The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-08-29

To the School Directors Of Hardema
County,

few ideas with reference To the School |
Law. Some of these ideas or sugges-
tons, for such they are, nave already |
been expressed but ar earnest desire to
impress them upon your memory impels |
me to utter them again. They are writ
ten in no spirit of dictatiou. Placed in |
my position, as County Superintendent |
of Public Schools, it will certainly be |
granted that have better opportunities |
for gaining information upon subjects
pertaining to your Law than most per-
sons who do not deem it necessary to
keep themselves posted. am in cons
slant correspondence with the State Su-
perintendent of Public Instruction, the
Read Center of the system, and almost
daily gaining points which are necessary
to communicate to you. You will there
fore give me an impartial hearing, and
charge my imrerfectiOns and errors to
my inequalities.
School Directors should be qualified
before some magistrate without delay.
No affidavit is necessary. An oath that
you will faithfully perform the duties of
School Director for District No. - to the
best of your knowledge, skill and ability.
After this you are ready for work. You
can then contract with teachers. Let
them come to you with their certificates.
without them no contract can be made.
The law on this point is imperative, and
subjects the Directors to a penalty for It's
violation Judge of the teachers grade
by the figures opposite each study on the
certificate Each teacher is graded on
eight studies Set the numbers down
that are opposite each study, add them
up and divide by eight. This will give
you their average grade. You will be
| mindful of the fact that Theory and
Practice, subject just below the stud
| les, is not counted in the grade. Upon
discovering his or her average grade, you
can tell what sort of a scholar you have
10 deal with If the average reaches 81,
or more, the certificate is of the first or
| der, or best; if I, ard under 81, Of the
second order, or medium; if ) to !, Of
| the third order, or lowest. For first Or
der of certificates, I would give fifty,
sixty, or seventy dollars per month for
five months. For those of the second
order, thirty 5fve, forty, or fortysfve dol
lars For those of the third order, twen~
| ty, twenty-five or thirty dollars The
contract is made in the name of the State
Of Tennessee, and you act in the capacity
of agents for the State The expression
of so many dollars per month on the
contract does not entitIe the teacher to
monthly payments, and thereby give him
an opportunity to quit at his pleasure.
There will be enough school money on
hand by January to pay every one em-
pIoyed, think. I say this after making
a close calculation and allowances to the
tax collector for collecting and the County
Trustee for handling as well as a reasona.
bic amount not liable to be collected at
all. | can not see where there Is to be
any deficit on the money question. No
contract can be made with the teachers,
| trustees or other officers of private
schools unless he or they agree to teach
or have taught, the elementary branches
free Of any charge. The law IS plain
on this point. By the elementary
branches l mean those mentioned in
section 81 of the School Law.
The first provision in section SO covers
the matter entirely.
These schools may be converted into
public schools by the tie acher agreeing t.
make no charges for pupils except those
of a higher grade than the Law requires
and the fund SO derived will help pay hi
salary.
The Directors have a perfect right to
see that the school houses are not over
crowded. The apportionment of money
due us from the State, will be made on tn:
first of October, if the census report is il
by that time. | am unable to make on
this report, until all of the Distric
Directors send me theirs. 1t is now timt
they were all in, and | urge upon then
the necessity for little haste, School
registers are furnished TO the teacher
free. ! have not yet received those du
, this county, but when they come to hanC
l will promptly distribute them. TIN
School Law speaks OF the proceedings Of
the District Clerk and Treasure beinl
8 kept in a Hbound book" l do not know
whether these are furnished free or not
: | am inclined to think that they are no
furnished free, but viii ASCERTAIN, ant
, if they are, will distribute as soon a
obtained.
1t was resolved unanimously by
convention of County superintendent
that there should be some proper res
s traint thrown around the use Of tn
school fund to repair and build schoo!
q houses, and that said improvement
q should bo made by district taxation O
voluntary contribution.
tits to my mind the intent Of tue In,
, that the schools shall be continued fv
, months without intermission- The Stat
3 Superintendent ioforns me that tn
e ability Of the District must be consuItc,
k II lais be so, can safely say, ever
IS districe in the county IS able to contnu
c its schools for that time and l sugge:
: most respectfully that they do this.
$ Children from one district can 90 t
re school in a different district from thei
=, own if a special contract to this effect
e, made by the directors Of the two di.
lie tricts. a contract of this nature woul
0 do. 1--WE the directors of District No -
d agree to award to the Directors of Dt