The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-01-16
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
IMPORTANT FACTORS
Taey Play Very Large Part in
Determining the Relative Degree
of Efficiency in Their Institutions

Of Efficiency in Their Institutions
In the State there is not a set OF
men who more nearly give their time
and labor in exchange for ingratitude
and abuse than public school trus-
tees. They get absolutely no remu-
neration, and to perform their duties
we'll requires much time and no little
annoyance. The trustee that con-
scienuously performs his duty is en-
titled to be classed as a truly patriotic
citizen. Under our law as written, in
terpreted and administered, district
trustees are charged with almost
everything pertaining to the exist
ence of the public schools-looklng
after the school revenues, building
and furnishing school houses, select
ing and employing teachers, deter
mining the length of the school term
and the sc2ool day, and keeping gen
eraI oversight of the teachers and
pupils. To do all these things sue
cessfully requires a versatility of a
rather high order, and few trustees
do them with mastery thorough
ness.
But there are several varieties OF
trustees. Some are capable, earnest
and active; some have the capacity,
but either have no interest in their
duties or are too engrossed in their
own business; some have school en-
thusiasm but lack capacity and in
sight; and a few others can be best
described as marvellous mishts. To
sum Up, we have the fits, the un-
fits and the misfts But when it is
remembered that we have in the State
1884 public school districts and over
$500 district trustees, it is not hard
to understand that the varieties of the
genus school trustee are numerous
and that some are below par. Need
we be surprised at the irrational and
freakish performances OF some school
boards?
John Stuart Mill once said that the
weakest characteristic of the Amer
lean people was their apparent belief
that everybody was fitted for any
thing. That anybody is fitted to be a
school trustee seems to be accepted as
truism. We have not come to real
ize that schools, like every other mod
ern business, can not be run by the
rule of thumb. One of the most diff
cult tasks of school trustees is the Sc
lection of competent teachers. The
trustee even Of capacity and expe-
rience can not be expected to have a
very wide acquaintance among avail
able teachers, and he is frequently
sadly disappointed after the most
careful search for one. The Indifferent
trustee usually picks up the ap-
plicant with pocketful of testimo-
mails. The parsimonious trustee is al
ways on the lookout for bargains in
teachers, and he usually finds one
cheap in every sense Of the word. The
ignorant trustee generally shows a
preference for second and third grade
certificates. The oVer-modern trustee
gives his vote for a raw and inexpe-
rienced school girl over teacher Of
tested ability The paternalistic trus-
tee always votes for his daughter or,
his niece or his cousin. The chief bus
mess of the contentious trustee is to
keep the district in a turmoil over
something-the peculiarities of the
teacher, the way she teaches geogra-
ply, where she shall board, whose
children she must correct or the
length of the children's lessons.
Under our present system in one
end of a given county are to be found
good school houses fairly well
equipped, competent and fairly we'll
paid teachers, and we'll advanced
pupils, while in the other end of the
county are dilapidated school houses
without equipment, incompetent
teachers with beggarly pay and pupils
lounging around without particle of
joy or interest in their work. The diff
ference is largely due to the difference
in the trustees. One set has capacity
fitness and ideals; the other set lacks
these qualifications, Is not the dis
trict system one of demonstrated
weakness? Under it is it possible
TO develop the schools of a county to
a definite level? The same type and