The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-03-15

Mr.. Gunnels spoke fselingiy Of the
need OF qualified superintendency Of
proper Supervision 10 the strategic
point In the public school system.
Considering the fact that the average
salary of the county superintendent In
Alabama is 1907. he said that II seem
ed worse than folly for the State not
to require expert supervision. num-
Der OF superintendents in Alabama, he
said, drawing almost the salary limit,
in their reports to the once have stated
that they have not been inside of a
rural schoolhouse during the year. Al
superintendent to- be useful should be
elected by the County Board of Educa-
tion regardless of politics, should have
a teachers certificate of the first class.
should be an experienced school man
and should be required to devote his
entire time to the schools of the coun-
ty. The, school business should be con-.
Quoted as any other business is con-
Quoted No sensible business man would
undertake any great enterprise unless
he had at the head of 1t a man skilled
In that particular line of work. In this
great enterprise he said, the same bus
mess sense should be shown and super
intendents or supervisors should be
selected regardless of the accident of
birth or residence. who know the work
they are to do. A bill carrying out.
these ideas was presented to the last
Legislature, but failed to pass.
OF Alabama's sixty-seven counties.
forty-one have voted the special one
mill tax for school purposes. bill
submitting an amendment to the con-
stitution to allow school districts to
levy tax for the benefit of the dis
trict schools was defeated by narrow
margin at the Legislature. The friends
OF educat ton in Alabama, said Mr.. Cum
neis, have not given up the night Tor
q auaiified county superintendent, tor
compulsory attendance and for the one
mill tax. The people are demanding
andfwill continue to demand these ed
ucational reforms. and the next Legis-
Iature will be forced, by a pressure
from the people which cannot be with
stood, to give the cause of education. IN
Alabama these Importance measures.
superintendent Jones, after giving
statistics to show that in Tennessee
there has been a very gratifying IN
crease in the amount of money avail
able for the schools, the last Legisia-
ture providing about 100000 more than
any preceding Legislature, turned ms
attention to the question OF superin-
tence. He said that some of the coun-
ty superintendents are not worth 500
q wear to the schools. The average
salary paid is $500. This was Increased
last year 80 per cent.
The Heart of the system.
Superintendent Powers of MISSISSIPPI
nj took up the same subject, and de-
clared that the county superintendent
is the heart of the school system. and
unless the county superintendents are
effective, the system Is a failure. The
weak point in our educatiinal cam
paign is our lack of emphasis on this.
The campaign otherwise has been sue
cessful in Mississippi. The election for
special country school tax never falten
except where no campaign mad been
made. A million dollars has oeen
added to the support OF the graded
schools in the last three years. The
Mississippi school library law appears
TO be a good thing. If the patrons OF
a school raise SO fer a libary, the SUI
parintendent may appropriate an addi-
tional $40 for the same purpose. Tne
patrons must supply case TOR the
books. Three hundreds school nnfafles
have thus been placed In MISSISSIPPI
schooIs Next it is expected that close
attention will be paid to the matter OF
Supervision. Mississippi ought to have
high schools in every country sad Mr..
Powers, and the state ought to have
a normal school. 1t has none now.
Superintendent Doyne reported tnat
Arkansas
and pays 8 per cent Interest on the
debt. Agriculture Is taught In the
rural schools and is regarded as val
| liable study. 1t is learned from announcer
source that the Arkansas school sys-
! fem Is the most advanced and progress
| sive of any in Southern state.
Mr.. Cassidy of Kentucky, said that
| the schools now have s.x montns
| term. whereas formerly tn term tav-
erared from three to flve Fnotttlss. There
are three normal schools, but these are
poorly maintained. 1t is required 1enaL
| 4 county superintendent must naVe tne
grade OF a common school teacher. ah ne
| county is the unit of education and OF
| school government, and every enort
/ should be made to give It higner
| standing. Mr.. Cassidy suggested that
/ there should be school OF superin-
! tendents in the normal coliege.Tt Mr.
| CassIdv then took shot at tho school
] frustees. who compose one-eightieth
| ~ the entire population of theastate.
he said. There are $500 of trent, II
| ancient this would not be TOO 1eteal
i a force, but at least one-thtrd Of AneH
! number can neither reac nor MrtSeL =.
| superintendent Cousins said that IN
! Texas the county superintendent must
snend at lesst four days of each week
/ an the schools. Teachers Institutes are
4 10 he held by them Ave days consecu-
l tivelv in the fall term, and the teaeh-
/ ars are required TIC attend. Mr.. Brant-
| Law. of the same State, followed, and
| dealt in statistics and finances. The
| school fund had been increased IN one
| year from @4,s4s.32o TO $S,s6o'e4S; OF
| from SIS to Sc per capita. The school
4 term averages fve and two-ffths
| months. There are 1888 school dis