The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-02-23
TIE SUPERINTENDENcY AND PRO-
POSED CHANGES.

With the general scope or the Dill snail
present a few arguments liz It's favor
without first prefacing them with syn
opsls OF the measure.
The bill had its origin IN paper read
before the State Teachers Association
some two or three years ago, by l.. ID.
Harvey, now president OF the Milwaukee
normal school. Perhaps no man ID the
state can speak with greater authority
on he question of county supervision OF
schools, its points Of excellence, It's short
comings. and its needs OF reform. than
President Harvey, who Tor over ten years
asinstitute conductor reached every por-
ton OF the state, coming In actual con-
tact with the men to whom IS entrus ted
the important work OF supervising the IN
graded schools. At the meeting OF the
association in December last the COM
mittee on legislation, which Is composed
OF the strongest, most experienced and
practical schoolmen of the state, EN-
bod led IN its report the suggestions as
TO the desired changes in the superin-
tendency, as outlined In president Har-
Vey's paper and this report was adopted
by unanimous vote OF the association.
The report, however, contained a clause
elatlng to the qualification of superin-
many superintepdents and others, was
!eemed excessive in view Of present con-
.itions, and in the draft OF the bill this
vas changed; instead OF demanding quail
icatiOns equivalent to those required for
limited state certificate, all that is
sske1 is that inspectors shall possess
qualifications equivalent to those requir-
I'd for first grade county certificate.
With that change made the opposition
to the bill by county uperintendents
largely disappeared. The writer. who at
tended three meetings of county super
intendeuts, found but two superin-
Jeudents who were openly opposed
20 it, and IN two conventions there
was unanimous vote IN It's favor. But
It was expected that among the seventy
superintendent large minority would
De found who would strenously oppose
What they deemed dangerous inDovs-
ion, which, as they adroltly put it, d.
minishes the peoples privileges of suf-
rage. Naturally such uperintendsnts
as did not possess the qualifications de-
handed by the bill would fight it, for its
passage might mean loss OF position to
them. It was quite natural too that their
opposition would not be directed to that
.eature to which they really objected,
namely the qualification clause, because
hat would expose them to the charge of
incompetent ", 30 they raised the hue and
,ry that the bill was undemocratic, and
that it was strongly centraiizing in its
tendency. Thus it was that the first op-
position arose. But to close observer
The position taken by the dissenting
3uperintendents would merit little atten-
lion we're it not for the fact that they
nave been most active in misleading the
public as to the purpose and intent of
the bill. Were no qualification clause in
the bill it is safe to assume that every
me of them would now be actively sup
porting the bill. But their opposition
was expected, IN fact the clear intention
Of the bill is to purge the list of superin-
tendents OF just this material, without
which the necessity for the law would in
a great measure disappear.
But it may be well to discuss some APP
parent objections, which have found their
origin in the minds of those superinten-
tents who fear removal, and which have
| yeen so assiduOusly circulated in quar-
ters where the seeds of opposition might
lind root In tie first place the charge
made that the bill is undemocratic.
Of the twenty-eight states that have in
stituted county supervision Of schools
fourteen provide for the election of the
county superintendent by the people,
while IN the other fourteen the county
uperintendenti is appointed either by the
Governor, the State Superintendent, or
by Supervisory Board. From this 1t
can be seen that the bill is not so strik-
ing anlnnovatlOn as It's opponents are
anxious to have it appear. Further.
IL IF c,tn 10 fc-
pointing county superintendent are con-
trolled by that party which claims to be
closest to the people, SO that the charge
that the bill is undemocratic can hardly
carry much weight.
/ The avowed objections to special pro-
visions all center in the clause which
provides for the creation Of the appoint
ing board. 1t is claimed that this board
may become partisan IN character, and
that it is too far removed from the peo-
pie. With the former objection [ have
no patience whatever since no one could
well conceive Of board more non
partisan than that provided by the
bill. The board of normal school regents
certainly never considers the politics OF
the institute conductors it appoints, and
IN filling vacancies IN the board of ex-
iect lie to secure efficient men, be they re-
publicans or democrats. And such
board should be open to the charge OF
craftsmanship. Preposterous. On the
other hand the criticism that the board
may be too far removed from the people
may be we'll taken. 1t is possible that it
half the board were appointed by either
the Governor or the State Superintend-
ent, the objection might be removed.
Or the appointment Of superintendent
might be delegated to state board
of education to be composed Of say thre g
or five members with the State SGperin-
tendent as chairman. The constitution
of the board is a matter OF secondary i'm
portance if the underlying principle of
the measure is recognized.
No one claims that the superin end
ency in Wisconsin has been a dismal
failure, and disclaim utterly this charge
made by some men OF prominence, who
for reasons best known to themselves,
desire to create the impression that the
committee having the bill in charge seek
to heap odium on the present method
OF county supervision. Every member
Of the committee seeks only the good OF
the state at large, and simply reflects the
sentiment OF every Intelligent teacher
aud superintendent in the state, that,
while concedins commendable features
in the present system of supervision,
there are certain inherent weaknesses in
1t which can only be removed by what
may be called drastic measures. Some
may honestly differ with the means en-
ployed for solving this perplexing prob
lem, but all are agreed that temporlzing
schemes suiting only the politician and
demagogue will never effect the reforms
of evils that are crying for correction.
The weaknesses in the uperintendency
fall under the following heads. First
Lack OF proper training on the part of
Superlntendents. Second. The banefnl
effects resulting from the superlntend-
eucy being political Office. Third. The
lack OF continuity and unity in the work.
because OF the above and because OF the
-. u.