The news & observer., 1905-12-15
Educational Progress De.
pends Upon 1t.
ADDRESS BY J0YNER
Strong Talk on Inc Duties of The Coua'
ty Superintendents. They, Too, are
underpaid. But New Day, With
New Idea and System, is
Fast Coming.

The State Association of County Su-
perintendents adjourned last night
after the most successful! and import
ant session in its history. The year has
been marvelously eventful with the
educators. The progress has been
more marked. according to the reports
| of the county suDerintendents than
any previous year in the history Of
| public schools in North Carolina.
There were 43S new school houses
constructed during the past year,
against 346 for the former year, Il
gain of H. In this time there were
also established 112 special tax dis
/ tricts. Every other department of
public schoo! work in the State has
made as marked advances. and # the
| fast pace is kept throughout the in
! coming year the changes in the States
educational condition will be past
| wonderful
! Last night after the most interesting
meeting of this session, the Associa-
! tion adjourned sine die. The hardest
work of the entire two days was done
within the last two hours.
! Yesterday morning State Super
intendent j. Y. Joyner. who is
President of the Association,
|
master piece of practical sug-
gestion and definite instruction. Pres
| ident JOINER sounded a loud note Of
! warming ono which VIII sound in
every county N the State. II was that
the public school teachers must be
| better paid, or they would not rise to
| the proper standard of efficiency as a
| teacher. He laid especial emphasis
also upon the fact that "a great number
yNf xFf
their school superintendents living sal
aries. and he urged that. for the sake
of the schools. the children, the wO-
manhood and the manhood of the
: commonwealth. and the prosperity of
! the State, county superintendents
should be paid salaries that would
justify them in Giving their time.
thought. energy. and heart to the
work of the schools.
President Joyner's Address.
President Joyner said he rejoiced
that the time had passed when much
talk on this great subject for the
awakening of the people in the inter-
est Of education was necessary. He
rejoiced that the educational forces
of the State were organized and were
operated practically. He rejoiced that
the fires of enthusiasm for public
education were burning brightly in
the hearts of the people. He said the
County Superntendents of North
Carolina occupy the Stratgetic point in
the problem of the education of the
people. Strategic he said, because
of their relation to the county Board.
the school committeeman. the teachers
and pupils and the people.
/ Your first duty and your first i'm
portant relation to your Board is to
aid them in the selection of competent
men. well qualified for the office of
School Committeeman. No one should
know the qualifications of these men
! better than the County Superintend-
! ent. The busiest men in community
! is usually loath to serve as School
! Committeeman, and the Superintend-
ent should see beforehand these men
| who should be committeeman and lay
! the matters upon their conscience.
Humble though it be there is no more
important work and more eternal and
! far reaching in its results than that of
! our earnest consecrated School Com
mitteemen. This selection is vital t.
the success of the school. The town
ship system of schools is infinitely
superior to the district system.
1.-THE Superintendent ought to keep
up closely with the committee and
aid the County Board in tactful
way in getting rid of dead or incom-
petent committeeman. Another duty
| you owe to the Board is to keep them
informed at all times of the condition.
needs and progress of tho schools.
The County Superintendent should be
the best posted man in the county on
such matters
You have an important duty to
school committeeman in helping them
! in the performance of their duties,
and the first is the performance of
their legal duty. They should have
all the necessary information as to
what their duties are. Next. it should
| be made easy for them to- perform
their duties, and the Superintendent
should keep them supplied with the
necessary books and blanks. The
next important duty to perform is
| to arouse their active interest and
| pride. and enlist their service. They
! can be serViceable in helping the
| teachers, in helping them to learn the
| folks and get the children into school,
and in holding up the hands of the
teachers; serviceable in improving the
| school house and grounds; serviceable
| in helping to arouse public interest
and the formation of sentiment. II
they are the right men they will be
| leaders in all these things. Another
| of their duties is the selection of righ
teachers and putting them in the
right place without fear or favor. Thia
is by far their most important duty.
"As far as my observation goes
| there has been remarkable progress
| in the selection of the best teachers
| There is feeling. much of it, but mucl
less of it than there was ten years age
and this condition has been brough
| about by the County superintendent
"You have also duties to you
County Treasurer. You should keep a
account of the school funds just lik
the County Treasurer's account. an
unless you keep up with the finance
there is often danger of confusion an
mistakes. and sometimes, of wors
evils. The superintendent should keer
informed about every dollar and tn
may be easily done by little system
| attic work. You should help yol
treasurer in keeping up with the fine
forfeitures and penalties. and IL
large increase from the source is.
| think, due to the interest of II
County Superintendents in some cou
ties last year. There is plenty of m