Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-12
THE INCREASE IN THE SCHOOL
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SALARY.


This paper agrees with the board
OF school trustees in the opinion that
two thousand dollars q year Is not
TOO large salary for the city super
intendent of schools. The superinten-
dent in Newport News has many du-
Ties and responsibilities In addition
10 those imposed upon him by the
State law. The superintendent, in
his regular Official capacity. is not a.
creature of the local trustees. His
duties and powers are prescribed by
law and the board has no authority
over his movements. and the salary
paid by the State is so small that a.
competent man could not afford to-
give his entire time to the Office with.
out additional compensation. For this
reason the board some years ago
created the position OF supervising
principal to meet the need OF an &C.
tive. efficient executive officer with
authority over principals, teachers
and other employees, 70 give expert
advice to the trustees and actually
operate the school system under d.
rection Of the board. Later this Of
fee was abolished. the board entering
into an agreement with Prof. w. &.
Morton. then principal Of the High
nh .h o.
ton TO the SUPPLEMENTARY Prof.
Morton had his salary substantially
supplemented by the city. became an
employee OF the board as well as OF
the State and assumed the duties
formerly performed by the supervis-
ing principal. This arrangement
was continued throughout Prof Nor
toms tenure of Office and Prof. Jenk-
ms, the present superintendent, took
the position under the same agree
ment.
Thus 1t may be seen that the Office
OF superintendent OF schools requires
she services OF O man who Is worth
and can demand q decent salary. To
I'll the position as IL should be filed,
the man must be an expert educator.
an organizer and something OF q
diplomat. He must know how TO op-
crate an up-to-date school system.
how to tell the trustees what he
knows and convince them he is right.
and mus; be able to actually get the
work out Of principals and teachers.
What ia more. he must deal with. and
in most instances dispose Of. the
thousand and one little and big DIFF
, ferences that arise between teacher
and patron To have the ability to
do these things and 10 possess the
other qualifications that an educator
should have is to be a very superior
man. indeed as nearly everybody will
recognize.
Therefore. a. has been said. We
concur in the opinion OF the trustees
mat two thousand dollars year II
not one cent more than the Office OF
superintendent OF schools IN this city
ought 10 pay. However. we are not
prepared TO endorse a. wise the sc-
ton of the board IN voting an IN.
crosse OF $3.50 a gear to the srperin.
tensent's salary just At this time. In
the middle Of a session at the end
o. which the board in ali probability
~iH face a deficit o. something like
aftesn thousand dollars. and with the
bsak account actually overdsavn ter
thousand dollars AZ present. u would
seem that the trustees might have
been warranted IN insisting that th'
sspcr .Eisndsnt get along for the ~
msluser ef this term. ~ least. with
cat an increzae IN salary.
n vin Be only a matter q tim
before the trustees zppea- before 60
city eozac:i ~ith - application 70
FINDS vim which 70 cover M 6e1ci
ehich INST b net Ne<rs all Q
fhe rcucerz a both br>ncb>< q m
c9cncii heartily favor providsns a
ne nstc> Necessary 70 con5u1t N
cf<y Schools a. = Standard -a1<- .
~ 4 - 49, u. - !, 49, - - =