The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-05-27
More About Superintendents.


in the REGISTER of the 9th inst. that |
was writing upon a subject that was com.
manding so much Of the attention Of the
freemen Of the county at the present
time. Since writing the article, although
more particularly intended for the benefit
of the new superintendents, | have learn
ed that | expressed the opinion of very
large portion of .he community, not only
of my own town, but Of other towns, that
have been superintendent ridden under
our beautiful system Of school superin.
tendency
"A Superintendent " feels aggrieved,
and used column and hale for reply.
Messrs. Editors, l would like a little
space in your columns to reply. "M,"
Of N. H., is out of our jurisdiction this
article odors of Addison county,, still
would just say to " NJ" that know the
town he refers to, and that the district
schools in that town we're quite as good
at that time as since. when they have
been superintended so much.
Not being conversant with the text
books now in use, A Superintendent "
will probably claim that am incompe.
tent to judge of the questions propouuded,
which do not deny. if it gratifes the
board by denial But having access
to two arithmetics, by two different gu.
thors, which are now used in Verm ont
schools, ] looked up one question and
find they agree, and with my motion
also. The question might have been put,
What is the difference between multipli-
cation and multiplying In that form
the question would not be as liable to de.
ccive.
Then in grammar | find a question
that has been discussed in the columns oil
the New York Ecening Post, and the
correspondence thereon would cover this
page Of the REGISTER, the discussion call.
ing out the best scholars Of this country
and Canada, Notwithstanding Webster
and Worcester, but our board Of superin.
tendents think our A. B. G. teachers
ought to be able to answer so simple q
question
! am glad We have the questions pub
lished, SO all can judge Of their utility as
well as the superintendents. Their fitnes:
has been decided by the last public ex.
aminations Of the teachers, and any person
reading them will see that some of them
have a sly puzzle concealed, well calcu.
lated to cause a young and timid person
to stumble under the excitement of O
public examination, and also being called
upon to write out the answers in giver
time; and it may be the first composition
of the applicant | would ask, Is it any
wonder that many fail ? Now wish t
say that am not opposed to an examina'
tlon OF teachers by town superintend
ent, as committee may sometimes en-
gage teacher whose qualifications he il
unacquainted with, and may need su
perintendent's examination 10 ascertain
the qualification.
A Superintendent seems to exul
that the rigid construction they have pu
upon the statute has had its desired re-
suits; and intimates that the standard
will be raised until many of the old anc
tried teachers shall fail or have beer
" weeded out" if they do please the
scholars and work cheap |, in my ig
norance, really supposed that goot
teacher always had the good will Of biz
pupils; aud as to teachers wages, | dt
not know as it is any of my business, anc
did not suppose that a superintendent
had anything to say upon that subject, i
being matter confined to the district
through their committee and the teachers
The low wages is not keeping as many
young ladies from applying for school
as tho fear of failure in getting higl
standard certificate, as A Superintend
ent " well knows He speaks of house
maids, etc, getting better pay thar
teachers. Why do they2 Simply be
cause they depend upon former reputa
ticn, whieh is ignored by our board o
superintendents, instead Of a superin
tendent's certificate, and | should thinl
our superintendents might take hin
from that fact According to " A Super
intsndent," was wrong about the origin o
the hard questions, and from the tone o
his article presume he is one of the oil,
superintendents ; if so, beg the pardon
Of those falsely accused But | supposed
| was right, because it corresponded will
the hints heretofore thrown out by severa
of the old superiatendents.
A superintendent speaking of Ger
tain districts alluded to in my forme
communication says 1t is high tim,
they were consolidated" For what
and with what lie would probabl,
take up the howl of our state superin
tendent and say, with the village dis
trlct,' which is only four or FIVE mile
away, only mere step for our littl
children to 90 and come. 1t is nev
idea to me, and | presume to others o
your readers, that the smaller the schol
ars, the higher class teachers are wanted
and rice reySa All right our distric
has a teacher that is now giving
good satisfaction, although she has no
the coveted certificate, which | presum,
our committee would Sicap with you for
college professor, unless it was one from
the u, OF V. 4 S. A e.. you paying tn,
difference.
iutended to have reviewed our schoo
laws at this time for the superintendent
benefit, but spnce will not permit There
fore, in conclusion, | will say that it i
one Of the fundamental principles of
republican government that that govern
meut is the best that governs the least, o
in other words, that trespasses tic leas
upon the rights of the citizen; and apply
ing the same principle to our schools, tn
less the rights Of the citizen are encroache,
upon, yet giving us the benefit of fire.
schools. the better are we protected i
our rights.
Now, freemen Of Addison county,
appeal to you to know who is the bette
judge of your schools, you who are tn
parties interested and who maintain then