The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-10-07

essay 20 I9aC1 II the OSSC SCHOoiS
Of their counties. They understand
full well that the public does not
expect such fitness Of them. That
is our fault, not theirs. The pubic
mind does not think Of county
superintendent as man Of educa-
ton, experience, tact. and leader
ship In school matters. It thinks
OF him as a man who listens TO
neigh hborhood euarrels about district
lines. and about the appointment anu
removal Of trustees, and who sits IN
his Office one day IN the week u
sign teachers pay warrants
IN speaking thus OF incompetent
county superintendents, have no
intention whatever OF being personal,
I am happy to count my best frienas
!, the State many Of the county
sunerintendents. Many Of them are
competent and efficient men, sacr'-
scine themselves on the altar OF al
unaopreciative public, for their re-
ward Is contemplate. We ask fortF-
two qualified men to direct over
$500 teachers, to act as guardians
for $4,000 children, and to keep
md to disburse nearly million ano
half dollars; We offer them an
average salary Of 1854, an insult to
an oflc!al man! The city Of Green
vile has conceived itself that 1t Is
economy to pay its superintende II
$1,000 a year to Supervise the work
NJ a. teachers; while Greenville
county pays It's superintendent $40"
70 supervise 275 teachers. Sumter
pavs its city superintendent s2,zoo a
wear to direct 3S teachers; Sumter
| county offers it's superintendent ssoV
TO direct about $50 teachers. II Is
source OF wonde rhow we na'e
,s many efictent county superinten'
dents as We have. Ali honor to the
,ornetent man patriotic enough tt
serve his county on a contemplate
salary. But shame upon people
who compel patriotism to crawl y
the dust!
know that We have some peopi'
who claim that our schools arr
already too much supervised. ina
deDends entirely upon what is mean
by supervision. II 1t means III:
constant meddling in petty details
| or the jealous interference VIII
teachers in matters concernlns
on,y themselves, or the insls
Etency upon teachers becoming
cheap imitators Of rad
6end superintendent, then perhap'
we have too much. But II super
vision means the readiness and ao'f
ity to assist the teacher, the po"e'
to inspire her, the tact to prun'
and refine and strengthen her, an.
the manhood to sustain her (and J
usually does). then I dissent We
ihemently. All over the State WI
have young men and women Wn'
las teachers ought to succeed ou
who are failing because they hav'
mo one to advise them and to sup
mort them in the crucial moment
LOT trial. This Is especially true Il
the rural and village schools. is
amy wonder that the young teacher
flock to the towns?
The rural schools must have BET
tier Supervisors. Nearly seventy pc
cent of the white school childre'
O, this State are in the rural schools
They are entitled to as good and
close supervision as are any otne
children. Proper supervision cal
not be given as long as we mult'pl!
the one-teacher schools with hftee'
pupils each, and permit the popula'
election OF supervisors at a salar!
of seSA. On salary Of 1854, wh'
car a county superintendent 90 70
ward the real supervision or lo'
teachers scattered all over a~count
IN perhaps 100 school houses!
| REQUIRE that the county superln
itendent be an expert educator ie
him be appointed by board ant
responsible to that board, keep hin
lin office as long as he is efficient, ant
Inay him an experts salary. We sha;
and the men prepared to do ta'
work. Then We shall stop fritter1nE
away the school fund, increase th'
fund. and we shall get results
sooner or later our people are goins
to come to look at this matter some
what as did Hon. John J. McMaha1
in his report for 1900.
WILLIAM H. HAND.
! - c>,4h Carolina