The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-10-04
RURAL SCHOOL SUPERVISION.
By Prof. W. h. TATE.

Columbia, S. c., Sept 10, 1912.
To the County Rural School Super
visors:
l have thought it best at the begin
ming of the new school year to put into
this form few observations as to the
nature Of your work and few sugges-
tons as to the best methods of assist
ing the country school teachers OF
South Carolina. AS / have stated to
you in conference, this work is un-
tried in South Carolina and each OF
you will be expected to give her own
individuality the greatest possible
freedom in working out the general
purpose contemplated by the State and
county departments Of education. As
conditions vary in the counties which
you represent, the scope Of your acti-
vities will differ. From time to time
1 shall make other suggestions as they
occur to me, and it is my earnest wish
to have every suggestion which each
Of you can make for the good of US
all 1t is my desire as soon as posi-
BILE after opening of the schools in the
fall to spend few days with each OF
you in practical study of your prob
lens. If you have not arranged date
for this visitation, should be pleased
to hear from you as to the most con-
venient time.
Official Status of the County Supervis.
or
With one exception you are officers
elected by the county board of educa-
ton and supported in whole or in part
from the county school funds. have
been pleased to note that in most cases
the county superintendent has given
your Office a space on the official sta
tionery. You are to be one of the
arms Of the county superintendent of
education for the execution of such
plans as he and the county board may
devise with your advice and assistance
for the improvement of the country
schools of your respective counties.
The money which has been secured
from the Peabody fund to assist the
county in maintaining your work will
be placed in the county treasury sub
ject to the orders of the county sup
erintendent Of education. From this
fund and from the funds appropriated
by the county itself your salary will
no doubt be paid monthly by the coun-
ty superintendent You will of course
keep closely in touch with the county
superintendent, consulting with him
freely and making such reports on
your work as he may desire.
1 shall ask you at the close of each
calendar month to make me, as State
supervisor of country schools, a brief
report covering your activities for the
month. This may be copy OF the re-
port which you make to the county
superintendent, if he wishes such q re-
port My object, however, in asking
for it is to duplicate it and send each
supervisor a copy of the report made
by every other one In this way we
can each have the benefit OF every
ones experience. These reports should
be perfectly free and frank. Except for
the eyes of the workers, they will be
strictly confidential.
Official Authority.
As an appointed officer of the sup
erintendent and the county board OF
education you have such authority as
this body may confer upon you. The
supervisors sometimes ask me to what
extent they can enforce in the schools
the reforms which they know are nee
essary to their improvement. We must
UOd1 III L14AO (AoI
ton is spiritual and not mechanl-
cal process. My own experience in
school supervision has taught me that
the supervisor is equipped with only
that authority which an earnest per-
sonality, enthusiastic devotion to the
work, and superior knowledge of end
and means may confer. In our deal
ings with teachers it will be neces-
sary to exercise consummate tact. Es-
pecially in the beginning, many of
them will be suspicious of US. They
will distrust our motives. Sometimes
you will enter a school room il which
the teacher instinctively arrays her
self against the one who comes to sup
ervise her. Our attitude towards the
teacher must be not that of the boss,
but of the friend and helper who has
come in an unobtrusive way to assist
-, o1r;,o fbo diGSou1f prohlpmc