employed in
them, and compared these methods
and results with those Of former
times, say that they are improving
rapidly. So they are but they
should make greater progress, and
they rW do so, even with no i'm.
provement upon our present income
plete system OF school supervision.
Our system can be completed aud so
improved as To- ronderIt vastly better
than IL now is and there is nothing
TO keep us from doing this, only that
wo will not do il and we will not,
simply because we are ia a great de-
gree slaves to old customs, even
though we know they retard our
progress aud secure us defeat when
victory is rightfully ours.
Yet, as il is, our schools will inn
prove more in the next five years
than they have in the past ten, Dd-
ring that time the mass of our teach
ers will become from fifty TO two
hundred per cent. better qualified 10
teach than they now are. They will
teach much more nearly upon the
same general plat than they do at
present that is, their plans will bc
much more sim lar This will enable
the "new teacher" to begin work
whore the former left off; and thus,
many days at the beginning Of each
torn ofschocl taught by new teach
or will be saved to the pupils where
az during the past, much time and la
Dor was lost on account OF the great
difference between their methods.
This alone will save thousands Of dol
lars to the schools. Even at the pres
ent time, much Sine and money il
lost from this cause. But in COM
pairing tho present with the past, we
find that great saving has already
been effected through our system"
by leading teachers to adopt plans
that are more similar and also better
than before yet the future will make
q far better showing in this respect
than the past has done
Teachers Institutes, Associations
and Examinations must DO liberal
" used to cause Improvement
All must DO conducted upon the plan
of Model School the latter must
be thorough, searching, Just and sue
gestire, When teachers meet, organ.
ize, compare methods and earnestly
endeavor TO form, from all the old
methods, new and better ones to be
adopted by each member,
ing in modes aud an approximation
TO harmony in the execution of them
must follow for they attempt o re-
ject everything that is worthless in
all of the old methods, to retain
whatever is valuable in them, aud to
add to them as much as they can
that is new and practical. Asa mat
ter OF course, these improvements,
which are the results of this inter
change Of opinion, must soon be a
source OF great profit to pupils and
districts
The County Superintendent calls
these meetings, which are for the
whole county, and for harmoniziug,
systemizng and utilizing the efforts
of all the teachers in the county.
lie makes arrangements for them
lie induces teachers TO attend them,
He does or Should do all he can -