The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-22
The Governor and the Superintendent

N'"S RuN pltIlcf.
Passing over the humorous writings
IN the letter OF State Superintendent
"f Education Martin. thirty-Six hours
having elapsed during which the
laughter has in part Subsidcd. il may
be aS well to direct public attention
to the omission Of the South Carolina
makers to create ii gov
rrn"r'S cabinet South Carolina :
chief executive, unlike the president,
has no ''oIlirial family.' The consti-
tution-makcrs and other legislators
may have been iwnoramuscs, but GER
tain it is that they gave no intimation
/" the governor that he is called upon
to advise with any state official. cx-
ccpt on his own motion. in making
| executive appointments.
The suggestion is respectfully but
tlrm.y advanced that the appoint
mrnt Of members Of the state board
OF education was not placed in tha
hands Of The superintendent of edu-
cation for the simple and sufficient
reason that the lawmakers preferred
that it should be III the hands of the
governor. TO be sure, it may strain
the credulity Of the public to believe
that the lawmakers knew their bust
ness, but they are entitled to a pre-
sumption to that effect.
| The common schools and the com
mon people are intimately connected.
Every cold iicld' school is control
cd by citizens who are not profess
slonal teachers. There is much in
school teaching that is not technical.
The parent of the pupil is sometimes
better informed about some school
matters than some teachers. Above
all things to be avoided is the
bnildin" up of a cloistrrcd class Of
teachcrS; Of teachers so addicted to
their profession as to be withdrawn
from pupils and parents. Over
specializing teaching is thr undoiny
or educational progress. The really
competent teacher has an open mind
That receives as quickly form the pu-
mIS and their parents as from the
books Of pedagogy. In short. common
sense IS nmc-tenthS or teaching and
trrhnlra!ty the other tenth, while in
pharmacy or medicine or law trchni-
callty may he fivc-tcnths or more.
Hence the pa pahlc value Of laymcn
on III" board Of education. especially
II they be interested in school mat
lrrS. and may thus be qualified to
look 1t given pr"nnSiiom from the
viewpoint Of both teacher amt school
patron. :
For example. LIT MS consider the So
lection "f school books. iunc,lnn Of
the stat" board. Trarhrr> are very
prom" /" "nr~Sd"d mnlium> nn thi,
subject. The sympathy between the
school book publishing hcusr and the
teacher is often strong. The publish
erS' man points the teacher TO a
slight Improvement in n geography.
All other Biographies instantly be-
come intolcrable to the teachers cx-
pert mind, and the drumhcai con-
dcmnation Of those in use seems to
nim imperative. The layman. how
ever. has had more experience in buy
IN" Biographies. lie has seen i'm
provcmcnt follow improvement in
books with no proportionatc mental
strides by little Sammy and Susie
and in the board Of education, iuS,
as likely as not, he may be obduratc,
pcrvcrSr, stubborn and "bull-hcad-
ed. I'm Such ease, the publishing,
h"uSrS and the Suprrinirn would
be likely t" sci down the department
aS out Of date and generally dccaycd,
but education would proceed i'm South
Carolina. Your layman on the board
Is sometimes ltra-c0nsrrvativc, rs-
prrlaIly IN matters that would in
v"lvc expense I" the people. After all,
the lawmakers may have known their
business when they protected the
state board from becoming over
burdcnch and unbalanced with teach
"rS. and conserved lay representation
in il.
No evidence is at hand that the GOV
rrnor had adopted any policy Of iy-
n"rln@ the superintendent previous
t" That gentleman high kicking at
the time Of rX-(ioycrnpr ShInpa ri .