Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-03-28
County s~unervision.

An old friend has asked me WnaJ
good a superintendent al do schools
visiting more than one hundred of
them during the term. In reply let
me say that Saline county adopted
supervision n year ago and there
are about 40 rural schools in the
county. l spent four days with Super
intendent Huff last September and
visited with him twenty schools. By
November he had visited every school
in the county, spending from one to
two hours in each. Those that SEEM
ed to need his help most were visited
the second time before Christmas;
with some of them he spent a half
day. A few days ago he wrote me
that he had visited every school twice
and some of them four times since
the opening last September.
Do you ask what he could do in such
short visits? An educational expert
can tell ina few minutes what are the
strong and weak points of a teacher.
He need not stop to discuss them with
the teacher or board. On blanks
prepared for this purpose he mails OF
hands the teacher and the board
what he thinks can and should be
done to improve conditions. He ap-
points Saturday meetings in different
sections Of the county. Teachers and
directors meet him and talk over
points of interest to the schools. All
nine counties having supervision have
excellent men in the office who are
appreciated. Seven of them have no
opposition for reelection. In st. Louis
county Mr.. Denny retires on his own
motion. Mr.. Huff, of Saline, defeat
ed two opponents, both most excellent
men and teachers, in a primary last
Saturday.
What is needed most to revive edu'
~cational interest are higher ideals.
What influences are at work in your
schools cultivating such?
Practical men, voters, are too apt
to look only at the possible good done
in visits. The superintendent will
act as a stimulating and organizing
agent and bring about IN exchange
of practical ideas among teachers
and directors; he will bear the news
from one community to another as t
the advance made in the best schools
of his and neighboring counties. The
farm boys and girls will learn mucf
from these visits that will inspire
them to better efforts.
The county superintendent in TIN
field is a disseminating agency. H
will correct innumerable evils. Fl,
will prevent typhoid fever by callinI
attention to the foul wells from which
the children drink in September. fl
will wake up negligent directors VIII
still allow school children to go to tn
head of the hollow for drinking water
or across into a neighboring field. II
will, by the mere mention of thing
neglected, secure clean and sanitar.
school rooms and decent school prem
Uses, and he win emphasize the ide
of libraries and apparatus and tn
organization Of all educational ageI
icies.
Intelligent school men the countT
? over, are practically a unit in suppol
r of school supervision, and those pr
greSsive, practical, work-a-day me
and women who have seen the high
D organized schools Of California, Micl
igan and Of the nine fortunate coul
ties of Missouri, heartily indOr
0 supervision.
Let every friend Of economy vo'
for the supervision at the school NEE
ing next Tuesday. 1t is economy
y see that school moneys are spent
: to the very best advantage. Try
two years and get your county, educ
tionally, ready for the st. Louis e
hibit in 1908. Yours respectfully,
OI W. T. CARRINGToN,
State Supt Public Schools.