Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-04-10
TO SCHOOL DIRECTORS.
IHE ELECTION OF suPERINIENpENIs

In substance, the following article
was printed in the April number OF
the School Journal three years ago
Its advice and suggestions are as ap.
propriatc now as then:
Supcrintcndents of schools are to be
elected on Tuesday, tho 7lh of May
next, in all the counties of the Com
monwealth, and in all cities and Dor.
oughs having seven thousand inhab.
itants that desire to do So Scarcely
any other elections should so deeply
enlist the interest of the people We
can afford bad government anywhere
else better than in respect to our
schools. Good schools make good
citizens, and good citizens are neces.
saIy to the very existence Of State.
Pennsylvania has 100000 children in
her common schools and more than
s9,500,000 are annually expended for
the purpose of instructing them.
| Whether these children shall be well
instructed or otherwise, whether this
vast sum Of money shall be well or i'll
applied, will depend in good measure
upon the officers placed over the
schools at the coming election. Let
whole communities SEQ to il that the
best men shall be chosen.
Unless the mode be changed by an
Act of Legislature before the time,
county conventions Of directors will be
called to assemble at the respective
county seats, by the county superin.
tcndents now in office The best place
! for meeting is generally tho Court
House. City and borough conventions
will be called by the proper board Of
directors or controllers in the manner
prescribed by law at their usual place
Of meeting. The directors of cities
and boroughs that elect superintcnd
ents OF their own cannot take part in
tho county conventions The law
does not say at what hour the conven.
tons shall assemble, and the local au
thorities calling tho conventions must
fix IL TO suit local circumstances. One
o'clock, p m, is generally adopted as
the most suitable hour. 1t would be
well for the directors of cities and
boroughs entitled TO elect a superin.
tcndent, but not now having one, to
determine the question, whether they
will elect such an officer ata prclimi.
nary meeting.
The convention should organize by
clecting president and secretary
Vico presidents and assistant secreta.
ries may be elected If desired. County
superintendcnts generally have in
their possession full lists of the mem.
bers of the different boards OF direc-
tors in their respective counties, aud
when this is tho case, a list with the
districts properly designated should
be banded to the president Of the con.
vention II should be read, in order
thai all errors may be corrected, and
that it may be known who are pres
enA IT the county superintendent
canhot furnish list of the directors
some one from each district reprcsen.
ted should hand to the president the
names of the directors in his district
from which the secretaries should pre-
pare n roll, aud this, when called, will
show who are present. In voting
the name Of each director must be
distinctly called, and bis vote record.
cd that is the vote must be taken by
yeas and nays 1t requires not only q
majority Of the directors Uoiing, but Of
those present, TO elect supcrintcnd
ent.
Knowing who are members, the
convention is prepared to fix the sala
| ry Of the Office of county superintcnd
cnt for the coming term of three
years, II will be found best in nearly
every case to fix the salary before
clecting the officer. II several sums
are named, the vote should be frs,
taken upon the highest, but il ma
jority of directors do not vote for thai
sum, then the vote should bo taken
upon the next highest, and so on, un
til some sum receive a majority vote
This done, candidates .orsupcrintcnd
cnt can be nominated aud voted for
until some one receive majority
Nothing further is then TO be done
except for tho president and secreta
, ry TO make out and sign the ccrIiti'
{ cate of election in the form appended
to this article, and forward IL to the
department Blanks for this purpose
will be placed in the hands Of the sew
cral county supcrindents andlthe sec
retaries OF school boards in all tho
, county-towns.
The following questions should re
J cevc careful consideration at the
. hands of the mcmbcrs Of u convention
about TO elect superintendent o.
b schools What qualification should 4
, superintendent Of schools ispossessS Wa
salary should be paid hlmP
: In answer to the first question, II
may bo said that such supcrintend
!, ent should possoes certain physical
qualifications. No one can properly
discharge tho duties Of the Office who
is not in the enjoyment of genera
good hoalth. Especially is this The
case with county superintcndenis VIII,
: have 10 visit schools in rural districts
4 and are consequently much exposed.
!, Intellectual Qualifications. Asa test
Of intellectual qualifications, tho law
I.-.- ~ II i. ~