The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-05-05
NEW SCHOOL LAW
Provides for a County Educational
Board That Will Employ Super
yisors for the Country Schools,

County School Supt. Welles has
sent out circular letter to the direct
ors of the country school districts rel
ative to the new law which provides
foi county educational board, which
is to employ supervisors for the schools
and to formulate rules and regulations
for their guidance. In part, Supt.
Nelles letter is as follows:
'This new law places a great re-
sponsibility upon the county superin-
tendent, and shall appreciate all the
help you can give me. The supervis-
ion law was enacted principally IN the
interest of the country schools and the
s "all towns and is based on the prin-
ciple that the country children are
just as valuable to the State and de-
serve just as good schools as the city
children. The law makes it the duty
of the county superintendent to ap-
point county educational hoard of
four members. who will serve without
pay. After very CAREFUL consideration,
l have selected the members of this
board and shall be able to announce
their names in few days. All of
the men whom have appointed on
this board are strong supporters of the
public schools. They are we'll known,
influential citizens, and persons in
whom am sure the people will Lave
entire confidence. have selected two
republicans aud two democrats, and
have made the appointments in such
a manner that each section of the
county will have representative.
"The principal duty of the county
educational board. of which the
county superintendent is chairman,
will be to employ supervisors for the
schools and to make rules and regula-
tions for their guidance. The law
provides that one supervisor shall sup
ervise the schools in not less than
twenty or more than fifty districts.
"The supervisors will have no office
work to perform as does the county
superintendent, and will spend their
entire time in visiting the schools and
assisting the teachers and pupils in
their work. This, together with the
school visits which are made by the
county superintendent will provide a
reasonably close supervision for all of
the schools. The supervisors are to
be paid by the county.
In addition to the super vision Civ,
en- by the city superintendent and The
county superintendent, each building
has principal who assists in super
vising the teachers of bis building.
The city schools have not only this
advantage over the country schools.
but as a rule the cities have employed
the best and most experienced teachers
while the country districts have gen.
orally taken the younger teachers,
many of whom have had neither
training nor experience. Frequently
the only visitor during the term has
Eeen the county superintendent, as he
has made his official visit to the dis.
triot. Thus we have had about thirty
teachers who have had the advantage
of CLOSE supervision, and about 145
teachers who have not.
"There is one thing that am sure
we ale all agreed upon, and that is
that we want the very best schools
that we can afford to have, and we
want the country children to have
equal advantages with the city chill
dren, as far as possible. To carry
out this principle, is the purpose of
the new law, and ainoe it is now the
law, l hope you will give it all the
support you can until it has had fair
trial, for unless we give our support,
no law can be effective"