The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-28
NOT A BENEFIT no TIVE SCHOOLS.

49,
The County superintendent Pay Bill
Has Been Ruined by Amendments
The members of the State Teachers AS
sociation are very angry at the way their
bill regulating the status of County Super
intendents Of Schools has been treated.
When it was reported to the Senate last
week by Senator Smith it was SO changed
that its friends could not recognize it.
| called on a prominent member of the
association at his school this morning,
and L asked him what the general opinion
was regarding the bill.
'"The State Teachers Association he
replied, (which has among its members
many of the leading educators of the
State, being cognizant of the need of bet
ter supervision of the schools of the State,
has made several efforts during the last
two or three years to secure the desired
improvement.
EXPERIENCE NEEDED.
"At the last meeting of the association,
held in Trenton last December, o resolu-
ton, among others tending to promote the
cause of education, was adopted. Here it
is" and the gentleman showed me the
following
Resolved, That it is the sense Of this conven-
ton that no one should be employed as City or
County Superintendent Of Schools who has not
had at least three years experience as a teacher,
and whois unable to pass an examination emit
tling him to secure, at least, a first grade county
certificate of qualifications.
"The chief objects of the bill presented
by the representatives Of the Teachers
Association the gentleman went on,
were:-To secure the services OF men as
County Superintendent who have had
practical experience as teachers; to re-
quire them to devote more time to the
duties of the office than the present in
cumbents can afford to give for the re
enumeration received, and to pay them
salaries in proportion to the services re-
quired.
SIN order that County superintendent
should be capable of performing their
duties intelligently, they should lave had,
at least, two or three years practical ex-
perlence as teachers. AS it is part of their
duty to examine those who wish to teach,
they should possess the scholarship neces7
sary to perform that duty. They should
be able to pass such an examination rs
would entitle them to secure, at least, o
first grade county certificate. 1t is rea-
sonabie to suppose that they should have
then necessary scholarship to pass an ex-
animation in the subjects in which the
State law requires them to examine others.
PAY THEM WELL.
sProperly qualified County Superinten
I'LL OlODAA 1CCCIfO III kOlAlbCll11OA0L
for their services that they could give
their whole time to the duties of the office;
they should visit the schools under their
jurisdiction at least four times a year;
they should examine the schools not less
than once a year to determine their CLASH
fication and to note the progress made by
the pupils; and they should be capable of
offering such suggestions on improved
methods of instruction as would aid the
teachers and thereby benefit the pupils.
'HThe bill, as reported by Senator Smith,
shorn Of its most important provisions, if
passed, will be of little benefit to the edu-
cational interests of the State. 1t slightly
increases the compensation of the Super
~intendentS, but not sufficiently to enable
them to give the necessary time to the
work which the office entails; and it does
not require them to possess that profess
sional experience without which the
duties of the office can not be intelli-
gently performed.
tives of the Teachers Association, before
it was deprived of its vital elements, had
real merits, and if passed would enable
the different counties to secure the
services of men of experience who could
devote more time to the duty of super
vising the schools of the State, thereby
contributing to the advancement of pub
lie education and rendering New Jerseys
School law one of the most complete, if
not the most complete, in the United
States,
cit appears the bill as reported by SEN
ator Smith has passed its third reading in
the Senate. 1t is to be hoped that the
House will SO amend it that it will en-
brace the important provisions which
were left out by the Educational Com
mittee of the Senate"