The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-02
SOME MORE PROOF ABOUT schooA
SUPERVISION.

thorough and able document. lie
covers the whole range of our public
school system, and makes many prac-
teal and important suggestions. In
discussing the duties OF the county
superintendent he says
.'The county superintendent shall
visit each district bi-monthly. He
will arrange with school boards to
have the schools in different districts
begin on successive weeks. Bl,
monthly, on the last Saturday OF the
school month, he will conduct the
district institute during the forenoon,
and spend the afternoon with the
school board and the teachers, and
will examine records and reports, and
sugge st improvements. In the eve
ming he will address the citizens OF
the district. During the following
week he will visit such schools as
most reed his personal assistance.
The county superintendent will thus
reach directly all the teachers OF the
county, all the school boards, many
of the schools, and the leading cltl-
zens once in two months. and three
times during the minimum school
term. Then through the principals
he keeps in constant touch with all
the schools. This system quadruples
the efficiency of the county superih-
tendent."
In then discussing the necessity Tor
more effective supervision OF rural
schools he uses this language;
But while the Importance OF the
public school system is generally un-
derstood, yet the necessity for some OF
the steps that must be taken to effect
the organization of the system have
not yet been generally understood,
and hence have not yet been general
ly accepted. One of these necessities
is that of intelligent, progressive super
vision of the schools. Our cities have
indeed long since recognized
the necessity of supervision
and provided for it Literally,
The country schools, however, have
been left largely without efficient ST
pervision. 1t seems obvious that II
the city schools, with long school
terms, picked teachers, good school
buildings, find supervision indispensa'
BILE, the country schools. with their
shorter terms, more frequent chanse
of teachers, must stand even more Ill
need of intelligent and effective SUI
pervision.
Then after going into a detailed
statement of what is necessary in
thorough supervision of county
schools, he says:
This work can not be done, as a
rule, successfully by boards of trustees.
Good trustees are men whose time Is
taken up with their own cancerns, and
while they are Indispensable to the
proper operation of the school system,
yet they cannot and will not give to
the schools the attention which Is
really helpful to the teachers and pu-
pills in school work. A good county
superintendent is worth whatever he
costs. BY stirring up local interest
IN education, by effecting the consoli-
dation of weak schools, by rouNng the
people to build and equip proper school
houses, by stimulating aud bringing
the teachers to study and progress in
their chosen line of work, he may
double the effectiveness of the schools
of his county.
The necessity of close supervision
has come to be understood by leading
thinkers and writer's on educational
organization throughout the country,
and it is emphasized in this State by
the fact that large number of teach
ers must be employed who are want
ing to some extent in preparation for
the teachers work. The best teachers
even are liable to sink into certain
ruts, from which they might be res
cued by helpful supervision.
In view of the recent action by our
esteemed county commissioners court
it was thought this would be interest
ing reading. 1t is reproduced not
with the hope of having any effect
upon that able body of men, but
merely as showing that the ablest
school authority Texas has ever had
disagrees with them on subject
about which h is throu ghiy posed.
THE Capitolian enlisted in worthy
cause when it attacked the iniquitous
libel law of this state, because of which
the press OF the state have not that
justifable liberty of utterance they
should have and because of which the
people are the greater sufferers in
that they can not have crime and
malfeasance exposed as they should
be and their rights are not protected
as under different conditions would
be found to be the case. The Capt.
tolian says: "If the Twenty-second
legislature don't amend the present in
iquitous libel law in some way so as to
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