The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1916-02-18

RecOrd-Courier, ana Wnicn zeal WIFI
the school system, and the aim of
those who have our schools under
their supervision. note.l
The administrators of a school sys-
tenn have wide range of activities,
and 1t sometimes seems that the
smaller the system the more varied
the activities. The principal or super
intendent is chosen by the Board of
Education in a manner, and with GER
tain ideas in view. which will be dis
cussed i'm another article in this SER
les. He is the executive officer OF the
Board, and directly responsible to it.
This does not mean, however that in
the majority of schools OF the present
day that the superintendent does not
have considerable latitude within
which he may discharge his duties.
The more progressive schools boards
all over the country are spending
more time in the selection of their ex-
ecutive, endeavoring to get an expert
along the lines that they wish carried
out. and then relying more and more
on his judgment This follows the ex-
ample that the business world of today
sets in selecting its general. and busi-
ness managers. This enables the
superintendent to employ larger
variety of methods in maintaining or
raising the standards of the school
system. Harmony between the super
intendent and his board is absolutely
essential to the best interests of the
system.
The assistant teachers are usually
nominated to the board by the super
intendent or principal and those
teachers are chosen from the nomi-
nees whose credentials appear to be
the most desirable. This plan usually
makes for greater degree of eff
cheney inasmuch as the superintend-
ent is responsible for the standards of
his school, and his nominations will
therefore be made with the maintain
ing of them in view.
The standard of work done by the
school must be held at certain
level; this applies not only to the
quality of teaching done. but also to
the character of the work done by the
pupils. There must be definite ac-
complishment evidenced in order that
those courses for which an equal
amount of credit is given, will be of
equal difficulty. This necessitates
both the selection of teachers of
known talent and experience, and
checking up on the work of each
pupil at frequent intervals.
The supervision of the buildings
and janitor service, and the carrying
out of the rules of the board concern
ing each, Is part of the work of the
superintendent or principal. The
ordering of the supplies for the
schools. keeping an accurate system
of accounts, and making reports to the
board concerning same also come a
mong his duties. In some systems, and
this is the system followed in the
Douglas County High School and the
district school. the clerk
of the board attends to paying of sal
aries and the more important bills.
while the incidental accounts are paid
by the principal and memoranda of
same turned over to the clerk.
The courses of study are in general
arranged by the State Department of
Education. but they are merely out
lines and it is the function of the
together with his teachers.
TO arrange the curriculum. There are
several factors which influence the
selecting of the subjects to be taught
especially in the high school. First
among these is the tendencies and