The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-10-23
The County Superintendency of
Sphnn1c

n'NttI9 W nave COUNTY SupeflnUen-
dent and what is to be expected of a
superintendent. And this word is,
that Mr.. Cottingham has shown, as
no previous superintendent has done,
some comprehension of the modern
problem of school teaching and
methods, and has applied himself to
give expression to his views accord
ing to his lights. For this we owe
him thanks. May it not be hoped
that the lesson of this will be heed
ed, namely, that some expert know
ledge and training are necessary in a
superintendent, and that no one
ought to be elected for the office who
is destitute of these qualifications.
| The county superintendent of
schools should be what the name i'm
plies. The question is embarrassed
for us by the union in the superin-
tendent of Two functions, clerkship
OF the board of education, and Wis
itor OF schools. The idea of super
intendence has lapsed, partly be-
cause superintendents have not sup
erintended, and partly because the
superintendent relation to the board
has SO much usurped his relation to
the schools. The scope and need of
superintendent seems to have been
lost out of sight, the real work of SUP
ERINTENDTNG the schools. This is in
part the fault of the system. No one
can superintend when visiting two
schools in one day
What then is the superintendent for?
TO find answer to this question we
have only to ask what is the foreman
OF farm for? or the superintendent
Of a factory? The first question
owners would ask of an applicant for
these positions would be, what do
You know about this business-you
who want to~be foreman, what do
you know about farming, and you,
who want to be superintendent,
what do you know about the mach
merry and the manufacturing in the
factory? If the reply should be, l
have never worked on II farm, or |
have no knowledge of machinery or
manufacturing that would end the
Interview The candidate would b..
| told that he was not wanted. And
we all say, that is the business view
to take. How could an ignorant man
run either of these enterprises
But we seem to lose our common
sense when we are called on to vote
for a superintendent of schools. We
10 not seem to think of qualification,
illness, expert knowledge, ability to
Iuperintend, so that the schools shall
10 the best possible work.
A superintendent of schools should
know as much how a school should
)e taught, in the most approved
methods of teaching, so as to make
out of the boy and the girl the most
possible of a man or a woman, as the
good foreman knows how to raise
crops. and the factory superinten-
lent knows details of factory work.
The ability to hold these two posi-
lions depends on expert knowledge.
Those who have observed or read
on the subject know there are two
ways of teaching-the old way of
lesson given out to be learned from
book, and recited to Il teacher who
holds book in hand and asks ques-
tons out of the book. The result is
stuffing the mind with information,
making natures instrument for ac-
curing knowledge, the faculty of
observation, dull for want of eXer-
else, and a distaste in many cases for
learning and books. The modern
method aims to awaken intellectual
interest and curiosity, to cultivate
the faculty of observation, with the
result of thirst for knowledge of all
kinds and a humility of mind in the
presence of the wonders of nature
md the curious facts of life, animal
md vegetable. Too many of our
schools are in the former condition it
to be feared. 1t is the business of
he superintendent to see which
method prevails in a school, and if it
be the wrong one to take the place of
instructor and show how Il given les
son, the one IN nand, should be
taught. This requires skill, tact, pa
rence, kindness and enthusiasm,
that teacher and pupils may catch
the new spirit, and the superinten-
dent have confidence his instruc-
ton will be followed when his back
is turned. This is the true work of
the superintendent. When instead
of this the superintendent is manly
clerk and school visitor the county
is paying superintendent wages with
out getting superintendent work.
If now such superintendent
should he sought and given free
hand as he should be to do anything
worth while, it would be an immense
gain to Putnam county. Perhaps
the county would say, we cannot af-
ford to employ such an expert. He
would have to be a graduate of a
normal school, and have other edu-
-cational outfit, and would want more
wages than we could afford to pay.
The question might be: Can the
county afford not to supply itself
with such a superintendent? The
school demand is the highest demand
on our pockets. TO put luXuries,
style, personal indulgences and load
ed tables before this demand is to
sacrifice our children to Moloch and
Baal, to make them hewers of wood
and drawers of water instead OF
leaders in the good work and battle
of life.
But granting the county is right in
saving this, is there no other way OF
securing modern, up.to-date super
inteudency ? The superintendent
should be Young man, other things
being equal. Is there not in the
county a young man already perhaps
devotiug himself to teaching, of the
right quality of brightness, with the
best ideals, who might have such
proposition as this made to him2 Ii
YOU will take a course of instruction.
IN one of the best normal schools of
the county, or spend the same
amount of time at the famous school
al Oswego, n. Y, or with such city
superiItendent as Mr.. Ballet of
Springfield, Mass, we would guaran'
tee YOU shall be candidate for county
superintendent, (which would b.
punivalent to election) and you shall!
hold Office so long as results JUSTIFY
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