The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-10-07
OUR SCHOOLS.
PAPER NO. 4.
,y poor wTTJssg q EAEn
BY PROF. WILLIAM &. HAND.

Inadequate sapervisioR-Ic South
Carolina there are three units Of
school adninistration-the Stat9,
the county, and the school district.
"An educational system Is great
business" IN every organized busi-
aess there must be machinery; that
machinery must be repaired, ADJUST
ed, ano articulate6; snd some COM
petert person must supervise that
machinery. A successful supervisor
must be S capable man. an e1pe-
rienced man, and 8 courageous man.
He must be reasonably well paid, de-
Snitely 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 right to expect
What does the fundamental law
OF the State require IN the Office
Of the State superintendent? Does
it require that he shall be an edE-
Gated man, or man OF experience
In school affairs, or man who knows
ANYTHING Of teaching and OF teach
ers. or q man himself qualified to
teach? He is expected to direct
the educational policy Of State, anc
70 maintain system OF schools 1oi
over three hundred thousand chill
d7er. What salary IS offered to
3 man big enough to All this po-
citicn? Nineteen hundred dollars ,
wear Now does this rank with the
salary offered a man big enough TO
run one cotton mill? How does he
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'
erv second year he Is compelled Il
neglect the duties Of his Office TO-
at least two months and to spend al
least four hundred dollars, to ge
the opportunity to speak ten min
utes in each county telling the des'
{indiferent) people that he shou'e
be- reelected. Under our presen'
system Of electing the State super
inten6ent, and with two-year tenurs
or Office, the entire educational pol
;cy OF the State may be reversed IN
side one year. N recent ecatoria
The News and Courier PERTINENT!
SAYS, "Ir late years the people haTf
shown a growing improvement II
their estimate Of the place Of super
..te-aeas % education. choosing a
8 rule trained teachers for it,
but there IS no assurance 80 IONS
as the Office Is filed by popular Vot'
that incapable men will not o.
ingratiating manner, or q seWa's
ingratiating manner, or 8 q reWar
for political service. ~
superintenaent Of education shout:
se appointed by the governor OF D!
q commission, after Investigation
and the salary should be suf1cien
to command the services OF exper!s
and at the same GAe iSioo'S
from temptation"
A succession Of able state super
;rtendents could not buiid and mai
tain system OF high schools unles
the county supervisors be sooo
The visest policies Of State super
intendent would avail but httle' on
less the county supeirntendents wee'
ahle. willing, and courageous enooss
70 carry these policies to success
In the matter Of administrator
the county superintendency is th'
kew to the situation. What DO W
REQUIRE OF the county super'nee.'
dent. what do we expect, Wnae O.
we get, and-what do we give! *
we REQUIRE that the county super
,n+enoept shall be an expert or eS
ner;enced educator? Is he required
to have any knowledge OF schooi:
or OF teaching? Is there anything
to prohibit an illiterate from hoio
ing that Office? He is not required e
he competent to teach, although 0!
law he is required to give his teacn
ers instruction in the art and metz
ODDS Of teaching. Does the county oe
nand that its superintendent be a
,east the equal Of the superintenoen
IN the court house town? Te be pet
sectly plain and honest, have We no
had men elected and reelected ::
the Office Of county superintendent
n suneryise the whole county, Ths
could not have been elected TO an
nosftion in the best schools OF theli
counties? Many Of them wouio no'