The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-04-17

HlGu llCtubCs WdDb llC lOWu SOSbtIl,
but accept the verdict of the people |
cheerfully, and as, perhaps, after all,
the best. | wanted the appointment of
supervisors. / acquiesce. For, linked
together by common interest, we are
bound to sustain the superintendent
and his assistants in the discharge of
their difficult and delicate labors. The
best thing about the law is its provis-
ions for perpetual commission to rec
ommend improvements from time TO
time. The advice of fourteen skilled
a experienced men in possession of
the facts will have great weight with
the people, and should have it. The
| present election of supervisor is the
most important we have ever been
called upon to make. 1t will take place
without torch-light procession or beat
of drum; but, not yielding in local inn
portance to even a presidential election,
it will for many years stamp its effects
upon the character, happiness and pros
! perity of this state. Laws are valueless
| if the men be poor. A fruitful combi
nation is driver, harness and horse, but
without the horse there is nothing that
avails for carrying heavy loads. Among
the supervisors qualifications may be
named those of the scholar. He
should possess method, executive abil-
ity, moral character and magnetic power
of speech and influence. DIR. Wood was
once asked to send country church
minister who would be eloquent in the
pulpit, affable on the street, brilliant in
society-a man, in brief, of manifold
virtues. DIR. Wood replied that that
man went to heaven when Saint Paul
died and had never come back. | am
afraid that the man who most wants
iris office will get it. The Office should
seek the man, and much depends on
this first selection, because the law
passed only by small majority and
directors will make use of all mistakes.
Horace Mann once said that thousand
times more was paid for the supervision
of Massachusetts spindles than for that
of her teachers. President Buckham
was surprised that shrewd Vermonters
had not seen the force of this COMPARE
before. He closed with a reference
to bit of personal experience and an
account of an ideal system of supervis-
ion in Northern Ireland.
Principal Conant said " came not
here totalk." The law is new and en-
tiers upon its career of activity under
favorable auspices. The chief feature
is the newness of the work for which it
makes provision. The superintendent
never has had, nor now possesses, the
power to directly interfere with the
workings of a school; but. the super
vsors can touch the schools very
nearly. He commented favorably upon
the fact that the man must give the
subject of his work his whole time.
He believed in the selection of strong
man, physically able to do a great deal
of hard work. He emphasized this
idea clearly and forcibly. If possible,
men of special skill should be found
men whose skill had been actually
gained by practice in the school-room.
This the teacher had right to demand.
In closing, Principal Conant cogently
urged the Importance, to the people, of
their schools.
Principal J. A. DeBoer said, in brief
Objections TO particular sections of
, the new law do not destroy the fact
that from October, 1882, when the first
general school law was passed, up to
the present time, the people have never
placed upon their statute book law
T that promises so fairly for the public
schools. In the creation of the county
boards was recognized bodies of citizens
who are intended, under the law, to
cordially support by their friendship,
, sympathy, advice and aid, the doings of
the supervisors whom they may select,
9 and to guard, economically, the educa-
tional interests of their respective
towns and counties. In the supervisor
, ships is seen provision for directive
supervision, the equal and, in most
cases, the superior of any in any state
in the Union, an Office whose duties
are admirably defined, and for whose
labors better compensation is made,
so far as | can learn, than is else
where made in any state or territory.
In the powers bestowed upon super
visors by the law is found the absolute
| essential of supervision, complete con-
1 troll of all school matters, external and
internal, and yet everything so ar
: ranged as to leave the people in pos
t session of their schools. An officer
5 thus strongly charged with legal powers
= should be a man of peculiar ability and
f talents. The present discussion, there
: fore, was timely and necessary. 1t is
; right, in general way, to define the
2 qualifications of such an officer. AT
f this point an eptomized summary of
the duties of supervisor, as set forth in
the different sections of the law, was
f read, and, in resuming, he argued that,
! broadly considered, the man for the
f place should first of all be one Nho
f strongly esteems the public school sys-
5 TEN. He must be thinker, student,
e good conversationalist, a hard worker
{ and, if such can be found, a man, COM
r petent by education and experience in
: school work, to aid, direct and criticise
, the work of others. In making APP
pointments, inasmuch as we face con-
f dition, we must do the very best we
r can. Active work in the field, rather
) than superabundance of clerical du-
r ties, is the thing to be looked to for
l real progress. He cited among some of
. the things that should first receive at
r tention, repairs of poor buildings, the
l amalgamation of little schools, the
r taking of school census, the arrange
| mpnt Of systpmatizad ponrsps of study