The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-26


the education which is it's right, but also
to give it its health which is also its
right. It is her privilege to be most inn
portant factor protecting the community
from the evils which result from igno-
rance not cnly of books but of right
living.
Other Speakers Heard
DR.. b. ]. Baldwin, president of the
board of education of Montgomery, was
unable to be present and Mrs. r. D.
Johnston of the Boys Industrial school at
East Lake supplied the place on the pro-
gramme, telling something of the work
for the boys at the state school. Mrs.
Martha 8. Gieglow OF the Southern Indus
trial educational board told of the condi-
ton of the southern mountaineers, and
made a strong plea for the education of
their children.
An Improved Teaching Force" was
the subject handled by Miss Janet c.
Simpson of the State Normal college at
Florence. Among other things she said:
An article in the Worlds Work last
November, entitled The Confessions of a
Successful Teacher in many of us reused
the fighting spirit and yet made us think.
too. 1t shook us rather roughly awake.
Its manifest one-sidedness, which made
it in all deeper senses untrue, yet gave
1t some superficial appearance of reality.
Tho writer made the assertion that all
teachers hated their work, and that most
Of them were ashamed of it. If there is
particle of truth in either assertion then
why is 1t true? Why should the latter
charge have grounds enough to induce
a reputable magazine to print it?
"Then what is lacking in the teaching
profession? 1 believe 1t is just in that
word--profession. Is II a profession in the
sense that the law or medicine is one?
- t;4x. t. m
enough to get a third-grade certificate.
"Only a small proportion OF the teach
ers have any higher aspirations than
second grade certificate. Add to the am
pie store of training required for the third
grade certificate little more grammar
and arithmetic and a confused tumble
of names and dates In the United States
and Alabama history, then we turn out
very large per cent Of our public school
teachers
ITO be a doctor you must know your
tools and must have attained to some
skill, or at least, have had some expert
ence in handling them. The same Is true
OF the lawyer. But anybody can be
teacher, and can teach anything. Without
more exacting requirements, requirements
which bear some relation to the kind and
grade of work to be done, how can we
call teaching profession?
Efficient Supervision was the all i'm
portant topic of w. II. Storey. superin-
tendent of education of Pickens county,
Carrollton.
"Mr. President-The gentleman who
will follow me is district superintendent
OF a well organized city system while
am a, county superintendent of county
In which there are no cities l have,
therefore, confined this paper to a dis
cussion of the problems that pertain to
country schools.
'rIn the county with which / am most
familiar the six men who were appoint
ed superintendent were we'll educated.
II their work as superintendent was in
sufficient 1t could not be charged to the
fact that they were not educated. And
yet under their supervision for moro
than 40 years an efficient system of
schools was not established. In some
counties of the state uneducated men
have held the Office and il there was
inefficient supervision the reason given
in these cases may be the correct one.
A study of the entire situation will show
that a law requiring certain educational
qualifications of county superintendent
will not of itself assure better schools.
"The object of supervision Is to
bring the best results from the assets
of any school. For the purposes of
this paper the following definition of
efficient supervision will be used:
Such an Organization and direction
of the school forces as will secure the
best results to the children in the
school,
mo charge could be made that those
who have been the supervisors are re-
sponsible for the inefficiency of the
schools. They have in many instan-
ces done we'll. They have been una
~ IN he
done on account of circumstances
over which they had no control. The
time has now come when the schools
should be recognized as being of SUI
ficient Importance to demand the SER
vices and the benefits that come from
the entire time of a capable superin-
tendent.
"Why have the schools of Alabama
not had better supervision?
I'm the early history of the public
school system of the state the schools
were more private than public. The
public fund vas a mere supplement
to the fund raised by the patrons.
Hence the control of the school was
more private than public. The duties
those of the disbursing officer or pay
master. 1t is still fact that the duty
of the state to supervise the schools
has not until recent years been made
plain. No general law has been
passed requiring the county superin-
tendent to visit the schools. No pay
has been fixed for performing any du-
ties other than paying teachers and
holding examinations. II a county
superintendent visits the schools, he
does so without authority of law and
without compensation, except in coun-
ties having local laws requiring him
to visit the schools or in counties In
which the county boards require him
to visit the SCH ols.
"If it is true that good schools re-
quire competent superintendents, 1t
will not be amiss to devote some
thought to changes necessary to Sc
cure and retain the services Of men
who are capable.
an the first place the true situation
must be understood. 1t IL not enough
to remove the incompetent and I'M
professional superintendent. 1t must
be shown that our school system has
changed from semi-pubiic to a pub
lie school system on which the state
ana counties are spending large sums
of money each year. And II these ex-
penditures are to bring adequate re-
turns to the state in increased intelli-
pence the schools must be directed
by men who are experts in their pro-
fessions.
"The reports show that In the year
1908 the county superintendents paid
tea chcrs g1.e445O7.87. No corpora