The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-09-27
WOMEN AS COUNTY sUPERIN-
TENDENTs OF SCHOOLS.
The Opinion of Hon. 3. M. Etter, State
Sup't of Public Instruction.

Nj. Corpett, Esq, and Miss Annie Kirk |
patrick announced themselves as indie |
pendent candidates for the office of county
superintendent of schools. THE ARGUS
being a democratic paper, of course,
could not consistently advocate the election
OF either of these aspirants. When the
democratic county convention decided not
to nominate ticket, and failed to endorse
either of the independent candidates for
this Office, THE ARGUS decided to place
both names on the ticket, in order to draw
out the strength of each-but has failed to
show any preference for either Of them
unless to predict that the lady would re-
,ceive three votes to Surgeons oue-until
such information could be received, from
good authority.a as to the manner 10 which
lady superintendent have conducted the
duties of their Office. For this purpose a
letter was addressed to Hon. s. NJ. Etter,
state superintendent of public instruction,
who, no doubt. has better opportunity to
judge of this matter than any other person
10 the state-and answers requested to the
| following questions, in substance:
l. Have they (the ladies' given, as a
rule, general satisfaction?
?. Have they proven themselves to be
as competent as the menI
g. Have they maintained as high, or lm-
proved the standard of their SchoolsE
| j
closest attention to the duties of the office
the men or the lady superintendent!
In answer to the above the following was
received this morning:
! STATE OF ILLINOIS,
| DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,
| Springfield, Sept. "a, 1877.
| To the Editors of the Rock Island Argus.
DEAR SIRs: Yours of the 18th fount
here on my return home last Saturday
and in reply will say:
lst The lady county superintendent
haye given,in most cases, good satisfaction
and. so far as | can learn. Aave done tn
work at least equally as we'll as the men.
2nd. In most cases they have proven
themselves as competent as the men.
3rd. la most counties they have sue
ceeded in elevating the standard of th
schools equally as much as the men.
4th, Your fourth question is Difficult
one to answer. In many counties there
unfortunately, Is no time given the super
intendents to visit the schools; and in those
whether the office is held by man 0
: woman, nothing can be done to Improv
the schools, by visiting aud supervision.
have attended large number of teachers
Institutes this summer and have fOun
those conducted by lady superintendent
equally as interesting and large as thos
conducted by men. It should, however
be remembered, that in many counties tn
salary is made so small that good, CON
petent man will not accept the office; hence
the comparison, as a whole, TO say tn
least, is unfair, as it does not compare tn
best women with the best men.
Yours truly, S. NJ. ETTER,
| Supt. Pub. lns.
l. THE ARGUS considers the answers t
Tie first three questions as being favorabI
E to Miss kirkpatrick, and the answer
the last one not at al against her.
would rather appear, that the men who,
present. hold the office in many countit
i where the salary is made so small as
= this couuty--that they were not goo
competent men "a rather slim eudors
ment OF Sturgeon. Although good, cor
:. petent men will not accept the Office
= while the salary is so small, that is
i" argument why a good, cOmpeten
20 woman will not accept it-as it is w
q known, and can be proven in the deDaI
q. ment in Washington, that equally as col
9 petent women can be, and are employed
n salaries which men would refuse to acoeI
Supt Everett, OF our city schools, ga
Miss Kirk patrck is one of the best teaC
y ers 10 our public schools, and his stateme
is sustained by the fact that she has be
rs teacher in this city for the past eight
lis nine years, and is at present principal
as the Fourth ward school Had she not be
ed good, competent" teacher that #
as would soon have become known, and S
CT could not have held her position so loI
d. In conclusion THE ARGUS will say, that
as Mr.. COrbett resigns, as stated in the 6
ID zette this morning, Miss kirkpatrick v
IL receive larger majority than any uan
ne either ticket.
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