Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-01-03
PROF. TATE's REPORT.
Fuller's Work
Commended. Approves of
Voting Special Levy
For Schools.

btdIe Su peIfioOl VI iui 81 oSHOe w
County Superintendent of Educa-
ton w. w. Fuller upon his recent
visit to the county, portion of the
report being withheld because OF
its great length:
NV dear Mr.. Fuller: It is my
custom after visiting the schools of
a county to make for my own bene-
fit brief record of my i'm pressions
and to transmit copy of my notes
to the County Superintendent of
Education for his information and
for publication in the papers Of the
county, if he so wishes.
First allow me to express my ap-
probation of your own hospitality
and the cordial welcome which /
received from all the citizens of
Edgefeld county whom | had the
pleasure of meeting. l shall look
forward with great pleasure to
visit to your other school districts
at some future time.
In Edgefeld county l find much
to commend. In no section of South
Carolina have I seen as many coun-
try homes in process of erection as
l saw in Wards township. l wish
that the tendency to divide up
large plantations and to sell small
holdings to white people who would
live in the country and work with
their own hands were universal in
Edgeheld county and in South
Carolina. 1 believe that the pros
perity and safety of the state de-
mands this policy. I am pleased
With the energy which you are ex-
hibiting in the supervision of your
schools and commend most hearth
ly your decision to establish Satur-
days and first Mondays as Office
days and to lend the remainder of
the week in the school rooms of
Edgefeld county. l am convinced
that the only supervision which
counts for much in any system of
schools is that in which the super
visor comes in direct personal con-
tact with the teachers and the peo-
pie.
am pleased that 80 many of
your teachers are being retained for
more than one year in their posi-
tions. 1t is impossible to develop an
efficient school where teachers
clange every year. If district has
had five teachers in five consecutive
years, it is not necessary to ask any
other question to know the unsatis-
factory conditions which must pre-
vail in that school. In the Lott
school Miss Maggie Reel is now
teaching her fifth term. Since her
graduation from college she has
taught in no other school. The
trustees have been wise enough to
show their appreciation of her ser
vices by words of commendation
and by a substantial increase in
salary. Mr.. G. F. Long has been
teaching at Harmony for many
years and has developed there an
efficient school. These examples
should be followed until the reten-
ton of teacher wherever it is pos
sible and the annual increase in
salary have become a fixed custom
in Edgefeld county. l was pleased
to note the interest which you are
taking in the selection of good
teachers for your country schools.
The greatest service which coun-
ty superintendent can perform for
any district is to assist the trustees
in finding good teacher. The
trustees should place on the county
superintendent an increasing meas
ure of responsibility in this matter.
I commend most heartily your
efforts to pay the teachers salaries
when they are due, and to prevent
the discounting of pay warrants. A
teachers salary is small enough at
best and she cannot afford to pay
the substantial discounts which
have been demanded in Edgefeld
county. If the trustees add the dis
count to her salary, Ghe length of
the school term must be shortened
accordingly and teacher and chill
dren are finally the losers.
The school finances of Edgefeld
county need serious attention from
the people and their representatives.
in the legislature. In South Carroll
na it is frequently the case that the
schools open in October and the
taxes to pay the teachers are not