Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-06
SUPERVISION
As II Affects schools and tho School
System Of the State.


To the Editor of Tho Gazette.
The work Of the public schools In
Texas and the results to be accom-
plished actuate us In writing these
articles.
The state has no more important in
terest. The present culture of more
than 800, 900 children and the culture
of the millions In the future depends
upop these schools. The success of
this gigantic work depends more upon
efficient supervision than upon any
other feature.
John Eaton, United States commits
sioner of education, in his report for
1880, said: "Our rural schools
are suffering the natural
consequences of n low estimate of the
requirements of the service as expressed
| in careless appointment, meager wages,
uncertain tenure, and absence of sys-
tematic, efficient supervision"
| We quote below from Payne's School
| Supervision: ut is an anomalous fact
that while all men freely acknowledge
the need of enlightened supervision In
mechanical employments, in trade and
| i'm government. there Is often extreme
reluctance to admit its value and ne
cessity In the management of school
systems. Men who themselves are
most usefully employed in directing
the affairs Of printing office, of a
bookstore, or of foundry, will deny
to school the right of having re.
sponsible head. Nor Is it difficult
to account for this reluctance.
There is the general fact that teaching
is not generally regarded rs an art
having processes of its own, requiring
skill OF special kind and needing spe-
cial preparation for its duties, In the
view of all who have formed this
notion of teaching, the man who Is
charged with the duty of supervising
the work Is a supernumerary. The
real fact is, "a | have attempted to
show, that the complicated structure
of graded system OF instruction re-
quires constant oversight by one re-
sponsible head, able to direct the move
ments of the whole system, and vested
. with sufficient authority to enforce, i
necessary, compliance with his de
: to this need, the law of division o
labor has called into existence, out o
the teaching class new body of pro
fessional men who differ from
g teachers as an architect differs from
t the workmen who follow the plar
e which he has prescribed.
I'm reality, therefore, the turning
point of success in public school affair
e is the industry, skill and good sense o
/. those who are charged with the dut,
: of employing the ways and mean
which the people so generously supply
;, II Is discreditable fact that, on TIL
u whole, the net results of our pub
e lie school administration are far beloy
o what they ought to be, when consid
:. cred with reference to the total eX
y pense at which they have been s,
], cured; and it is fact still more dis
:, creditable that, to considerable eS
= tent, this result is chargeable I
the Incompetence of these VIII
o have the direct supervision {
1t schools-to lack of professions
Y skill in the performance of the trust
~ which have been assigned them.
= all industries the condition of succes
D. is skilled labor skill in the operatiy
l. and skill in the oversight of operative
n a skill which uses every item of mat
+. rial to the best purpose, and turns OF
- the greatest amount of the best pro-
70 ucts. In teaching there is lack
sNAhSu iuoo'i anu eSpecihlly vi tIli
lie variety oflabor which Is most trul
II neutrality-suspicious.. 1t is to u
awakened zeal among superintendent
''s and principals that we must look for
IL body of doctrine which shall introdut
he rational processes into all department
90 OF school work, and thus make poss
-. BILE an economical use of the resourc
~ which q generous people bestow c
at universal education.n
at These extracts are presented witho
y comment. 1t is unnecessary. III
" authors are unimpeachable and Il
ed opinions are without bias.