The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-02

PROF. ). q. JOCKEY
principal Pensacola High SCHOOL,
ure to demand the proper qualifca
ton.
Trained Supervision.
'1f, then, we are to lave better
supervision in this state, we must
furnish to the superintendent in
| the more populous counties cOmpe-
tent assistants, We must pay better
salaries and we must demand of all
! supervisory officers q professional
qualification. Some careful inVestiga-
ton should be made, and counties
maintaining a greater number OF
schools than one superintendent can
properly supervise, should be re-
CURED by law to employ an assistant
superintendent A minimum salary
should be established by the legisla-
ture, better by the constitution, and
the state should pay one half of it.
Then the superintendent should be
examined and licensed by the state
board. that Is, IL the state board
should be constituted as / have surg
gested, and employed by the county
| board, just as teachers are employed
except that the superintendent
tenure of office should be secure after
a probationary period of a year or
two.
STf such a scheme were put into
effect, what might be considered the
proper qualification of a superintend-
ent? I am of the opinion that to re-
quire Of him that he be a graduate
OF q reputable college, or of a good
normal school; that he have some
little knowledge Of the theory and
practice Of education and the art OF
supervision, and have two or three
years experience as teacher, would
not be placing the qualifications too
high. provided. Of course. the salary
were made high enough to attract
men able TO measure up to the re-
CURED standard. For that purpose it
would be necessary TO establish
minimum salary of not less than
$1,000 Half of that sum could be
easily afforded by any county in the
state.
IF this scheme were adopted, the
change from the old to the new
should not be made too suddenly.
Enough time should be given the
state board to secure an eligible list.
sufficiently large to supply all the
counties with superintendent. And.
In making the change, too, superin-
tendents who have already proved
themselves capable school men should
be retained. whether they were able
to measure up to every detail of the
requirements or not. With all OF
our superintendent competent, we'll
paid. and supplied with assistants
where necessary, we should enter
a Of a6r
ress in the state.
Another rich field for reform in
our school system lies in the exam
ination and certidcation of teachers.
1t was at first nay intention to treat
this subject rather fully, but having
already consumed q large part of nv
time, l can do little more now than
call attention to few Of the most
glazing defects. and indicate. in q
general way, the direction, which it
seems to me the reform should take.
Examination Laws.
The chief defects in our examina-
ton laws are as follows:
First, the holder of the lowest
grade certificate is legally qualified
10 teach in any public school, from
the smallest lngraded rural school, to
the last grade of the high school
Second, the lowest grade certiA. !
Gates are renewed upon examination.
Third, competent teachers must |
submit to denomination every four
or five years.
Fourth, no recognition is given to /
college or normal school training.
Fifth, no proper qualification ia /
required Of high school teachers
Sixth, the state certificate. which |
the state board of education declares
shall be held by principals of state /
aid high schools, may be ISSUED TO /
none except those who have taught |
twentyfour months. eight of which |
must be in this state. This virtually (
prohibits school boards from securing |
principals from other states.
Seventh, examinations for state
certificates and for special certif-
Gates. is made too inconvenient and /
expensive, applicants having to travel |
long distances to take the examina-
ton.
Eighth. state certificates and
special certificates are issued upon
examination by the state superfn- i
tendent, whereas they should be
issued upon examination by the state
board of education, or state board /
1f examiners. i
Ninth. no supervisory certificates /
are provided for.
Remedial steps.
Il regret that because of the lack
II time shall be unable to discuss
zach of these objections in detail. I /.
AN do no more than give brief
,utline OF plan, which, IL adopted.
am inclined to think, would free