The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-11-18

grow up ilterate. II is clearly for the
interest Of the cities and weather.
towns to have good schools in the
poorer towns. The great trouble with
the poor towns is that their poverty
stands right in the way of their secur-
ing better schools. They cannot pay
good salaries, cannot build good school.
houses, cannot but fall grievously be-
hind in everything pertaining to edu-
cation. California has cut the gordian
knot of the school problem by wholly
supporting all the schools from the state
treasury. This is the only system
which puts the schools of the poorest
hamlet on level with those of the rich.
est city.
But the cities have a right to ask
how the new supervision is to help the
schools of Vermont. To make it plain,
suppose bright young woman, who
has in her the making of frstrate
teacher, goes into an average rural
school. There are bad boys and mis-
chievous girl. They make the teacher
trouble. She does her best, but the
school is too much for her. Now the
supervisor is employed to meet all such
needs. Without him the school would
amount to nothing except to democrat.
ize the pupils and make trouble among
the parents. The new superintendent
drops in very unexpectedly when the
mischief is in full blast and the poor
teacher is about ready to despair. In
five minutes the new supervisor sizes
up pupils and teacher. He quietly sits
down in corner, takes out paper
and seems absorbed in that. Things
quiet down, the new man studies the
school with his paper in his hands. He
puts them at their ease, in an hour he
is ready for business. He puts up his
paper, hears lesson or two, has lit
tie talk with the teacher, sees some Of
the bad boys at their homes, talks with
the parents of some of the girls, and
goes away. The truth is that the su-
perintendent sees what lie the trouble,
knows how to give the very advice,
counsel, warning, and encouragement
which one needs. He is liable to drop
into the school at any time. He does
drop in, gives more advice or warning,
as needed, Strengthens that school out,
and makes it one of the best schools in
the town. He puts that teacher in the
way of making frst-class educator.
There are a multitude of such cases
where little advice to the teacher,
warning to the pupils, counsel to the
parents, given by one who knows what
to say, will save the loss of the expense
of whole term of school. The teach
ers need oversight, criticism, help.
There is an absolute necessity for good
superintendent, if we are to have
good teachers and good schools.
Wherever this system has been
adopted, it has greatly increased the
efficiency of the school, in every way.
1t is really the only way in which the
rural schools can be greatly improved
at small expense. 1t has been thor
oughly tried in other states, with the
invariable result of winning its way
into the hearts of the people. Our
people want good schools, but do not
know how to secure them. The plan
we are advocating fully meets the need.
The lawmakers may 60 on tinkering up
the school laws till doomsday, but they
can adopt no plan which will produce
the radical change for the better that
expert supervision will bring about.