The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-08-04
The County Public SCHOOLS.

EDITOR HERALD Your paper has
been OF special value to the schools
Of the county. several years ago
your educational column ventilated
the methods OF these schools aud sug-
geSted needed reforms. The good
Iruit has siuce appeared, and, though
it might have beeu more abundant,
there is reason to be grateful TO the
HERALD for the sowing done then.
More efficient schools WAS then and |
Is yet the need; aud Tue special plan |
suggested to secure these WAS the
consolidation OF several schOOis into |
one, thus securing longer terms and
better teachers. Some OF The more |
worthy boards OF directors ha\ e !
since wisely done this; but other,
either frOn lack OF ZEAL InteIe la
the schools, or because Uf some unac-
cOuntable fOndness Tor Tile OLD sys
lem, or from inability le see tue Nd-
vanlages OF the PROPOSED change,
still hold on in their Old dO-nOtnlng
way. Perhaps Jne employment o.
near or remote relatives AS teachers,
il more desirable than the better edu
catIOD OF a large numUer OF children.
Ii so, the old plan Is perhaps tile best,
since it makes more places for teach
ers aud leaves each one 10 hlmselfi
where unftness will lie least Sppar-
ent, and the Required Improvement
the minimum. Even IetroglesslOn
may, in such places, be substituted
for progress with lille or no danger
to the pvdagogue Whose hold on ms
place is 50 necessary TO the general
welfare. But Il is not my special
purpose now to discuss the consOli-
dation of The scnOols. l would speak
Of another means of making them
better. There WAS never good
school taught 1y all Incompetent
teacher, nor any other than u good
school under the tuition aud control
Of a teacher competent and consclen-
tiOus. THIS has been emphasized
before and yet many Of the schools
are managed(?) aud tanght(? by
those wholly Incompetent, while
some OF the best teachers in the
- county are without schools. THIS l;
largely due to the neputism ofteu
pgacticed by directors, but the meth
10 DDS Of examining and llcens'nl
IN teachers have heretofore caused MOS
nd OF the evil. 1t has been customary
% for the superintendent to hold one
or general eAaminatIOu, where The ques
he ions and answers were wilLten, au(
from which All approximate estimate
NJ of scholarship could he made. Thl'
Examination was attended by per
haps one fourth Of the county teach
ers, usually the best ia The county
Those who know they must fail, un
der a fair examination, to reacl
VI the required CRATE, are always ab5eD
'n' OH this Occasion. SHORTLY Rtterward
zee they come hingly to the SuperiuIeDd
Ieu enU, asking Tor license TO teacl
w. knowing they will get the documen
al without eXauliP&LlUn, though In
he SUPERINTENDENT must violate the la'
ue in 30 issuing 1t. these tardy ones ar
eome times near relatives and dlre'
en- tors; sometimes magIstraLe-teacl
f ers who will before n great Will
ill. nave vote 0R the decapitatlou
er- the Superintendent; and sometime
the one VINO il simply rusty" al
In tuough he Knows he could not stau
er- a fair examination, is equally SUI
,Ok he il thoroughly worthy Ot the
ESQ cense asked tor. Tue excuse the
most frequently bring for Sosen'
Of from the examination Is, that the
, did Lot know it weu.d be held; al
il does not diminish the frequen(
of this excuse, that Che eXamluatl'
! was ADVERTISED Tor several weeks b
ich 49,, aI tb.. Il.Lunhia naners a,
'l"' that every teacher KNOWS the regul
WI time Tor such eXamiDatlon Is at han
'o' III this excuse De accepted Se
alter year rs true, those VINO MAJ
I'D il suOUid be promptly refused llcen
9 10 teach. One VINO never reads eth
OK hls county papers, never rea
much OF anything, and cannot be
to teach schUoI. But the eXcu
ntn excuse is not ways true, and q
Ii Supuyiut-ndenL WhO does not undt
sell sand it, is more stupid IMAM The
u who otter 1T as plausible. belle
no one is really deceived Dy III u
the superintendent, unwilling
give OlleLse, Wishing to avoid q
moving appeal, aud unable to {
anime each applicant separately, h
TOO otteu issued certificates based
this no examination, having no yet
heir basis Ihau that the applicants
well desire 10 avoid this ordeal.
the Thanks To the County Court Il
sons gave us lu the last election OF sup
the lnteudent, mau who seer, III. OBJ
and ing lhe Law, remedy for this gra
hich evil, ana WHO has the courage to
one his duty. The law requires the 81
row. erintendenI TO lp0,u "uhe annual {
uble sminaton about the last OF June
the the first Of Julys aud not less tn
haw three other stated examinations
n he and the State Superintendent 81
low the County Superintendent sho'
cam, positively refuse 10 examine teach
er To ut any other time or place, except
stop cases Of emergency, when the put
the interest reuuires il. Supt. Je
feat TomlinsOn is the first in this couI
but to obey this law, aud he has alreu
the weeded out from the teachers ran
make some OF those who have been an
ded, cubus on the schools. HIS eXami,
tons have been surety lair, aud Of
8 the unwUrthy have fallen. AuOtI
9-B year of his administration will,