The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-08
Gr]lqNELS ASKS AID
wAuTa LEGIsLAToRs TO VOTE FOR
 oUPnRIETENDENTs BILL.
m Olrcu1nr Letter. state superintend- enf sf Edncation Urges Upon Law
 Ma1kern Necessity of Qualiflca- Hons of Position.


 state Superintendent of Education II fC. 0unnels has issued a circular letter
 in advocacy Of the bill tD provide for the better supervision of the common schonls Of the State. The letter Is sent I to the members of the Alabama Legis- lature. explaining the bill. and urging
 sheir support of the measure.
 The bill was introduced in the Sem ate by Senator Barbour Of DeKalb. It
 was known 1t had the support of the men who have been active in tho edu-
 cationai regeneration of Alabama. In | his letter. Superintendent Gunnels ! points out 1t has the support of the Alabama Educational Association and
 and Chairman of the Legislative Com:
 mittee pf the County Superintendents Association.
 The importance of the measure Is
 suggestad in Mir, Gunnels' statement, i when he says he considers 1t the most
 Important measure that has been in- i treduced in the Alabama Legislature. The purpose of the bill. he explains.
 Is to nut the rural schools of the State l The letter In full follows:
 ITO the Friends of Education:
 am enclosing copy of bill which has been introduced into the
 House of Representatives and the Sem
 ate of Alabama. By an. examination
 of the, b(l, yor will see it's object is to provide for more efficient supervision of the rural schools of the State. The bill provides. in short, that the County
 Board of Education shall elect as the icountv superintendent teacher holding either a~first grade or a life certificate.
 shall fix the salary and shall require that he aevvts his entire time to the super
 vision Of the schools of the county. The bill has the endorsement of the Ala
 bama Educational Association and was prepared hy the Chairman Of the Leg tslative Cornmittse from the County Su- perintendents' Association.
 | The plan outlined in this bill tor securing efficient supervision Is not an
 experiment Alabama is one of the | few States in the Union which elects
 the County Superintendent by direct vote of the people. Alabama Is the
 only State in the Union that does not
 fix some sort of qualification for It's County superintendents.
 The purpose of the bill Is to place.
 if possible. the rural sc sools m tlto same basis as our city schools as tar l as supervision is concerned. The
 country child is entitled to teaching | just as inspiring. environment just as
 heaIthfui and comfortable. and super vision just as efficient, as the city child. | At present he Is not getting these. The city schools of Alabama are noted for the scholarship. professional att
 tainment and high character of thcir superintendents, who are elected strict | ly upon their merits regardless Of pol | itics or an accident of residence The | plan of securing city superihtendents Is success. No one thinks 0f chang
 ing 1t. Why not adapt It as nearly as possible to the needs of the County l schoots7 The country schools havo the right to the very best superinten- dents--superintenden who keep pace \ with the most advanced thought, who | become fully acquainted with the needs 1 of the County and inteiligently meet them, who from the public platform
 and by personal influence can arouse l tho parents, pupils. officers and teach CTS to a sense of the possibilities and | responsibilities involved fp the import | ance oe education for twentieth cen | tury life; who have the ability to or- | ganixe by using the means in hand. | who do not stop when they reach the | perimeter of statutory duty. but seek | contact with humanity for It's better ment at all possible points, who have
 a mission. an ideal, see clearly, think
 to finish, know they are right and go ahead.
 under the method in force in Ala
 bama now such men can not be sO- cured. Under ths plan proposed in | the bill mentioned such can be done. | .'NYhen we realize that more than ST per cent of the children of Alabama I reside outside of incorporated towns.
 and must depend upon the rural
 schools for an education, the import
 ance of giving them the very best ad- vantages Is easily seen. l have some- | times thought that 1t Is more than folly Tor the State of Alabama to con- tinue co make increased appropriations for it's rural schools without making provisions in some way for better
 school houses and for an economic and Intelligent use of the funds.
 "i consider the proposed bill the most important educational measure which has been introduced or will be | introduced into the present Legisla- ture. If you can endorse It. I suggest thar you write to the members of the House of Representatives and the Sen ate from your County and have your friends to do likewise. drginv them to support the measure. Tn writing refer to the bill as Senate Bill 253. intro duced by MT. Barber. and House Bill SS2 introduced by Mir. Lee of Etowah. the Chairman of the House Committee on Education. There Is no time for delay. and trust you will act at once"