Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-01-01
County School Survey.

of supervision the report of the U. S. sur
vey of our Montgomery county schools in
1912 has this to say:
THE school system of the county is
weak in the amount of the supervision
given the teacher in her work both in man.
aging the school and in teaching. Expert
supervision is given by but one person
the county superintendent he must
divide his time between work as an agent
of the county board in the management
Of the school affairs of the county and as
a supervisor of the teachers and their
work. The county superintendent has an
office assistant but no field assistant. The
county includes approximately 52l square
miles of territory, with 106 separate school
buildings distributed quite evenly over the
entire county. There are 1852 teachers.
Under such conditions little personal super
vision is possible. The school year is ap-
proximately 1870 days in length, the school
being in session 1-2 hours per day, or a
total of $50 hours in the entire year. If the
county superintendent could spend this
entire 900 hours in the schools while
classes we're reciting. he could give but 8
hours to each building during the entire
year and but 6 hours to each teacher. In
actual practice he cannot devote more than
one-half of his time to visiting schools,
and part of this time is consumed in driv-
ing from one school to another.
Contrast this condition with the amount
of supervision in the city of Baltimore. In
1910 there were So supervisory officers
devoting half or more than half of their
time to supervising the work of the 1878
teachers employed. And the city was criti
cized in The Report of the Commission
Appointed to Study the System of Educa-
ton in the Public Schools of Baltimore
because the supervision was considered
by the experts who made the study in
adequate in amount Baltimore had but
one such supervisor for every 80 teachers,
while the average for the IS largest cities
in the United States that year was one for
every 10 teachers. 1t is on account of this
supervision in city systems that the great
progress has been made in the city schools
and for the lack of it that the country
schools have failed to keep pace. In every
business enterprise but public education it
is recognized that to obtain the best re-
suits supervision from bottom to top is
with the present number and distribu-
ton of schools Montgomery county should
employ at least three assistant superin-
tendents. who would devote their entire
time to supervising the work of the
teachers. This would give to every 35
schools, or to every 81 teachers. The
amount of supervision would be made
luate, bot would be vast improvement
over the present amount. These assistants
should be under the direct authority of the
county superintendent. Each should be as
signed definite part Of the county so that
they would come to know their schools and
their patrons. and could acquire close, def
mite information relative to their district,
not only as regards educational affairs, but
all interests of the community. 1t is only
when in possession of such knowledge that
It is possible for the supervisors to so d.
-ect the schools and their work that they
would fill more nearly the place which the
schools should occupy in their
"Other counties in Maryland are seeing
he necessity of assisting the county super
in his field work. Four are now
employing assistant superintendent to
visit schools and assist and supervise their
work; four employ from one to six special
such as primary supervisor.
rural school supervisors" etc.
As to the course of study the report says
"A readjustment is desirable. so that the
studies pursued would be more closely cor
'elated with the life and interests of the
More time and attention should
De given to instruction in elementary agri-
culture, domestic science, manual training,
music and drawings and the common
branches should be taught in terms of
.hese subjects. 1t is realized, of course,
hat the ordinary teacher herself can not
10 much to bring about this reimbursement,
On account of lack of training and lack of
relative to how the adjustment
may be effected. The county superinten-
dent alone. with the manifold duties thrust
upon him. can do but little. Such read
lustment and redirection Of the work Of the
schools can be accomplished satisfactorily
only by county superintendent assisted
by several supervising officers working I'M
der his authority and direction. who can
direct and aid the teachers in the intrOduc-
ton Of work in these newer subjects and
in establishing the proper balance and re-
between them and the older
subjects. The problem is greater than the
mere addition Of the new studies to the
Under present conditions the
try school conducts about rs recitations
per day Of approximately IL minutes in
length. There is no time for additional
classes. The new subjects must be taught,
by means of and through other subjects
already in the curriculum. in place Of use
less portions now included. Such being
the case. the necessity Of expert supervis-
ion is made all the greater.
As the report remarks, the condition Of
an overabundance of one-teacher schools
to teach all the elementary
grades, and the lack of adequate super
vision. is one common to the majority Of
counties in the State. But improvement
Is always possible If the people demand
and work for it.
The official designation of the report is
Bulletin No. 80. series Of 1918. and it is
obtainable free by addressing a card to
the Hon. Commissioner of Education,
Washington. d. c."