The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-03

| When the United States government
sends a regiment TO the front. il places
| in command a colonel whose knowl
edge Of military tactics, experience and
courage qualify him for leadership.
When a railway company establishes
shops. it puts over the workmen man
who knows engines and who, if neces-
sity demands, can build a locomotive.
When city or a corporation opens a
hospital or an infirmary, it has as
director or chief of staff a physician
and surgeon who knows the human
body and can treat diseases.
When the people, the sovereign peO-
pie, choose a county superintendent of
education, it sometimes happens that
they put into office a crossroads or
ward politician whose educational quail
iications are inferior to the mental
equipment of an average pupil in the
tenth grade of a public school
The man thus chosen occasionally
knows but little arithmetic, has scarce
ly a speaking acquaintance with al
zebra, is short" on history, and thus
exhibits his relations with grammar:
ITO we superintendent wisdom and
power is given, therefore listen to
Smith and l."
And yet this man is, in sense, a
teacher of teachers, a judge of peda-
gogy, an arbiter Of scholastic des-
TIMES.
The first qualification of the county
superintendent is education. | would
not demand for him accurate knowl-
edge of Greek and Latin. acquaintance
with shades, shadows and perspective,
and ability to read French and Ger
would do him no harm.
But he should assuredly be an edu-
Gated man, sufficiently educated, at
least, to judge of the pedag ogical
power of the teachers in his county.
Unfortunately too many of our lower
grade teachers are not we'll qualified to
teach; for them to have over them
superintendent not better trained than
themselves is to keep them on the low
ground of their own limited attain
ments.
Since the work Of the county super
intendent is intimately connected with
teaching, the superintendent should
before offering himself for election,
give evidence of preparation for the
duties of the office.
| Therefore, this problem might be
! solved thus: Have the law order that
| all who would be candidates for the
office pass an examination prepared by
| the state superintendent of education
and teachers of recognized ability, Sc
| lected from the faculties of the state
| colleges or from the membership of
| this association.
An excellent equipment for every
| county superintendent would be a re-
cord as a successful teacher
Through intimate personal acquaint-
ance with teaching, he would come j. ITO
office no novice, no mere politician who
wants a place, but as one who knows
the conditions, needs and requirements
of schools and school life.
Moreover, he would have sympathy
with teachers and could say with Dido
of old, acquainted with misfortune,
learn to succOr the wretched."
Again, promotion in line is both
sensible and desirable, it might be well
to have the state superintendent of
education elected from the number of
county superintendents.
Following the order suggested, we
would then have in the higher office a
| man who has had the experience of a
teacher and the practice of a superfn-
tendent.
We must take education out of pol
itics, if we mean TO have sound edu-
cation.
Other qualifications are necessary in
the county superintedent, among them
| tact, another name for good, old
fashioned common sense, wisely ap-
piled: firmness in dealing with condi-
tions and courage in meeting emerg-
encies, and these tempered with due
| sympathy and kindliness: profound and
abiding interest in his teachers and in
| the students within his territory; and
| full consciousness of the imperative
necessity of education for every boy
and girl in his county, his state, his
country.
1t is only the man who believes and
who, believing. throws himself with
all the energy of his being, with all
the earnestness of his soul, into any
enterprise. who with success crowns
every undertaking, both small and
great.
Another qualification is administra-
| tive ability. natural power of leader
ship. The superintendent should not
only know but also know how
The last qualification which I would
mention, and the most important is
sound character. a clean, honest re-
cord.
No man upon whom rests the faint
est shadow of immortality should have
any connection whatever with teach
ing, whether as teacher. superintend-
ent or trustee.
In this connection I would say that
in my judgment, into the school rooms
of our land should come, whether as
supervisors or instructors. only those
who can say with victor Hugo. we
love God and little children" and those
who, like the foremost teachers of the
American republic through all the
years, how in faith and in reverence
| before the one Great Teacher.
No intelligent power. however great.
no culture. however broad, can in the
| teacher or in the superintendent take
| the place of clean, wholesome Chris
| tian character.
As to the powers of the superintend-
ent. my acquaintance with the school
| laws of our state is as yet too slight
10 allow me 10 speak of these.
| In the next place. permit me TO speak
briefly as 10 the duties of the county
superintendent.
| First. he should, I think. visit fire.
quently every school in his county.
Only through many visits and these un-
| expected, can he make himself familf-