Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-03-22
The Office of School Commissioner. ar ar

EDITOR REPUBLICAN: Will you kindly
give the following space in your next
issue:
At the coming election the voters
should bear in mind that the office of
school commissioner, though usually the
last on the list, is not the least in i'm
pOrtance. All who have the welfare of
the public schools at heart should DO
their part to get efficient men elected to
this office.
The commissioners of the different
wards constitute the school board, whose
duties are prescribed by law.
These duties are Of two kinds: Those
that relate to business matters and those
that relate to the management and
supervision of the instruction in the
schools.
Some members can always be of good
service on the board by giving special
attention to matters Of business, such as
purchasing needed supplies, directing
repairs OF school buildings, and taking
care that the money at the disposal of
tho board is economically expended.
There has never been lack Of good
business men on the school board.
The most important duties of the
school board, however, relate to the
management of the schools, and to the
appointment, promotion, and if need be,
dismissal Of teachers. To perform these
duties intelligently, fairly and for the
best interests of the schools, requires
that the board be acquainted with the
efficiency Of the teachers, the work of
schools and the various conditions that
promote or hinder their progress. The
Justification for the demand that school
boards should know their schools is self
evident.
Now, knowledge Of the schools can
come to the board in two ways: indi-
rectly, through the reports of the super
intendent or other supervisors, and di-
rectly, through personal visitation and
inspection. The reports of the superin-
tendent are certainly helpful, but it is
obvious that they should not form the
only basis on which the board may take
action. No superintendent is imfal-
lible. Besides, the work of the teachers
is in part his work, he being the director
of methads. No one can fully and ac-
curately realize the condition and needs
OF school except by careful and re-
peated observation. During the school
year hardly month passes in which
some fault is not found by parents
and others. The criticism may be
just or unjust; but when complaints
reach the board it is important that one
Or more members can offer an opinion,
that is based on personal observation.
The superintendent in his responsible
position often needs the cooperation of
the board; but this they cannot give un-
less some Of them at least are familiar
with the schools. School visitation en-
courages good teaching. The efficient
superintendent and teachers welcome
frequent visits from the school board,
for such visits offer an opportunity for
the recognition of merit.
During the past twenty five years most
OF the members Of our school boards
were good men. They attended board
and committee meetings regularly aud
did their work cOnscientiOusly. Not
few Of them devoted much effort to the
business of the board and the welfare
of the schools. But only in rare in
stances have we had members on the
board who did any school visiting worth
mentioning. Men usually elected to
school boards lack the leisure and inter-
est necessary to carry out any plan for
the proper inspection of their schools;
but in the fore going it has been suffic-
iently shown how beneficial it would be
to the schools if some of the commits
sioners could and would devote consider
able time to the school visitations. No
teacher or school should be judged by a
single short visit. No teacher is always
at his best; and every school has some
times it's blue day. If the commissioner
who visits the schools has studied the
theory and practice of teaching so much
the better; he can see more and pass
better judgment with such knowledge
than without it. But professional
knowledge is not essential. An intelli-
gent visitor can tell good school from
poor school.
CITIZEN.