The record-union., 1891-04-02
THE PROPOSED SCHOOL SUPER.
VISION.

| A thoughtful communication appeared
| in the RECoRD-UNIoN yesterday from a
prominent citizen who has had years of
| experience intimately connected with our
public schools, in which the suggestion
of this journal that there should be Su-
pervising Principal over the whole school
system was warmly commended. Our
correspondent gave new reasons, also,
why such supervision should be had.
There is no reason why the City Board
Of Education should not proceed at once
to select and put in authority such an of
ficer. There are very few cities in the
Union of equal Importance with Sacra-
mento that have not such a supervisory
official, who is qualified and expert
enced educator, of executive ability. In
self-defense, our board should be moved
to the action advised, since it will relieve
it of great amount of labor, annoyance
| shadowing reasons are those we set forth
at length on Monday.
There are two directions we'll known to
the board in which it can save the amount
of the salary of such superintendent
| and put proper person in office without
increasing the payroll more than $50 a
month for ten months in the year.
We have now system with ninety-six
classes, without that general supervision
essential to harmonious working and
genuine progress. We have not now the
means of knowing whether we are
abreast of educational advance, or are
permitting the procession to pass by US.
We have large and intricate machine,
with every part practically in declared
independence Of every other part, and of
the whole.
We do not manage the schools with as
much wisdom as is exercised in the con-
duct of an ordinary commercial business,
yet they underlie our whole social sys-
tenn. We do not know if we arc receiv-
ing our moneys worth if our teachers
are up to or below the standard; we do
not know if the results are all they should
be.
But irrespective of present knowledge
we need one supervising head grasping
the whole situation and so directing. un-
der authority Of the board always, that
perfect harmony between the parts of the
educational machinery shall be estab-
lished and the highest possible results
attained. The City Superintendent as
clerk of the board and supply agent and
as the general representative of the board
has enough TO do without making educa-
tional methods study, nor if so inclined
and having the time is there any strong
incentive for him to do so beause perma-
nency in his office is not assured, and
because teaching is not his vocation nor
the science of educational sytems the
object of his life's devotion. He will
work in perfect harmony with the sug-
gested officer because the success
of the latter will reflect credit
upon the administration of the Superin-
tendent. This has been found to be the
case in San Francisco with the Inspec-
tors and Deputy Superintendents and in
all Eastern cities where general super
vision is vested in trained and pro-
gressige educator.
So important is this matter that the
force of the arguments in favor of the
proposition is confessed on all sides and
admission made that it should be adopted
at once. Nothing really stands in the way
of the adoption of the supervision system
unless it turns out that there is timidity
in the Board of Education. But the ex-
perience of all cities of the Union having
the supervision system, and the entire
unanimity of all educational authorities
upon tho subject ought to be sufficient 10
carry the board over any shoals of
doubt