The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-20
County Assistants.

ever efficient, can adequately super
wise the country schools OF large
county. He needs the same kind of
assistants which the city superinten-
dent now has. He should have:
"A county supervising teacher for
country schools. He would visit the un-
trained teachers in their school
rooms, show them how to organize
and manage their schools, and how to
teach the common school branches.
These supervising teachers should
have charge Of the school improve
ment organization as it has been car
ried on in this State.
"A county supervisor OF negro
schools. AS stated above, the negro
schools Of South Carolina are most
of them absolutely without supervis-
ion Of any kind. We are not even
able to check up in any way the en-
rOllments Of the schools, although the
equitable distribution Of the 3-mil
tax depends on the correctness of this
enrolment. Through the assistance
Of the. Jeanes fund negro supervisors
OF industrial and agricultural work
have been employed by several Of the
county superintendents. This work
should be extended to all the coun-
ties.
"A county director Of elementary
agricultural work. This position will
correspond to that Of the organizer
Of the boya' corn clubs. The county
superintendents and county demon
stratiOn agents will no doubt agree
that the boys work demands all the
time OF one man. This officer would
work under the direction Of the
county superintendent of education
and the State director of elementary
agricultural education.
"A county director of the girls can
ming club and home arts. The desira-
bility Of this officer has already been
proved in South Carolina. In order
for her to do her best work she must
be directly related to the county
school system which possesses the
authority and continuity to her work
She would coordinate the county work
Of the United States government and
Winthrop college directed toward
practical homemaking.
District Trustees.
The district board of trustees
should also be continuing body com
posed of three members, one of whom
should be chosen each year for a term
of three years. This board of trustees
should be the local advisory commit
tee of the county superintendent and
county board OF education.
"They should hold an annual meet
ing OF the school patrons and voters
Of the district at which report
should be made of the receipts and
expenditures of the year. They should
also present their recommendation
and financial budget for the new year.
The last item of business at the an
nual school meeting should be the
election of the trustees. If a district
fails to avail itself of the privilege of
electing trustee, the county board
of education should fill the vacancy.
hn l.
schools should come from three
sources-the State, the county, and
the district. AT present there are
glaring disparities in the per capita
of school revenue in the various dis
tricts of the state arising from the
unequal distribution of wealth, the
unequal race distribution, and es-
pecialy from the presence or absence
i'm the district of railroads, power
plants, or other public utilities.
Three source Support.
I'm my opinion it is highly desra-
BILE that we have n State appropria-
ton or II state tax sufficient to guar
IN every school district.
There should be i'm each county
county tax sufficient to provide for
three more months.
There should be a special district
tax sufficient to provide for the
school building and incidental ex-
penses and secure the additional
school term desired by the district
Part Of the state appropriation should
be used to encourage the local district
to help itself by voting n special tax.
AT present one of the most glaring
disparities in district revenues arises
from the fact that school district
has the right to impose a special tax
"n public utilities situated within It's