The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-25
MANY TOPICS DISCUSSED | BY THE SUPERINTENDENTS

teaching and the promotion of pupils
 The solution of these problems required aDiiity not found in the average man oi anairs, and, hence the school superinten. gent; From the character and nature Of the duties to be performed 1t seems to ut perfectly clear that no one but an expel can do the work efficiently.
 The distribution of labor which charac- sSstem sqr srG higher o4s require, l portions of complicated process are as. signed to special hands. q general plan must bind together the related parts, and secure their harmonious and efficient ac- tion; and back of this plan there must be an intelligent guiding influence"
 This Intelligent guiding influence" ia recognized as the force requisite to suc- cess in every great enterprise in the bus to direct and supervise any great business enterprise must possess not only general, but specific knowledge of the work to be performed; Such requirements are not made in the educational world. The idea too frequently obtains that, it requires no special qualifications or training to super wise schools. Especially is this true of the rural schools. We often find men ill., ing the ofiee of county or district super the special qualifications necessary for eff ncient supervision. To this, as much as 10 any one cause may be attributed the deplorable condition of many rural schools Experience has demonetfated, in my own State as elsewhere, that where the mighty engine Of supefvision' has been wielded by competent men, men pos sessing scholarship, men with successful experience In teaching. men of true moral sense. the educational interests @ n1 are 0 in a hourishing condition. The superifikendent of schools must possess scholarship, cth- erwise he cannot arrange courses of study schools to ascertain whether the Outlined work Is being performed. The superin- tendent should be an experienced teacher. in order that he may criticise, instruct and greet the teachers under his supervision. moral worth in order that he may give 10 his teachers and schools healthy moral tone. The superintendent must possess en.nusias sn sa H,, and ,nntir:ns energy other, importance of the work he seeks to ac- complish. He must possess tact and conn mon sense. If he does not, much of hie labor though properly done will count for it's imperfections.
 The man possessing the qualifications necessary for efficient service as a suner. intendent of schools Is too freouentiy Of life by the miserable compensation. of- | fered for such services. The superinten- cent should not make money the prime object of his iabors. but "the laboreF is l OA utS utTc. Tn AIAD0mA tnA 0f~ flee of County Superintendent, with n few i exceptions, has simply been an office for the disbursement of the per capita school appropriation made by the State. X re. cent act of the Legislature, however. has | changed all this, and beginning with the new school year in October the County Superintendent will be superintendent of schools under a County board of sd,,ca a ! tion. We hope to so improve con6ftiors by the time the Legislature meets in iSo7
 that the office will be So dignified that fhs importance of competent men to 1iii fhS position will be appreciated by our iaSis. lators. The salaries of the ofiIce vaSN, h,, | counties, and range from S2S0 to Al tES ,,ay annum, the average being between 6ve and six hundred dollars The oflca ,s elective by the people in sixty-fwo S,,S c1 siXty-seven G ven counties in the State.
 l am glad to be able to report here thai without the assistance of any law ren,,ir. Ing qualifcattons for superintendent, ths good people of Alabama have begun ts recognize the importance of inc oSyacS and whenever and wherever an a9Rreasivs campaign has been waged by n nracftr.
 school man for the place, his efforts hs .. proven successful. ''o''
 Alabama, ladies and gentleman. rano.,, progress all along the line. The nyincI pie of local taxation for school n,.rr1r~s, Is recognized in our new constit,,tior So the first time in our history. We aS building better school houses, WE hs,,
 made provision for qualified teachera s r'
 we turn with hope to the future for sxner
 supervision. ~. S~per