The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-01

education and the uplift of humanity,
I pledge my support, and on this ba-
sis I bespeak for Superintendent
Sheats the cooperation of every loyal
citizen and real friend of education in
the state.
President Edwards Address
Following is the address made by
Mr.. L. B. Edwards of Live Oak, pres
ident of the association:
1 am admonished that it is danger
Gus to tread on ground made sacred by
long usage. But l am willing to risk
this danger, if 1 may lead you to con-
slider, seriously, some practical condi-
lions of vital Importance to our school
system. The duties and practical
work of our county superintendent
have been fixed by law and long GUS
tom, and the method of their election
is as old as the constitution. In such
case to make changes is difficult and
must meet with strong opposition. Yet,
changes must come.
We are living in the midst of a Won
derfu1 revolution of thought, touching
every phase of life. The spirit of
constructive democracy is abroad,
striving with utmost energy to bring
every man within the reach of fuller
reform in child labor conditions, re-
forms in the housing of the city's poor,
reforms in the methods of doing bust
ness by great corporations, various
political reforms, reforms in educa-
tionaI methods and systems, or other
wise, it is the same spirit drawing all
men into closer ties of living and
closer bonds of sympathy. From
whatever angle it touches life it is
bringing rapid changes. It's influence
upon our educational ideas is as yet
scarcely comprehended by any of US,
and the ultimate changes to be wrought
are beyond our imagination.
From the standpoint of the educator
the rural school is at present the CEN
ter of its movement. More thought
and effort is being put forth to bring
the rural school into closer relation to
the life of the masses of the people
than to any other educational problem.
We seek to make the school the center
of community life; we demand changes
in curriculum that will adapt school
work more directly to the environ
ment of the children, changes by which
boys will be taught not only some
thing of better methods of filling the
soil, but better business methods Of
farming, changes that will give them
greater respect for the calling of the
farmer and a greater hope for the
future of country life. Indeed, the de-
mand for change in rural school con-
ditions is so great that me may easily
be driven into fads and fallacies. The
very ablest leadership is needed to re-
strain the movement from haste to
revolution and give to it the common
sense of reform.
The soul and inspiration of the rural
school is the county superintendent
To him we must look for this master
full leadership. It is he that must de-
eide how much Of the old shall be torn
away, and it is he that must mould
and build into practical form the new
that is 10 take its place He should
be an organizing, creative and ex-
ecutive genius, freed from every I'M
necessary restraint in shaping the
policy of his school administration.
Far be it from me TO criticize ad-
versely the work of the county super
intendents of this state. AS a rule
they are men of high ideals and pur-
poses and are doing a magnificent
"OEh. but N many res poets, IL SStIIls
to me, they are limited in their work
and from these limitations I would see
them free.
Perhaps the greatest need Of the
rural school is more efficient super
vision. There is no business or en-
terprise that can be successful with
out careful and effective supervision
In fact, whatever We do, success de-
ponds upon the supervising manager
It IS too often the case that oul
superintendent is practically the clerk
Of the board. and nothing more. This
should not be true. II would be
economy for every county board &c
employ some one 10 do its clerica.
work and leave the superintendent
free TO give his time and thought 10
conservative organization and super
vision. Indeed, in most Of the cOun-
ties it would pay in efficiency if some
of the funds were spent for the en-
pIoyment of a force Of assistant super
visors. The movement made in this
direction by the present state superin-
tendent is one of the most promising
of the distinctive policies Of his ad-
minis tration. We should each study
carefully this question. I am sure you
will conclude with me that any changes
giving more effective supervision will