The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-10-06
5. w. Sheriff. Writes Pc
garding Secondary Schools


Prof.. n. WI. Sheriff., State Sup.
erjntendsnt Of Public Instruction
has addressed the following letter
to The Herald in regard ~ the sec.
ondary school law, which we pub.
Iish for the benefit oil our readers:
My dear EditDr:--I am inform.
ed that there IL some dissatisfaction
In your county relative TO tne opin.
ion OF the Attorney General Az 10
the legality Of secondary schools.
am sure this dissatisfaction comes
about from q misunderstanding, for
| know il the good people Of your
county only understood they would
zee better things are In store .oi
them.
II IL not the intention Oh the law
20 take secondary educational cd
yantages away irom the rural dis
trIets but the intention il tn give il
TO them in a much better form.
The law providing for a secondary
school made no restrictions as to
the number ii schools established
or number OF teachers employed.
Az result vast number OF these
schools we're established. Ia many
Of them there were IA few az one or
two pnpils. In a secondary soho1
Of one oil our leading counties, |
found teacher last year was paid
S75 % month to teach Tour pupils
10 the ninth grade aud three IN the
tenth, or $40 10 per month per pu-
pi! On the other hand. in many Of
these schools WI fnd that one teach
er tried 10 teach ten grades--ihi5.
no teacher can 10. In such schools
We fn the teacher devotIne almost
rs much time 10 the very few sec
ondary pupils as to the fifty or sixty
elementary pupils, thus robbing the
elementary child Of the time and
money that the State intended for
him. | cannot say that any OF
these conditions existed in your
cnunty. but | do know they existed
In many counties OF the State. For
these reasons the secondary school
has been very unsatisfactory, What
can take its placer We answer
the third class or two-year high
school. | say this for two reasons;
hrst--these schools can he standard
lied. The law preseribes conditions
that must be met. These oondl-
tions guarantee the protection Of
the best interest OF the child, There
Ia a uniform course Of study. A
pupil completing the work in these
schools Is given credit by the State,
sec0nd---to have this work done a.
high schools puts the county IN lin
for the State to give il lie share ot
the high school fund The State
gives ore third Of the amount spent
in high schools,
What IL necessary TO be- done to
get State aid? The County Couu
must elect County High Slhool
Board aud provide funds. The duty
OF the Board will bs to handle thu
high school business. fhi1 Board
elects high school teachers locates
the high school, etc, In your coun
ty would advise the establishing
OF a sufficient number OF these
schools to suit the convenience ot
the people OF your county. The
geography OF the county will have
to determine the number 1T schools
To establish. | am a strong believ.
er IN carrying the high school ad
vsntages back close to the people
In levylng the high school tax |
II course, would advise to levy y
tax in addition IL The higb .sGhoea!.
/, i yaa nav have. ha, il ynu <ss,.
iot do this why not lower your ele-
III ntary tax, say lllconts. or enough
To create fund sufficient To run