Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-25
An Important Subject.
Inc question OF n General Superinten-
dent for the HInsdale and winchester
Public Schools

Aho QuesuOn OF General Superinten-
dent for the HInsdaIe and winchester
Public Schools.
An article in the town warrants of Hins-
dale and Winchester looking toward the
appointment of general superintendent
Tor the public schools of both towns, is in
accordance with law passed by the New
Hampshire legislature in 1895, which per-
mlts two or more towns to unite in this
way for school purposes and have a super
lntendent or supervisor who shall devote
MS or her whole time to a general manage
ment of the details of school work, such
officer being elected by the joint boards of
education, working in the same lines with
them and under their direction and con-
troll.
In Massachusetts, this system has been
adopted with the best results. Two or
more of the smaller towns have been united
for school purposes in this way with
single superintendent just as is proposed
in the New Hampshire law, and the benefi-
cial effects have been very evident in the
superior excellence of her public schools.
In the smaller towns of New Hampshire
the members of the board of education are
busy men usually, the compensation is
small, and after attending to the general
school details such as the hiring of teach
ers, distributing text hooks, ma aging the
finances, making reports, etc, there is
little time to be devoted to the schools
themselves in the way of visits and inspec-
ton. Any one who has ever served as a
member of board of education in our
smaller towns knows this to be the fact
Just here the work of a general superin-
dent comes in, who will visit the school
often, get at the actual status of each
school, give timely hints to the teachers,
inaugurate teachers meetings where edu-
cational questions and the best methods of
instruction shall be discussed, thus afford
ing material aid to all the teachers in the
performance of their duties.
Teaching is a profession that requires
exact training and discipline But the
wages that trained teachers can command
cannot be paid in the smaller towns, so
that scholars fresh from the High school
and the academy assume the teachers du-
ties with no preparation except what they
have learned from text books. A superin-
tendent would, in manner, supply this
deficiency and be able to point out "a
more excellent way in methods of instruc-
ton, discipline and the general details OF
school work. In an article entitled "The
NeWeSI L EOleSSlOll, Ill IeSlle w Weekly, TIE
writer says, "The American public school
system is suffering more from a lack OF
proper wisdom in its administration than
| from any other cause. This system is,
however, gradually improving and this i'm
provement has resulted from better SUI
pervision, but still further improvement
should be made also in the supervising
forces. The position of superintendent
represents an opportunity of giving direc
tion to the best forces of community, o.
inspiring teachers and of training boys anC
girls for nobler citizenship"
1t is only question of time when thi
law of 1895 will be made obligatory upor
all the towns in New Hampshire. Tn,
towns of Hinsdale and Winchester ar,
side by side, they have many interests il
common, the two towns represent larg
number of public schools, and it would APP
pear that they might be made even bette
than they are at present by the wise su
pervsion of some competent superinten
dent, whose whole time should be devote,
to this one object.