The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-03-26
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.

| permissionl
The following communication has
| been received:
Evidently the law in creating the
office Of town superintendent endeav-
ored to belittle either itself or the su-
perintendent, for no more petty off
cial exists today than this worthy and
much needed town officer. In the
main, the present powers granted the
superintendent of schools are to grant
and revoke permits, dismiss teachers,
assist i'll choosing text books, and
make such recommendations as in his
| Judgment may seem proper; but this
official derives his Office by appoint
ment from the very board with whom
his action may conflict.
Keeping in mind the fact that our
school boards are liable to be composed
of men who have the necessary politi-
cal "pull" to secure their election, we
can easily see a serious defect in this
organization. The notification of any
act of the superintendent is only a
matter of slight effort on the part of
the directors. In fact, under this
law, the superintendent can exist in
name only. 1t is not an office. He
has no power that he may exercise,
impartially, without depending upon
the honor of his "superiors. -
The manifest intent of the law is
that the superintendent should act as
a "check" or safety valve" as it
were, upon the directors. The man
agement of our schools is matter of
paramount Importance, requiring as
it does the exercise of much discretion
and being attended by the liability of
easy mistake These were just the
matter considered by the law when it
attempted to create superintendent
for each town system, but instead,
gave the several boards of directors
charity to distribute and another
way to get votes for themselves.
1t has been deemed that director
might hold the office; then, that il
savored too much of duplicity. But
evidently some superintendent became
cranky" and the clause excepting
the directors has been stricken out.
But what becomes of the provisions
of the law? Where is the critic
Who stands at the helm and guides
the ship of school safely over the
shoals? Why, the director. He cal
hire competent or incompetent teach
ers, as he chooses. He may not b,
able to read but he can select tex
books. There is no requirement il
the law that he know the first thin
about schools, yet he is by election
: alone empowered to purchase supple
5 and make all these arrangements al
: fecting those schools, which are to de
,, termine the character of our futur
, citizens. All these things are rad
( cally wrong, contrary to the inter
of the law and against the good c
every community.
{ We as a State have abundant oppol
. tunities to improve educationally. An
: as it is from the little "Red SchoC
House," scattered over the length an
. breadth of the State that we sha
r gain the major portion of our results
let us endeavor to care for the multi
tuude of these small schools with
: jealousy born of pride, and elect sue
men for directors as are best titte
for the work, and then amend our La
7 so that the power of revoking the al
s pointment of the town superintendent
: will be in the hands of the selectmer
or if preferred, the county examine
e of teachers. l believe that the power
r already accorded the superintendent
o by law, should be enlarged rattle
= than restricted. The present law i
a reference to the superintendent sui
t uniting his recommendation to the d
s rector but does not require, expressly
y that they take any action thereon
j. should be amended to require actio
to be taken by the full school board
The superintendent should be give
r NolOO III WIG ioohVioh VI sOioolf
| provided this authority is to be exel
Q cised by the board without a vote c
}, the town.
4 The present scarcity of teachers dc
mands that the superintendent exel
Q else his right of appointing some suit
4 able person to the scholarship at tn
! Normal school in accordance with tn
r statute.
: His duties in regard to the inspeC
= ton of the schools are well defined an
+ need no further consideration, @
rather would not if he were the indie
) pendent official intended by the law
" The present status of the school su
| nnrinnndnnt rnnindn mo Of tho onntl1