Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-08-05
MR.. SHANkEY WRITES
TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS
state Superintendent Writes Timely
Circular Letter Regarding the
Schools or West Virginia.

To Members of the School Boards:
Gentlemen During the school year
Just beginning you will deal with
many important matters, Ia handling
all of which wish you the greatest
pissible success. If our public schools
are a success the welfare OF the state
will be enhanced. These schools
cannot be a great success without
you make them So But the work of
the public schools is net single hand
ed job. 1t is a cooperative business
and demands the best that teachers,
parents, oficials,--all OF us can give
to it, 1t may be that the State Super
intendent or his assistants can help
you in some of your problems. If you
want our services at any time. let us
know. We will respond cheerfully and
do what we can to serve you.
May / offer a few reminders? The
first one is this: Let all business be
done il regular meeting of the board
and let all business at such meeting
be done and recorded in a regular
way. Each question should be open
for discussion and then put to vote
and the result recorded by the secre-
tary whose minutes should always be
read to the board for approval before
making the final record. This plan
viii avoid misunderstanding so likely
to arise and then in case of trouble
later you will have a reliable record
by which to settle it.
/ should like to put in a plea for
teachers salaries. / do not believe
there is a state in the Union where
the general character of the teachers
will average higher than in West Vir-
gi1ia. We have a number of teachers
of many years of successful expert
ence and we have host of younger
ones most of whom are working hard
to prepare themselves for the best
possible service. Let us encourage
and help them by paying the best
salaries we are able. That will help
get us better schools and there is no
wiser investment than an investment
for better schools.
Some of you will think of district
supervision. 1t is worth thinging about.
te mpt to go faster than conditions
will justify. Don't employ a district
superintendent until you can get a
good one. Good ones are scarce be-
cause this is a new field and to be
really good for this work man
rh< oil oiv,io
Good district supervision will increase
the efficiency of the average district
thirty to forty per cent and it is there
fore good business. Within the past
year representatives of nearly doz-
en- other states have been in West
and they say our plan OF district SUI
pervision is good. If such able critics
pronounce it good, we must be wise
enough to give it thorough consider
alton.
If you are building new houses,
build good ones on good, large lots
with school gardens and Fairgrounds
where possible.
Among our new school laws is a
very excellent one providing for med
ical inspectors for our schools. This
law says all Independent districts
shall appoint such officials and magis-
terial districts may do so. Many dis
tricts do mot have the means to pay
any considerable sum for this purpose
but perhaps you can fad public
ST ~ited doctor in your district who
VIII visit the schools in his usual
rounds for a mere nominal sum. If so,
you should not fail to avail yourselves
Of his services. The spread of conta-
eious diseases should be checked and
defective eyes, teeth, threats and
lungs in children should be t. 'ated
for the sake of the added health AID
progress in their studies that will re-
suit.
October 18th is to be "Clean-up-and-
Reautify Day" If we all join with the
schools in this crusade against I'M
sightliness, filth and disease, it win
tell fer the health and happines of
West Virgin q.
The law makes it your duty to APP
point trUant officer. If you get
good, honest discreet man, he WI be
a strarg factor in the better schools
for which we are all working
There are many other things of in
terest, but they MIST be discussed at
other times. The work is worthy of
your best efforts. You will earn ten
times the pay you get but l believe
you will render the service patriotical-
ly and faithfully.
Very cordially yours,
r, cxrr NxrIYUsX