Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-05-10
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Circular Address from the State
Superintendent.

Superintendent.
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OFFICE
NASHVILLE, April "A, 1S73.-In send
ing out pamphlet edition of the ney
Public School Law of Tennessee,
deem it not improper to note few 0
Its leading characteristics, and to offe
a few general suggestions touching it
requirements. In doing so, | am bu
endeavoring to discharge one of th,
many duties imposed upon me, as Stat,
Superintendent, by the law itself.
1t will be well at the outset to un
derstand, and certainly bear in mind
the true object of the law, to wit: The
Inauguration and establishment of s
general system of public schools in
Tennessee, whereby free opportunity
will be afforded to every child in the
State, of capable age, to acquire an
elementary education.
The system proposed to be estab-
lished will commend itself to popular
approval, certainly, by its marked sim.
plicity of organization. Its official
appointments are three-fold, only,
to-wit:
A State Superintendent; a County
Superintendent; and three Directors
for each civil District.
These comprise all the departments
of the system above that of teacher,
to whose patient work, in fine, all the
other labors of the system will be but
preliminary. True, provision is made
for District Clerk and Treasurer, but
the very important duties of this office
will appertain exclusively to one of
the district directors.
The appropriate duties of these off
ces, however laborious, delicate and
responsible, they will undoubtedly
prove to be in detail, may be briefly
comprehended in general statement,
taking them inversely as to rank, as
follows:
The District Directors-elected by
the people of each district-will find
it their duty to take the scholastic CEN
sus of the districts; to draw the funds
belonging to the districts; to superin-
tend the discipline of the schools-in
a word, to be responsible for the or
ganization and management of we'll
ordered schools, in their districts, to
compliance with law, and under the
supervision of the County Superinten-
tendent.
The County Superintendent-elected
by the County Court of each county
will examine and license teachers, un-
der the direction. of the State Super
intendent; exercise rigid general su-
pervision over school operations in the
various districts in his county, requir-
ing a strict enforcement of the law
and compliance with all regulations
under it; and, in general, it will be his
duty to see that, by all reasonable aud
lawful means, the interests of the pub
lie schools in his county are promoted.
The State Superintendent-nomi-
mated by the Governor and confirmed
by the Senate-is charged with the
general duty of seeing that the School
laws and regulations are faithfully ex-
ecuted )" and, to that end, will have
of all the Public School
operations of the State, with authority
in all matters of detail over the Coun-
ty .Superintendents and District Di- !
rectors as may be warranted by the !
express terms and obvious intent of |
the law What special things he may
do, and what he may not do, it is not |
the intention here to discuss, the pres
ent purpose being simply to make such |
4 succinct, general presentation of the
relations of the several official divis-
ons of the system to each other, as
will be easy of immediate comprehen-
sion.
1t will be seen that, while the officer
N each division of labor is, to some
extent, Independent in his sphere,
here is, neyetherless, such an inter-
linking of responsibility-such de-
oendence, one upon another-that
energy and capacity will
De required in each division to give
Efficiency to the other two, and cor
iial spirit of cooperation, through
,ut all, be essential to the success of
he whole system. The District Di-
'ector is made responsible for the due
execution of the groundwork of the
ystem. Under his immediate super
Iision, and through his personal effort,
he schools must spring into life and
flourish, and through negligence or
ncapacity on his part, the labors of
he County Superintendent will prove,
o that extent, futile. Should the
Jounty Superintendent prove incom-
,etent, or lack the requisite zeal in his
work, not only will the regulations of
he State Superintendent become rela-
lively valueless, but confusion will fall
lpon the school operations of his
ounty. The fact is fully appreciated,
hat, without strict and unremitting
on the part of the State
superintendent, as required by the
aw, to the fullest extent, the opera
ions of the entire; ;system will tend to
isorder and be correspondingly un-
ruitful of beneficial results.
The system of Public Schools in
his State, attempted to be established
y the act of 1970-containing many
xcellent features and passed under
quite different from
hose which now prevail-practically
aiied because of its inherent weak
ess as whole. Wanting a general
cad, it lacked unity and vitality
'hough well designed for local appli-
alton, where it might chance to be
dopted, there was no sanction of State
for the enforcement of the
Nv; and, while few counties pre-
ented, here and there, praisworthy
xemplifcations of liberal public
pirit, the results in many of these
Iere traceable to uncompensated and
oluntary individual effort.
The system provided by the present
NV is neither State system nor a
ounty system, distinctively, but draws !
IS leading characteristics from both
hese-presenting, as is believed, a
Apply combination of the better fea-
1res of each. While the State, thro'
S Superintendency, asserts its author
y over the subject, and declares its