The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-24
Superintendent W. K. Tates on County
Supervision.

In a recent letter to the News and Cour-
Ter w. X. Tate, Superintendent of Rural
Schools, proposes the following as al
improvement on the present plan of Super-
vision work for County schools:
First. Let the people elect a county
board Of education composed Of three
members. At the first election let one
man be elected for two years, another for
four years and the other for six years, and
thereafter let one man be elected every
two years. This will insure a stable board.
II it is desired the board may be made to
consist of five men rather than three.
Second. Let this county board OF ed
of schools just as the city school board
selects a city superintendent. They
should be allowed to select the best man
for the work to be done, regardless OF
| where he is to be found.
Third. This selection should be for a
term Of four years. ...
Fourth. The county superintendent
should be paid a salary which is sufficient
to enable him to devote his entire time and
attention to the supervision Of the schools.
No county in South Carolina can afford to
pay a county superintendent OF education
less than 81 500.
Fifth. The county board Of education
| should also be authorized to employ a
county supervisor Of instruction, whose
duty it shall be to visit the country schools
and to show the inexperienced teachers
how to teach and organize their schools.
This official should work under the direc-
ton Of the county board and county
superintendent, who would be left free to
| devote more of his time to the administra-
| tive duties of his Office, such as the voting
Of special taxes, the consolidation OF
schools and erection OF proper school
have come from the county superinten-
dents for the services Of an experimental
supervisor to be placed in one county Of
the State for the coming year, is an indi-
cation that such help would be appreciated.
Sixth. The county board of education
should be empowered to levy a special
county tax not to exceed Il mill, to be
devoted to the supervision of the rural
schools. Under the constitution the
be paid from the 3 mill tax and they are
in consequence dependent on legislative
caprice. The county board should be in a
position to control the funds for super
vision.
AS I stated above, I should be pleased to
have this scheme Of supervision made the
basis of general discussion by those inter-
ested in education.
w. X. Tate,
State Supervisor Elementary Schools.
Mr.. Tate is All experienced live energetic
teacher and has done much for the schools
of Charleston where he labored before
assuming the duties of superintendent Of
Rural Schools for the State.
The above suggestions have been made
after mature thought on the subject and
are we'll worth considering by those in
terested in the bettermcnt Of our rural
schools. ..-,.
At present the rural schools have prac-
tically no supervision whatsoever and
many instances little is accomplished be-
cause of the very fact. Under the present
law however, the County Superintendent
has. so much Office work to do that it is
impossible for him to visit all the schools
in the county more than once per year.
Very few experienced school men hold
positions of County superintendent owing
to the very small salary paid this office.
five were to make a criticism of the
plan proposed by MI. Tate it would be
that office duties should be remnvcd from
the shoulders of the County Supcrinten-
dent SO us to give him carte blanche in
Supervision work.
We think the plan ought to be intro
duced as soon us it is possible to DO so,
and all others who know the wrctched
conditions existing in III country schools
will agree that this would be a great step
in improving the county schools.