Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-04-13
County superintendent.

MEssRs EDITORS In few weeks Super
intendent of our public schools Is to be elected.
Who shall he be? This is a question which
should interest not olly directors and teachers
but all citizens who feel interested III the wei
fare of our schools. No other election should
so deeply enlist the interest Of the people. We
can afford bad management any where else bet
ter than in respect to our schools. Good schools
make good citizens, and good citizens are neees-
sary to the very existence OF State.
But there are some who seem 10 think the Of
fee of Superintendent is a nuisance. aad should
be abolished. Others think it is too expensive
and that it might be conducted on cheaper
plan. Some of the objeciors to the office say,
LET the directors in each district appoint one
of their number to examine the teachers, visit
the Schools make reports, and pay him sala-
ry for the time spent in 50 doing"
This plan might answer The purpose in some
localities but would fail in others. For there
are. no doubt school boards who feel that none
of them are capable to examine teachers. Then
they would be under the necessity of employing
some one to do the work and there would be
more objections to the plan than the one we
have. and not any cheaper. Unity of system
and plan, in the work of the schools, can he
cured with Superintendent better than where
the supervision is conducted by committees.
The same principle is recognized in corpora
tions. and other instances of united effort.
The Office of County superintendent is one of
school system. | admit that it is not by any
means what it should be. We should not do
away with it, but we should make the Office
more ehective.-How can it be made more eff
fectiye? By electing to the Office who
has skill and experience IN the art OF teaching.
One who is able and ready TO assist teachers
whenever he sees they need assistance. lie
should be energetic and devoted. The good
Superintendent mist be leading educator,
able to inspire his teachers to high attainments.
But how can he do this unless he himself has
high attainments? None but an experienced
man can give teachers the help they need
When Superintendent visits school he
should enter it as helpe rather than critic.
1t is easy to see when things are wrong, but 1T
is not so easy to set them right. But 1t is the
duty of the Superintendent to help the teachers
to right thai which is wrong. lie should prl-
vately and kindly tell him where he is wrong,
and how to overcome his failures. lie should
make every teacher feel that he is his friend.
He should be able to impart his methods OF
teaching and to arouse in his teachers all posi-
Bile enthusiasm in their work. There ran be no
success without enthusiasm. He should inspire
them with desire to do their work in the best
possible way.
Though Mr. Mckee has each year regularly
visited the schools, yet but little good has been
DONE except collecting statistics. The time
spent in each school was SO short, that but lit
tie of It's workings could be inspected. School
visitation ean bs made very beneficial If wisely
done if unwisely, no good will be done. In
this work Superintendents should be very care
ful to strengthen the hands of teachers, not to
weaken tbep. They should carefully Observe |