The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-18
State Superintendent Darlington
Says the Present Plan Cannot
Make for Progress.
ASKS ONLY TW0-YEAR TEST.
Capable County Officials, He Says,
Will More Than Earn His
Salary in Preparing Ex-
hibit for Worlds Fair.

REPtEl.lC SPECIAL.
Jefferson City. No. Feb disappointment
ent of Public Schools Darlington this even
ing came out in an appeal for county
supervision of schools
He reviews that situation in Missouri
from an educational point of view and sug-
sests that until county supervision is
adopted Missouri will be in the back
ground as for as advance is concerned.
Oily nine counties have adopted the sys-
TEN in the last twenty years. showing the
lhefiiciency of local option. The appeal is
| as follows:
fhe rural school problem is most i'm
| portaHt one. Missou.i's school system Is
weakest al this point For four years
nave tried faithfully to improve conditions
thinking that much could be done throue II
County Board Of Education. in organiz-
ing and artriculating the school work
While conditions have improved somewhat
III localities. they are not coed and / am
thoroughly convinced that none short of
close supervision will make them So
Leading teachers have ever favored SUI
pefVislon. 1t has met defeat mainly be-
cause of the activity of d few who are op-
posed to public schools. and three state
nenis are used against it, as follows:
- W IiiV IL Oi't ana tue people cOs
tire. of II
:. The people can have 1t now in the
counties where they want it,
.. The people have voted on it in nv
county and voted ii down
NOT SUFFICIENT.
While these statements are true. they
are not sufficient reasons for not adopting
il When county supervision was abolished
thirty years ago public-school sentiment
was weak compared with what it is to-
day. Yer: few teachers then devoted their
lives To tine work. Many superintendents
We're not teachers.
Conditions have changed. Every county
will now elect an efficient officer. who will
have the hearty cooperation OF the teach
and patrons.
People are very naturally opposed to
measures they have not seen tried and have
not had time to study. That is why so
many of our fathers did not favor public
schools thirty years ago. That is why
county supervision is frequently voted down
by the people who viii be benefited most
by IT, People who live in towns and cities
usually know its benefits and favor it.
In twenty years nine counties have
adopted it. Missouri will not have it through
LEGAL option When local option was
adopted it was for the avowed purpose of
killing supervision. A vote to continue the
present plan is the same as vote against
progress in schools.
SEEMING INDIFFERENCE.
THE seeming Indifference to the interests
of the schools on part of legislators and
public men has the effect of taking many
of the best teachers into some other bust
ness. 4 superintendent will stimulate
school sentiment. encourage teachers and
get better results from the expenditures
that are now sometimes almost wasted.
Every Missourian should be proud of
his State. of its rapid material develop
ment. The eyes OF the world are focusing
on Missouri. In the next two years millions
Cf p ople will see Missouri and study her
institutions. our schools will be among the
first things to attract attention. Shall We
he equal To the occasion and show prog
re:s at the most vital pOint-the rural
schools?
In this | do not speak for myself alone.
Sixteen thousand teachers. most faithful
public servants. every one of them. demand
an opportunity TO improve the schools and
make a grand school exhibit at St. Louis
in 1901 4 superintendent viii be worth sew
eral times his salary for the next two
years in helping TO organize creditab.e
school exhibit
TIE Forty-second General Assembly
should adopt supervision. and If its results
do not justify the expense, let the law be
repealed IN two years.