Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-09-26

A city school board has much better opportu-
mites for knowing the educational wants of its
compact community than the trustees of q
large county have for knowing the peculiar
necessities Of all Its various and remote neigh.
and yet what sort of schools would
posed to have. If their several boards were un-
der the necessity OF selecting and placing their
Independently Of any and all action
intendents? 1t is no reflection upon the idel-
ity or intelligence OF these boards to say. that
they would he likely to make pretty muss"
their duty it is really not their right to elect
and locate their teachers without or regardless
of their Superintendent recommendation,
and then hold him responsible for the efhcien-
cy and success of the schools. And besides,
these boards. knowing their want of familiar,
ty with the subject, would rather not, and will
not do It If the nee ssity is not forced upon
so much, and the peculiar qualifications OF diff
ferent teachers differ SO widely, that the trus.
tees well know, as do all other sensible men OF
even less experience. that the mere certlncate
of the County Superintendent, based upon his
OF q teachers scholarship, Is little
else than worthless as test OF an lndivlouai
ticular school. On the other hand. these are
the very things Superintendent Is expected
to know. AS we understand 1t, this mainly Is
ion We believe it impossible to have good
public schools without close, energetic, 1nteli,
gent supervision. And their history In az
opportunity ofinvestigating, proves this. But
what sort OF supervision Is that which snllts
all the important duties OF the Superintendent
upon number OF gentlemen, who, in the very
nature of the case, can not possibly discharge
them with any degree of satisfaction even 10
themselves? We may be in error, but it is our
belief that one OF the first and most important
duties of Superintendent is by constant and
persistent intercourse with his teachers, ana
visitation of his schools, to acquaint himself
with the qualifications OF the one
an n
as to be able-as he can be able-to adapt tne
one to the other judiciously, satisfactorily, and
with certainty OF success. ~
If he cahnot do this, who can? If he don't
know the very community In which to To-
cate certain teacher, and the very teacher that
it possible that the trustees or anybody else,
should, unless it be in exceptional cases, such
as may be found here and there? An examina-
best poor test of teachers actual qualifi-
cations and teachers commission, based on
such examination, Is still more uncertain
grounds upon which the selection of a teacher
Is made, to supply the specific demands of
particular school,
The truth is, a County Superintendent of
to do his work right, 1t seems to US that there
are few officials to be found, more completely
overwhelmed with arduOus duties and solemn
responsibilities. But If he neglect everything
ka0W his schools, and always he prepared to
make recommendations prudently and intel
ligently to his trustees, and to the people, so
that the right teacher may he kept at the right
place, and that each neighbOrhood may have
done for tt-in the way OF supplying teacher
and schoOl-the very best thai can be done,
with the material in hand. Is this pnreasona-
BILE? Surely he ought to be expected to do this
much. If not he is not only not helpful, but he
is in the a00y; he is nuisance. II he were out
of the way, the trustees, the teachers, and the
people, having no one else to depend on, would
be likely to do better Of themselves. This work
lies at the very foundation of efficient success
~, int 10 ,0f
prepared to do this, and do 1t right, what else
can he do to make his schools successful, and
himself worthy to be called a good school of
ficer? s.f
But we have allowed this article already to
60 far beyond the limits we at first intended
and still there is one more question that must
be submitted before it closes, viz: Are our
Country Schools again. this year also, to be car
ried on only five or six months? Aad If so,
a0hys Is that time considered by the Superin-
tendent as long enough fo- such schools to con
tinue? Or, are we to he told that be funds are
not sufficient to prolOng them beyond the time
indicated? We would here again respectfully
ask, If not, ,0hy not? They surely ought to do |
this, and at the same time, to pay teachers
more literally per month, and much more in
with what the services OF many of
really worth. The schools, from the very first,
have never run less than five months in the
year; and we were told over and over again by
one or more of the Superintendents predeces- |
sors (this then, may have been their faulty that
Just as soon as we would finish building (Which |
was completed-excepting single |
house here and there-sonse three gears ago. |
that then the district, or building fund, would |
be turned over to the teachers fund. and that, |
combined with the State and county levy, |
would carry theon schools not less than s. and
perhaps o. mQnths in The year, and, az the same |
Iime TO pay teachers better monthly salaries.
NoaU please read this lasl sentence again, and
consider h0aO the promise Is being fulfilled! For
more than three years, we repeat, the building |
has been, in the main, completed and yet the |
addition of the district to the other funds has
Tod no nnnf, Si
far as we are advised. But, consider further, |
the uistrictand county levy which used to range |
from four TO eight cents in the 800 |
worth of property, has, during the last two or
three years, been most materially Increased, SO
as to reach The laws maximum limit viz, ten
cents in the 500 worth OF property, and yet no |
frightening of term, or augmentation of teach |
ers' pay That is TO say, the district fund has
not only been combined with the teachers
and still no increase Of term or teachers pay |
But more! For the last two or three years, |
the State School fund has not been "Glverted,'
as it was said to have BEEN annually, for sever |
al years before that time; and yet, with its aid,
the schOOl-term, in our county, has not been |
heightened, norhaye larger salaries been paid.
In order to secure and encourage larger num-
Der of fiji st-class teachers!
But more! and still more!! Not only has |
there been no "diversions of the annual State |
funds within the recent time ABOVE mentioned, |
but large arrearages, large amount OF back ra-
tions" have, during the last year or two, been |
paid up and still we have no increase OF term, |
Is it then matter of wonder, or surprise that |
we should ask why these things are o2 There |
is probably some explain alton, and that Is enact
IN ao7tut aOe aOant. We don't mean to intimate |
fraud but, unless there is some explanation |
which we have not yet heard, or bee Il able to |
imagine we do mean to Intimate. 0ndto charge. |
agement, If not OF Ignorance and 1ncompetency, |
that is wholly inexcusable In any public oftici. |
al, and still more SO when it attaches to one of
such transcending Importance as that OF super |
intendent OF our Public schools. 1t Will not |
do, to say that the Board, or the Trustees, are |
the ones to employ teachers. to manage the |
funds, determine the length of schOOl-term, &C. |
Their action in all these, as it ought and |
must be. is based wholly upon the action and |
Of the Superintendent. They |
don't pretend to know, except through him,
what the receipts or Outiays Ofeither the county
or the districts are likely to be, what aud when
will be made. DC. and it is as
to expect them to determine the |
the exact number and kind, and needs, OF the |
various schools in the county or in one of its
districts. as it is to expect them to know def |
nitely without recommendation or hint OF the |
the qualifications and pecu-
liar fitness OF teachers-upOn the mere presen-
tattoI OF their certificates. One hundred teach. |
certainly do, possess very different qualifica- |
lions: and one hundred schools. scattered over |
b large area OF country, and In neighborhoods
widely differing from each other In location and
pursuits, must differ in the type or grade, and
are sure to need teachers of very different quail
ifcations. Is the Superintendent to know
unaided and unadvised by a thorough school |
man, to adapt and adjust these differing ele-
ments, and manage and control this part OF the
machipery7 II SO, what are the
duties of the Superintendent? Will some one
oblige us by defining his peculiar duties and
He is paid officer; the Trustees
are not. Which is to do the work? He is, or is
supposed to be, an experienced and profession
al educator and school man; the trustees are
generally farmers, merchants, and mechanics. !
Which are we to look to. and which are we to
hold responsible for, the successful running of
our schools, and for the judiciOus management
of our system of edpcations He, as we have
always supposed, is the paid and recognized
head of the system whose business Is to direct
and control it in all its m1nutia; they are gen.
tiemen who, engaged in entirely. different BUSH
ness, are requested, withOutpay or emolument,
to lend their aid, sympathy, and advice 10 the
enterprise, and act as balance-wheel to the
machinery to promote its normal, healthy &C.
ton and prevent excess and deficiency from
whatever source 1t may threaten. Which, now
we ask again. are we to look to for the discharge
of the duties and the execution of the work of
the system? We think there can be but one
answer,
IF there be no fault in the premises, our con-
illusions are inevitable; first as to the condition
of our Augusta county schools, and second as
to where the responsibility thereof rests. If
there be fault in our premises, we would gladly
have it pointed out We are after the truth;
and the truth we want and must haze, even If
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