The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-02-20
EDUCATIONAL BUREAU
Under Direction of KATE MARKHAM POWER.

I fairer day is at hand, because the peo-
pie OF The State are willing now, to
: do their very best toward opening up
/, the way. ald making il attractive and
! desirable for the boys and girls who
. are growing SO rapidly into our men
and women, Mississippi has done
much for her children and Is going to
! do SO much more that strangers will
never come from distant lands to build
another capitol of marbles from every
known region save ours, and Of South
American woods!
County Superintendent.
To n who has read attentiyely
the Legislative proceedings 1t must be
manifest that there is q widespread
feeling of dissatisfaction with the
present system Of school supervision
in the counties. There are some men
now serving as county superintend.
ents of education who are thoroughly
equipped for their work, and whose
schools are up to the mark. There are
others who are equipped with the edu.
cation but who lack the executive
powers requisite TO the successful dis
charge of the duties. There are some
who have the ability, but lack suf.
ficient time-and, | regret to say
there are some who have the time, but
lack the other needful. OF course
since n school cannot be better than
its teacher-and a teacher ought not
to be better than his superintendent
the superintendent should be chosen
from among the best men to be had.
And he should then be paid enough
to make the position worth his while.
In the pioneer days of our public
school system 1t was too often the
case that a man who wasn't good for
anything else was considered good
enough for this position, provided. al,
ways, that there was an ancient di.
ploma shut away with other useless
a~CCoutrements Of his early campaign
in life. This-with a long tailed coat
and a duly impressive air-earned his
salary, and the schools take care OF
themselves. There were, Of course,
exceptions, and the rule of the few
really able men who were county SUI.
~perintendentS in those days, is still to
be traced in the splendid system of
which some of our counties have long
been proud. As all other things ad-
vance along educational lines, how,
ever, the county superintendent must
do so too, and keep 50 well abreast
OF the times as to be able to guide
the small army Of teachers with which
he labors,
This head Of the county's school
work must be-trst and foremost-a
gentleman, otherwise the women com,
prising his teaching force must SUI,
fer-and suffer much. He must un'
derstand the practical work of the
school room, as 1t is given TO very
few to teach another to do that which
he cannot do himself. He must, OF
course, be an educated man; and he
must be q man of considerable exeCu.
tive ability. And, unless he cares not
for the pricks along a thorly way,
his tact must never give out, so long
as he has a score or SO of teachers OF
the gentler sex.
This position is no sinecure. II re.
quires work, and plenty of 1t. The Of.
fee work is of a peculiarly wearisome
type, consisting as ii does, largely
of grading papers, making out exam.
nations, planning programs, courses
of study, etc. The pleasalter but
more arduous part Of his work con
ststs in frequent visits to schools, in :
.instructing his teachers as to their
work, holding patrons meetings for !
Of school matters, and the /
necessary work of stimulating
the people to renewed effort for bet. [
ter schools. nor comfortable build. r
lngs, etc. Now, it may be that some :
If the county superintendent do not y
earn their salaries. But a man who I
does all this in the average rural dis. !
.rict in Mississippi earns his salary =,
4 big salary-and a Christmas gift )
in, for lagniappe. Why, in
some neighborhoods the single duty
If convincing the patrons that their
need anything better for a
school house than a good sized box p
with three holes In it tone for a door .
the other for windows (D, 10 y
we'll worth the salary paid. 1t IL a :,
ign of the better times, that our PEG. 1
DE are willing to pay their officials ,
letter salaries. Now, If they would t
,nly advance to the position where, r
Of a willingness to get the
,est and pay for 1t, they can command r
he entire time and talent of our IA
,est trained men and teachers, 1t will I,
'e a glad day for Mississippi and her =
The Text Book Bill. 3
| had expected to be able to tell =,
ur readers all about hat wonderful /
Text Book Bill' which has engaged r
o much legislative time during this r
ession and last, the bill which, like
bn mot bu, nfpu Ity,, n,1 ,,,Da,3 AZ. 81
it was evidently the desire Of
he people to have a uniform system Of
ext books, and by virtue of the in.
omitable perseverance of some and
good fighting qualities Of others r,
T its supporters, II has at last passed ~
senate, but is so amended that Its !,
aren't, Senator Franklin, Of PoltotoC, Vi
recognizes it. The fight over DC
he bill was terrihc-frst, to get 1t up M
/ all. Finally, when It came before q
lie senate, there was a battle over CT
section. and almost every line. fe
much cannot be said in praise Of ca
enator Hightower's method Of caring -
IT the interests Of the bill, and even. ~
securing its passage, he having ~
put in charge Of the bill by It's
II must now go to the house,
1t will scarcely be taken up before
y next letter. NJ
The legislature of 1904 seems to 10
sree with that master poet who wrote ca
little nonsense now and then is lin
by the wlsest men," as they br
this friday evening un. Al
Wednesday Of next week, in order
enable them to spend the day" {
It'll Vicksburg tomorrow, and to par
Tuesday, in the Mardi Gras r.
stiyities at Natchez. To both these III
cities the legislature goes, co
a body. 1t is presumed that Mon. M
y will be devoted to committee gu,
Jrk" MA