The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07
OUR SCHOOLS.
PAPER NO. T..
BY PROF. WILLIAM b. HAND.


Inadequate Superyision-In South
Carolina there are three units of
school administration-the Stata,
the county. and the school district.
IAN educational system Is a great
business" In every organized bust
ness there must be machinery; that
machinery must be repaired, adjust
ed, and articulated; and some COM
petent person must supervise that
machinery. A successful supervisor
must be a capable man, an expe-
rienced man, and a courageous a
He must be reasonably well paid, de-
fnitely responsible to somebody, and
reasonably secure in his position as
long as he is efficient. What of the
supervision of our educational sys-
tenn? What do we expect, and what
have we q right to expect.
What does the fundamental law
of the State require In the office
of the State superintendent? Does
1t require that he shall be an edu-
Gated man, or a man OF experience
In school affairs, or a man Who knows
anything Of teaching and Of teach
ers, or a man himself qualified to
teach? He is expected to direct
the educational policy Of a State, anu
to maintain a system of schools for
over three hundred thousand chill
dren. What salary is uttered to
q man big enough to fill this po-
sition? Nineteen hundred dollars a
Now does this rank with the
salary offered a man big enough to
run one cotton mill? How does ne
get the position, and on what does
the security of it depend? What Is
likely to be his reward for any dis
play of courage in his office? Ev-
cry second year he Is compelled 10
neglect the duties Of his office TO!
at least two months and to spend at
least four hundred dollars, to get
the opportunity to speak ten min
utes in each county telling the dear
(%indiferent) people that he should
be reelected. Under u present
system Of electing the State super
intendent, and with two-year tenure
Of Office, the entire educational pol
lev of the State may be reversed In
side one year. In a recent editorial
The News and Courier ~pertinently
says, I'm late years the people have
shown a growing Improvement IN
their estimate Of the place OF super
intendent Of education, choosing as
a rule trained teachers for 1t, Z.
hut there is no assurance SO long
az the Office Is filled by popular vote
that incapable men will not be
ingratiating manner, or q reward
ingratiating manner. or a a reWar1
80 noIi+,ca, service. The
superintendent Of education shou'1
be appointed by the governor or py
a commission, after investigation
and the salary should be sufficient
to command the services OF exper!S'
and at the same time remove them
from temptation
A succession of able State super
intendents could not build and mai l.
tain a system Of high schools unless
the county supervisors be good.
The wisest policies of a state super
intendent would avail but little, un-
less the county superintendent were
able, willing, and courageous enough
TO carry these policies to success
In the matter of Administrator
the county superintendency Is tho
kew to the situation. What do We
REQUIRE of the county superinten-
dent, what do we expect, what %
we get, and-what do we give! DO
we require that the county super
intendent shall be an expert or eN-
nerienced educator? Is he required
to have any knowledge or scnooi9
or of teaching? Is there anything
to prohibit an illiterate from hold
ing that office? He is not required 10
be competent to teach, although by
law he Is required to give his teaci'-
ers instruction In the art and meth
4 of teaching. Does the county oe-
mand that it's superintendent be AT
feast the equal Of the superintendent
IN the court house town? TIE be peE-
fectly plain and honest, have we not
had men elected and reelected ~
the Office of county superintendent
to supervise the whole county VINO
could not have been elected to n
nosition In the best schools of their
Counties? Many of them would not