New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1898-12-31

Every certificate given to an incompetent crow,
out one good teacher, and cheapens the Others
the district or drives them away. We want
standard that win grant fewer certificates an
give us better teachers; and we want n stop pr
to the favoritsm by which directors provide fc
their sisters and their cousins and their aunts I
| the expense Of the children in the schools \
of this reform means protection to good teacher
longer terms and better salaries. Besides encou
aging our teachers to take professional training
at present Il very lacking quantity.
After certificates granted there is too littl
discrimination exercised by directors in the matte
of attention to attested qualifications Too o.
ten any kind of certificate is good enough an
goes as far the best Some young man (whos
| father is heavy tax payer is out of business
and, perhaps, goes through the district like
| tramp, getting names to petition to the Boar
"a thing that teacher of professional characte
would not do; and he is appointed to outo1
| the-way school which don't amount to much
and never will, with such teachers. People do no
display such lack of common sense in other mat
tiers. When sick they get the best doctor
when in litigation the best lawyer-but when
comes to the teacher, the cheapest is the best
They must be careful with the broken limb, bu
neglect the dwarfed mind.
The teachers are changed too often. Goo.
teachers constantly leave the business. be
cause of frequent necessity of looking fol-
another situation; in the cities faithful
teacher is retained, but in the country he il
always the tramp If we could have al
our two thousand Louisiana teachers wei
qualified and full of the true professional spirit
better things would soon be accomplished; in.
deed what difficulty would not vanish before us
But, as DR.. Mayo says: There is no rational hope
of improvement in the methods and quality OF
teaching demanded by the times until the people
require both academical and professional training
in these teachers far beyond their present require
ments, and are willing to pay for the superior ar
ticle. good many illusions must be dissipated
on this head; such as that every respectable citi
zen has the right to insist that his own daughter
young lady relative of any description shall be
installed in the district school house. independent
of qualifications; that community is bound to
support a class of incompetent females as school
teachers, because they need support; that pub
lie school is sort of public nursery, which needs
chiefly good natured female official appropriate
to such affairs; with good many other halluci-
are sapping the foundations of our educational
system" 1t is true that few teachers are under
paid and their real worth is not appreciated nor
recognized, but these are the proverbial excep-
tions to the rule that teachers are paid what
their services are worth.
The parish school boards about as compe-
tent as is procured under the systems of many of
the States. Boards elected by the people are no
better either in intellectual capacity or special
fitness. The parish unit is preferable in this
State to smaller divisions, and the system of ap-
pointment of directors, by the State Board Of
Education, is as free from objection any method
in which politics is factor. The present sys-
tenn of appointment is not so Objectionable, but
there should be required standard of scholar
ship morals and business capacity; and the boards
should be composed of men free from political
preference or offensive partisanship.'
The parish superintendent is all that he is sup
posed to be under existing requirements. He
shall be elected by the parish board be its
tary and receive not less than 5000 nor more
than $1,000 salary per year His qualifications
are He shall be possessed of moral character and
ability to manage the common school interests of
the parish; "shall be of age and qualified clec
tor" His duties are specifically enumerated with
reference to certain routine work, but as to
the work Of practical and professional supervis
ion he is left to choose his own course. In what
l have to say upon the subject of the superintend
ent and school supervision, l do not mean to be
understood as making an attack upon any indi
vidual who holds the Office of parish superintend
ent within our State. They are a body of worthy
gentlemen for the Office of secretary of parish
board, and to perform the specific acts required
of them by our constitution and laws. The failure
is not in our superintendents but in our laws.
When changed rs they should be- the present
secretary will give place to practical and pro-
fessional school superintendent.
The fact is, the great body of teachers, the pa
irons, the children-every school factor-is de-
efficient supervision as the one great es-
sential of successful work. For in proportion
as work of any sort passes over to the scientific
or professional stage, it must come under the su-
pervision of experts. If this supervisor leader
tor such he should be) is an intellectual force in
his parish, he must know the best that has been
thought and done in the world of knowledge and
culture. More than this he must have gone over
the route if he would intelligently direct others.
Hence professional training and actual experience
are necessary elements required as part of the
ability to manage the schools of his parish"
That he should be man Of high character goes
without saying. That he should by his works,
have shown himself successful man, cannot be
gainsaid. Not one of your let-well-enough alone
fellows, but progressive, up-tO-date, alwaysin-
thevan man, who is able, willing, and who has
force of character to lead to higher and better
things educationally. We want man of high
purpose, and one who is brave enough, let who
will oppose him, to accomplish it. We want n
man who will command the respect of the people,
snd, above ALL of the powers that be, for the
cause of public instruction. We want man, in
word, who will talk, work and scheme, il neces
,ary to better the condition of the schools of his
parish. We want brave, intelligent, upto-date
eader, to achieve an educational victory that will
put us in the forefront of progress. l recognize
he fact that this degree of fitness is not demanded
,y all communities nor would they be willing TO
pay for such If it at their disposal; but the
school authorities, and especially the superintend
mt, should be operating on higher plane of
chool economy than that known to, or demanded
,y the school communities. What the people de-
nand in school matters. is very often the thing
heir children do not need and should not have.
Furthermore, they do not agree on school issues
my more than on politics or religion. 60
hat over and above this, the board must have a
trong and practical school policy placed in the
lands Of an efficient superintendent who is cx-
,nicio the executive of the board in carrying out
is requirements. A man capable of doing this
work is not open for an engagement at 5000 per
'ear. do not assume that our legislators antic-
pated such qualifications when the act of SS was
,assed. Nor do assume that any greater pro-
esssonal qualification anticipated by said
,ody in the act of 9S the only change being that
le must be a qualified elector and not receive
nore than 1920 per annum In fact. regard
he present law, tact of '9S) as being more detr-
mental to our school interests than the old law, |
or being an elector does in no way increase his |
and the increase in salary makes it |
esirable Office for the politician and demagogue
The teachers of this State had hoped that de- |
nand upon Legislators would be made by |
hose whose demand would be heard and needed |
or legislation giving the teachers and schools
ractical, professional and competent leadership |
n the Office of superintendent Of parish public !
choOls In this we have been disappointed, and |
indeed shall be until we go about procuring leg !
station do railroads, manufactures, and all |
reat interests desiring favorable legislation.
The length Of school term in the different par l
shes varies from two to ten months. Some parishes
living nothing in support Of the public schools
spending entirely upon the state school revenue,
81