Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-28
+ OF the IUTKIEh. - 2
THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENC

1 i u |.
Among the officers to be chosen at
tho approaching State election, is the
very important one Of County Super.
intendent. 1t is an important office
because the supervisor of school in.
terests of an entire county, is an i'm
portant work; work that certainly
deserves the whole time of some eff
cicnt man. This work of supervision
is not simple routine of Office work.
The manner in which it shall be per-
formed is not prescribed by law. This
is intrusted to the discretion OF the
incumbent. should county treasur-
or fail to properly account for funds
intrusted to his official supervision, he
would be legally liable for indictment
and prosecution; but county super
intendeht may fail to properly &C.
count for the educational interests in
trusted to his official supervision with.
ont becoming legally liable. He may
simply "put in tho days of his official
3erm SO as to secure his per diem, and
accomplish little else. Such super
vision is nuisance to our educational
system, and . useless expense to the
county. And it is because men of this
class are so frequently elected to the
office that the county superintendency
has fallen into disfavor with the peo.
pie. The Taxpayers do not receive an
equivalent for their money. Every
taxpayer and school patron has an in
dividual interest in this work of coun-
ty supervision, and they feel that their
interests arc not subserved il this
supervision does not extend to their
individual schools. This ia essential
ly the case with country schools.
lssch casy OF town sOhool ANs i,s own
superintendent or principal, to SUPER
wise It's individual work. To such
schools the county superintendency is
only a nominal supervision but to
country schools it should be a vital
supervision. 1t should first provide q
corps of qualified teachers for these
schools, aud then supervise their
work.
The superintendent examines an ap-
plicant in the branches to be taught !;
he finds him qualified in those branch.
es he grants him certificate, which
certifies that he is educationally quail
fed, and which authorizes him to
teach. He is still an unknown guam
tity whose value must be proved by
practical work in the school room.
The superintendent follows him to his
field OF labor, and learns by personal
observation of his actual work, wheth-
or he does possess aptness to teach !;
and ability to govern" Can he learn
of these qualifications, the essential
elements OF success, in any other way
He cannot learn of them by half doz-
en- questions on theory and practice of
teaching, propounded In an examina-
ton, nor by fine formulas and meth
DDS presented in institutes. Then is
not that superintendent remiss in the
discharge of his duty when he fails to
visit the teacher in his work? He 10
certainly unfit for his Office, and his
supervision is positive failure. The
unvisited school has not received that
benefit contemplated in tho law, nor
its teacher that counsel, encourage
mcnt and sympathy to which he is
justly entitled. When we consider
the character of this county superyis-
ion, it rises in importance. We see
that it deserves man who is earnest,
active and progressive; one who has
faith in our public schools as the con.
server of republican government, and
who is identified with oar school in
terests, and who comprehends the
practical wants of our schools, 1t do.
wolves upon the County conventions
to place such men in nomination, and,
though coming almost last on the
slate of county nominations, does it
not deserve . respectful considera.
alton. il. GRIFFITH.