The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-10-24

I have outgrown any idea that may have
once had that any legislation, however ex-
cellent, can act as specific for the whole
sale and immediate cure of these evils.
However, i do recognize the Importance,
and even the necessity, for reform in our
school laws, If there is to be reform in our
schools The main question on which the
battle is to be fought, take it, is that of
supervision. The bill proposes to abolish
the Office of town superintendent and to
substitute county supervisors, to devote
their whole time to the work, at living
salary. There is surely need of some change
here. In the light Of my own experience as
superintendent and of my observation as
teacher and citizen / have been forced to
the conclusion that the present system is
almost an absolute failure. The visitation
of schools is farce and can not be other
wise. The true opportunity for a superin-
tendent to prove his usefulness is in the
instruction and inspiration of his teachers
but how many superintendents accomplish
or even attempt anything of the kind?
How many are competent to the task? In
the licensing OF candidates, again, the system
proves anything but success The aver
age superintendent has not the moral cour-
age to do what he knows the best interests
OF the schools demand. | do not believe
that in one-half of the towns of the state
any person can be found really competent
to do the work of a superintendent in any
decent manner. Will county supervision
remedy these evils? 1t will not bring about
an educational millennium. 1t will not raise
the little schools in the scattered country
districts to the level of the schools of Rut-
land or Burlington. 1t may work no good
which will be manifest in six months or
year. But believe that it promises better
things than our present system will ever
bring. The great objection to it is evident
at first thought The county supervisor
can not visit the schools with any thorough
ness; he can not do even so well as the
town superintendent This is no doubt
true do not believe that any method of
thorough visitation can be made effective
in our country schools without much larger
expense than we are yet ready to assume.
The chief way in which, under existing con-
ditions, a supervisor can benefit his teachers
is by meeting with them in groups for con-
ference and instruction, and this is ex-
cellently provided for in the proposed law.
1t is said, the town superintendent can meet
his teachers in just this way. Yes, he can;
but does he? In most cases, he does not
and will not; and if he did, in three cases
out of four, at least, he is not competent to
do them any good. In how many counties
in this state are there ten, fifteen, or twenty
men, who are able and willing to do this
thing? But it ought not to be difficult to
find one man in each county
AS to certificates: ! believe the bill is
is greatly in advance of the present law,
and could not help raising the standard of
qualifications and so the competency of
teachers. BY providing four examinations
per year at different places in the county, it
makes the Inconvenience to teachers in the
way of travel very slight. By means of the
different grades of certificates, it arouses
the ambition of teachers. 1t reduces the
evils arising from favoritism or lack of back
bone in the superintendent to much lower
terms But the proposed measure will in
crease the expense of the schools through
the increase in the cost of supervision.
/ 10 hat for RI nov
and get something for our money than to
pay what we are now paying and get little
or nothing for it. l believe that the pro-
posed method will be worth much more to
our schools than the difference in its cost
would indicate. 1t is not sure cure for all
the evils our schools are heir to, but think
it does promise better things than we now
have. TEACHER.