The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07

essay to teach in the best schools
of their counties. They understand
full we'll that the public does not
expect such fitness Of them. That
is our fault, not theirs. The public
mind does not think Of a county
superintendent as a man Of educa-
ton, experience, tact, and leader
ship in school matters. 1t thinks
of him as a nan who listens to
neighborhood quarrels about district
lines, and about the appointment and
removal of trustees, and who sits In
his Office one day In the week to
sign teachers pay warrants.
In speaking thus of incompetent
county superintendent, I have no
intention whatever Of being personal.
I am happy to count my best friends
in the State many Of the county
superintendent. Many of them are
competent and efficient men, sacrt-
fcing themselves on the altar Of an
unappreciative public, for their re-
ward is contemplate. We ask forty
two qualified men to direct oVor
$500 teachers, to act as guardians
for $4,000 children, and to keep
and to disburse nearly a million and
a half dollars; We offer them an
average salary of 1854, an insult to
an official man! The city Of Green
Vile has conceived itself that 1t Is
economy to pay it's superintendent
$1,000 a year to Supervise the work
of A teachers; while GreenVllle
county pays It's superintendent 500
to supervise 275 teachers. Sumter
pays it's city superintendent $2,4OO a
e a to direct SO teachers; Sumter
county offers its superintendent $9OV
to direct about $50 teachers. 1t is
q source Of wonde rhow we have
as many efficient county superinten-
dents as we have. All honor to the
competent man patriotic enough t.
serve his county on a contemplate
salary! But shame upon a people
who compel patriotism to crawl IN
the dust!
I know that we have some people
who claim that u schools are
already too much supervised. That
depends entirely upon what Is meant
by supervision. If 1t means the
constant meddling in petty details
or the jealous interference with
teachers in matters concerning
only themselves, or the insls-
tency upon teachers becoming
cheap imitators Of fad-
hend superintendent, then perhaps
we have too much. But If super
vision means the readiness and abtl-
ity to assist the teacher, the power
to inspire her, the tact to prune
and refine and strengthen her, n
the manhood to sustain her (and 1t
usually does), then I dissent We
hemently. All over the State We
have young men and women "hn
as teachers ought to succeed pu'
who are failing because they have
no one to advise them and to sup
mort them in the crucial moments
Of trial. This is especially true III
the rural and village schools. Is II
any wonder that the young teachers
flock to the towns?
The rural schools must have pet
ter supervisors. Nearly seventy pei
cent of the white school children
Of this State are in the rural schools
They are entitled to as good n as
! close supervision as are any other
children. Proper supervision can
not be given as long as we multlpi!
the one-teacher schools with fifteen
pupils each, and permit the popula'
election Of supervisors at a salary
of 1854. On a salary Of 1854, what
can a county superintendent do to"
ward the real supervision of 15o
teachers scattered all over a CUNT
in perhaps 100 school houses?
Require that the county superln-
tendent be an expert educator, let
him be appointed by a board Il
RESPONSIBLE to that board, keep MIN
in office as long as he is efficient, n
nav him an experts salary. We sha;i
| fnd the men prepared to do the
work. Then we shall stop fritterlng
away the school fund, increase the
fund, and we shall get results
Sooner or later our people are going
to come to look at this matter m
what as did Hon. John ]. McMahah
in his report for 1900.
WILLIAM H. HAND.
r1,,roreitv oP South Carolina. .