Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-05-10

CIRCULAR ADDRESS,
STATE SUP'Ts. OFFICE,
Nashville, April "A, 1878. !
Ia sending out a pamphlet edition
of the new public school law of Ten
nessee, L deem il not improper to
nete a few of its leading character
istics, and to offer few general sug-
gestions touching its requirements.
In doing so, am but .endeavoring
to discharge one of the many duties
imposed upon me as State superin-
tendent, by the law itself. 1t will
be well at the outset to understand,
and continually bear in mind the
true object of the law, tO-wit, the
inauguration and establishment of
general system of public schools in
Tennessee, whereby a free opportu-
nifty will be afforded to every child
in the State, of capable age, to ac-
quire an elementary education
The system proposed TO be estab-
lished will commend itself to pub
lie approval. certainly, by its mark
ed simplicity of organization. Its
official appointments are three-fold
only, tO-Wit: a State superinten-
dent, a superintendent for each
county, three directors for each
school district. These comprise all
the departments of the system a.
| boYe that of teacher, to whose pa
! tient work, in fine, all the other la
! bors of the system will be but pre-
| liminary. True, provision is made
/ for a district clerk and treasurer,
but the very important duties of this
office appertain exclusively to one
| of the district directors. The ap-
propriate duties of these officers,
| however laborious, delicate and res
ponsible they will undOubted prove
to be in detail, may be briefly COM
pretended in a general statement,
taking them inversely as to rank,
as follows:
THE DISTRICT DIRECTORS,
elected by the people of each dis
1 trict, will find it their duty to take
the scholastic census of the districts;
to draw the funds belonging to the
districts; to superintend the discip-
line of the schools-in a word, to be
responsible for the organization and
management of well-ordered schools
in their districts, in compliance
with law, and under the superVis-
ion of the county superintendent.
THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT,
elected by the county court of each
county, will examine and license
teachers, under the direction of the
State superintendent; exercise rig
id general supervision over school
operations in the various districts
in this county, requiring p strict en-
forcement of the law and compli-
ance with all regulations under it;
and, in general. IL will be his duty
to see that, b. all lawful and reason
able meaps, the interests of the pub
lie schools in his county are promo
ted.
THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT,
nominated by the governorand con-
firmed by the senate--is charged
with the general duty of seeing that
"the school laws and regulations
are faithfully executed;" and, to
that end, will have supervision OF
all the public school operations OF
the State, with such authority in all
matters of detail over the county
superintendents and district direc-
tors as may be warranted by the ex-
press terms and obvious intent OF
the law. What special things he
may not do, it is not the intention
here to discuss, the present purpose
being simply to make such a sue
cinct, general presentation of the re-
lations of the several official divis-
ions of the system to each other, as
viii be easy of immediate cOmpre-
hension. 1t viii be seen that, while
the officer in each division Of labor
is, to some extent, Independent in
his sphere, there is, nevertheless,
such an interlinking of responsible
ity-such a dependence, one upon
the other-that punctuality, energy
and capacity will be required in each
division to give efficiency to the 9TH
er two, and a cordial spirit of coop
Grafton, throughout all, be essential
to the success of the whole system.
| The district director is made res
ponsible for the due execution OF
the groundwork of the system. Un-
der his immediate supervision, and
through his personal effort, the
schools must spring into life and
flourish, and, through negligence OF
incapacity on his part, the labOrs OF
the county superintendent will
prove, to that extent, futile. Should
the county superintendent prove in
competent, or lack the requisite zeal
in his work, not only will the regu-
lations of the State superintendent
become relatively valueless, but con.
fusion will fall upon the school op.
eFatiOns of his county. And the fact
is fully appreciated, that, without
strict and unTemitting surveillance
on the part of the State superinten.
dent, as required by the law, to the
/ fullest extent, the operations of the
entire system will tend to disorder
and be corresponding unfruitful
of beneficial results.
THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
IN THIS STATE,
attempted to be established by the
act of 1S70-cOntaining many excel
: lent features and passed under cir
: cumstances quite different from
those which now prevail-practical
" failed b. cause of its inherent
weakness as a whole. Wanting S
! general head, it lacked unity and vi
t tality. Though well designed fol-
= local application, where it NIGH
: chance TO be adopted, there was nc
, sanction of State authority for the
: enforcement of the law; and, while
t few counties presented, here anC
= there, praisworthy exemplifcation
l of a liberal public spirit, the results
: in many of these were traceable Il
r uncompensated and voluntary indi
vidual effort. The system provide,
2 by the present law is neither a Stat,
5 system, nor county system, dis
e tinctively, but draws its leadin.
characteristics from both these
t presenting, as is believed, a happ7
e combination of the better feature
I of each While the State, through
2 its superintendency, asserts its au
e thority over the subject, and de
g clares its purpose to enforce tn
5 law strictly in every locality, and t,
t supervise the operations of the sys
1 tenn throughout all its details, tn
y responsibility and authority of tn
e several counties, in all respects es
e sential to their protection and prop
= eriy qualified independence, are re
g cognized and preserved. Even tn
d school districts are empowered, i
c their own discretion, to enlarg
their school facilities beyond tn