The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-03-08
STATE SUPERINTENDENT COLEMAN
ON COUNTY SUPERVISION.

Efficient county supervision should
he established in each county OF the
state. The success attained In our city
schools is due to efficient supervision.
There Is not district in the state that
employs half a dozen teachers that
does not require, demand and secure
supervision by having q principal or
superintendent whose first duty il 10
IrganiZe, grade aud manage its schools.
For fifteen years we baye plodded
along with county commissioners who
have no control whatever over the
'choos Of their respective counties; the
Experiment has proved a miserable
failure. Some time ago q railroad man
said to me. "If have ten men TO work
"gether on my road 1t pays me well to
employ competent man to superin-
eud the work, and | do not want him
o do any work but simply to plan,
iirect and manage the men under bis
:harge; no man pays me better for the
salary he receives than does the super
,nteDdeBt--no matter whether ten or
hfty hands are emplo, ed" II the
tate has any work to do, a committee
'r board is appointed and superin
tendent IL employed to execute the
'ame; ali tho states buildings were
thus managed. The late general Ms
'embly appropriated $3.50 900 TO im-
prove the state capital, and considered
1t necessary 10 appoint board of seven
men to execute the provisions of the
dill; but we expend more than %, 900,
700 annually upon the public schools of
tie state, while there is not man, or
class OF mon, In the state or ia the
counties, whose business II IL to super. .
intend this vast expenditure OF money
There is not n business in this couD =.
try which employs score or more OF
men and women that does not consider
It essential TO The success Of the enter
PRISE TO employ q competent foreman
Ir superintendent; yet the state EN- :
oloys and pays annually more than
1000 men and women TO teach her
public schools with no one In the
county or state to whom they are
amenable. Our schools are lett 10 take
|. ARE OF themselves; in some districts
his has been done successfully-uoto on
account Of the lay but In the absence
II law--while many more have depend.
ii up"n the law and the law simply
stranded them.
A man should be engaged In each
county In the state and required TO
devote his time, his talent and his
energy In the management of the
schools OF the county In general super
vision; he should examine teachers,
aold township meetings, and instruct
school officers relative to their duties |:
he should visit the schools OF the couu
y, consult with the teachers, and assist
The people IN interpreting the law he
should be required TO examine into the
condition of the school funds and school
moneys Of the county, and for this pur-
pose should have access to the necessa
ry records; he should superinteDd the
holding and conducting Of county
teachers instiinte in the summer vaca
tion for two, three or fonr weeks, and
require teachers to attend he should pr
range programme and outline a course
Of study for grading the schooIs OF his
county: and il should be made hi.
special business to see that the lave are
enforced. For this work he should bt
allowed fair salary, and be paid oul
| OF the county Iuvenue as other coun: ,
officials are paid. The only argument
| urged against the measure 10 that II
creates u new sslaried Office, and viii
therefore Increase the expenditures ol
the county. Yes, 1t costs to erec
school houses, pay the teachers ant
defray the contingent expenses iuciden
to maintaining the schools.
Gentlemen, il ls the earnest desire o.
the best, the ablest, aud the most pro
gressive educators Of the state that The
present general assembly shall duly
provide for county supervision; anC
your superintendent after twenty .thre,
years of constant school work-seveD
Teen years Ia the school room and siz
years az your chosen SERVANTS fu lIy
| Satisfied by what he has actually OBJ
served through all these wears, tha
county supervision-in fact-is th,
essential requirement necessary TO th,
securing of the benefits 80 much needed
and desired by the public. Again, |
this official should be made O medium
Of protection to the county and to-
ship school funds, there would be NOR,
than enough saved IN many counties tc
pay all the expenses OF this oficer
Give Us effective county supervision
and a new era will be inaugurated il
the management of the public school,
| of Missouri; the schools " i'll be increas
ed in their usefulness at least one-ha
in the next two years the schools neeC
it, the teachers ask for Il, and the
people will sanction your action wher
they comprehend its true import anC