Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-08-14

10 he Hon. Board cf' Supervisors, cf
N0rRbte County.
GENTLEMEN l beg leave herewith
10 submit the following report:
Since your last meeting, or rather
within the month of July | have deYo-
ted fwcatg days TO visiting and inspect
inc the schools of the county, having,
during that time visited the following
schools: Ccntrcvillc, Pilgrims Rest,
MI Zion, New Bethel, Rocky Knoll,
Jim Creek, Drake Hill, Martins { hap
ell. WOrSham, Locust Grove, Lynn
Creek. Running Water, Fair Hill, Shi-
loh, Summeryillc, Pierson, lliblcr,
Trimblc. Belmont. Capcrs Chapel, New
Hone, Paul Vine, sun Greek, Yellow
Creek, Oliver, Cedar Grove, Burragc,
and Shotbag. Some of these | have
visited more than once, while i'll three
instances, New Hope, Caper's Chapel.
/ C%edarGroye. | found no schools in ses-
sion. the two first having failed to be-
Gin at the appointed time, the last hay
inr closed its session the day before
my arrival.
Nv especial attention during the
month has been given to seeing that
the schools were properly started i'll
their work. that assistants were EN-
ployed only as they were actually need I
ed. mot sooner, that no repeating was
practised, that teachers taught the
proper number of hours in the day,
and otherwise regulating the work
ines of schools and correcting irregu-
l%arities. During the present month il
is my purpose to remain longer at each
school, inspect organization of classes,
methods.ot conducting recitati|'s, dis.
cipline, and the general management
within the school rooms
| find even more confusion and IT.
regularity in the schools than | expect
cd. Teachers seem disposed, very Of
tep...to disregard everything save their
own interest and convenience, i'll the
conduct of their schools, trustees are
ignorant or negligent, or, worse than
both, are corrupt, and charges OF gross
immortality meet me frequently rela.
tive to tie department OF teachers OF
colored schools.
These | correct, as far as possible, rs
I 60, and | make il my duty alSoto IN
struct all teachers, trustees, patrons
and others relative to the provisions OF
our new school law soon to take effect,
especially on points wherein the ner
differs radically from the old, such AS
the time for election of trustees, time
of oncuing and closing schools. &c.
One cause OF complaint against the
free school system | find 10 be the fact
that schools are not taught centrally IN
neighborhooas, but more convenient
to some than Others, this being caused,
very often, by there being no school
house in the ncighborhoOd thus fore
ing trustees to procure some vacant
cabin for temporary use, without re.
gard to suitable locality, proper size,
comfort or other requisites. In all
such cases | :ry to impress on trustees
and patrons the necessity of providing
for their school a good house, central
~ located, and fitted up with proper
seats. blackbosrds. Stoves &c.
have been fortunate in saving to
the county quite a considerable sum
BY having principal teachers take as
sistants only rs they wcr" actually
needed and.not at the commencement,
when the schools were necessarily
small and did not furnish work for
more than one or at most two leach
crS. Scarcely n day has been spent in
the work of visiting the schools dur
ing the entire month, IN which ] have
not saved from ten to thirty dollars to
the county in this one item. 20 say no.
thing of other benefits derived rom
such visits. the amounts varying from
five to twenty-five dollars to the school.
OF course there were cases in which !
found everything moving on saiisiac'.
orily and well.
In some ncighborhoods | found
grave cause of complaint in teachers
permitting pupils to attend school part
of the day and reporting them present
all day; and. ever occasionally report
ing those present who had not been at
school at all during the day.
These are some of the irregularities
&c, with which | meet and which !
correct as fast as possible, though such
corrections are of necessity to be made
gradually.
| might add much more but deem
the foregoing sufficient unless your
Board desire further details and state
mcnts either written or oral which I
will furnish when desired.
Respectfully submitted,
L. A. PACE.
Supt. Noxubcc Co.
Macon, Miss, Aug. 4, 1886.