Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-11-15
The County Superintendent.
VIM. ELDEN, Editor.

Inv OVuhty
There are many persons in the State
who desire to do away with the Office Of
County Superintendent. I wish to ex-
anime few of the arguments advanced
by those who favor the change, and ad-
duce some reasons why the office should
be retained.
There are ninety nine County Super
intendents in Iowa. The work required
from them may be learned from these
figures, taken from the last report of
the State Superintendent.
During the year 1877 they held SO in
stitutes, which were attended by 1929
teachers; they issued II ,236 certificates
and examined the manuscript of 5000
rejected applicants, making a total of
22,297 persons examined. The real mag
nitude of this work is seen when we re-
member that every candidate for GER
tificate must complete manuscript in
each of nine different branches.
During the same year the County Su-
perintendents made 1888 visits, held
393 educational meetings, and heard 1913
appeal cases. In addition to this, he
must each year prepare for the State
Superintendent report compiled from
those made to him by the respective
district secretaries, exhibiting the true
condition of the schools in his county.
In view of these facts, the argument
that the Office is useless has but little
weight. For these services rendered to
the county, each Superintendent re-
ceived during the same year Q87O the
average sum of $733. Certainly man
or woman capable of directing the edu-
cational interests Of the county ought
to earn that amount.
The statement that the Office is an
expensive one, is without foundation.
Abolish it to-day, and no taxpayer in
the State would learn of it through the
lessenlng of his taxes. But we are often
told that the Office is filled by incompe-
tent men. That is simply an argument
against the officer, not against the Office.
The same argument would lead us to
abolish, at once, the Office of Congress-
man, Governor, or even that of Presi-
dent of the United States.
The manner and time of electing the
County Superintendent may not be the
best; the qualifications of those who fill
the Office may be insufficient, but the Of
flee of itself remains necessity; nor
has it ever been found that our County
Superintendents, as body, are ineffi-
cient. There are individual cases of in
competency; men are elected to the Of
fee sometimes through political infu-
ence alone; but, taken as a whole, no
class OF men are more devoted to their
calling, and no officers are more Jealous
in the discharge of their duties.
1t is also said that the office is of no
benefit to the schools. This leads me to
consider some reasons why it should not
be abolished. During the year 1877
there were issued $500 certificates to
teachers whose experience was less than
one year. Nearly all the advice these
course of reading, and various matters
pertaining directly to their vocation,
came from the County Superintendent.
There are many County Superintendents
who are slowly, but surely and perma-
nently raising the standard of their
schools by arousing spirit of enter
prise and enthusiasm among the mex
perienced teachers of the county.
The most hopeful teachers are those
who do not rely upon that expert
ence which is simply doing the wrong
thing, over and over, every day for years.
Experience, if guided by judgment and
enlivened by enthusiasm, is Of incalcu-
liable value to the teacher; but when it
becomes the main reliance it opposes it
self to all progress, and wears those
deep, smooth ruts, from which extrica-
tion is impossible.
Again, the law designs that directors
shall consult with the County Superin-
tendent before adopting plans for new
school building. The State is now but
sparsely settled in many parts. Even
in those sections which have been long
est settled there is often necessity for
erecting new school houses. The mat
ters of lighting, heating, seating, venti-
lating, are of infinitely more conse
quence than the geographical site. Yet
of these most important particulars the
directors generally have but little, if
any, practical knowledge.
AS the State fills up with population
the necessity for new beildings will in
crease. The County Superintendent can
do no more important work than seeing
that every new school house is built
with especial regard to the health and
comfort of the children who are to at
tend school in it. There is among par
ents, teachers and school officers la
mentable ignorance of the laws of school
hygiene In this respect the County
Superintendent can do more than any
other man in the county to disseminate
the requisite knowledge among the peo-
pie. Every new school house which is
built should bear witness to his eff
cheney.
l have not attempted to advance any
arguments in favor of supervision drawn
from general principles. This much
may be said, however. with trnth: No
comparison can be drawn between the
school system demanded in these West
ern States, and that in use twenty years
ago in the Eastern States. We can go
farther, and say that no just compar-
ison can be drawn between means
adapted to meet the wants and necessi-
ties of these sections of our country as
existing to-day. Because some of the
older States have never found it neces-
sary to adopt the County Superin-
tendency, is no reason why we should
abandon it. All the conditions of soci-
ETY. are different. The extent of our
territory, the density of their popula-
ton, the character of our inhabitants,
the number of men who have abundant
means and leisure-these and many 9TH
er kindred circumstances are to be ta-
ken into consideration, before we con-
clude that, because they have no such
officer as county Superintendent, we
need none.
That the law as far as it defines and
limits the duties of the County Super
intendent can be amended in many i'm
portant particulars is very true; but it
seems to me equally true that all
amendments should tend toward making
the Office more effective and not towards
abolishing it H. SABIN in Io,ca Nor
NAL Monthly.
That the hour has come--and the
man" is what history continually re-
produces; neither can do anything ef-
fectively without the other Buta great
idea thrown out by mind in advance of
its age, takes root and terminates in Sc
cret, shapes the UNCONSCIOUS thoughts
of few individuals of the next genera
tion, is by them diffused still more wide
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