The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-06-15
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.

one Of The most difffit ult offices to
oil TO the satisfaction Of the public is
that Of school superintendent, and es,
peclaly is This true in large counties,
such as we have in southern Florida.
There are many reasons why this Is
true. In these days Of rap
id development in school work,
more initiative has been required in
this office than any other. The sher.
ihs office today is practically what it
was twenty years ago, so with that OF
tax collector ana most Of the others,
but not so with the office Of superin.
tendent Of schools. The writer well
remembers when it was freely said
that the office OF school superintend-
eut was a sinecure, presenting no 9th
or duties ,han that &C drawing the
checks for the Payment Of teachers
salaries. This was practically true then
and under such circumstances the
schol superintendent c-uld smile and
make friends Ierfo, ming no official
&C. that came in conflict with the in.
Iividuul notion If the voter, and he
could i'm most cases be reelected. Under
the increased .lNtie, and responsible
ties there is .carcely Il rural cemmp-
ulty that IS satisfied with what has
been done ~ TIE county board Of ed
ucatiun. f-r which the school superin.
tendent Is held responsible for each
and every act, Notwithstanding the
fact that he is only one member.
This is one subject upon which we
could write volumes ont Of the depth
IT our experience. having served eight
wears as comfy "perintendent, and
four years a. assistant state superin-
teudent where we had the opportu-
nifty Z stulyi1g the conditions over
the entire state. Under existing cir
cumstanccs It Is lot II surprise that
three If the most progressive county
Superintendeuts in Snrth Florida
were defeared in Tuesdays primary,
Superintendent Moore, Of Hillsbor-
ough. PARKER If Poll, and Buckley, Of
DcSOlO. 70 unties in the state
stand higher ir edrcutional advance
mrnt than do .rese three counties, and
the ,upcrintnlicuts are more largely
responsible Tor these improved condS
tionS ami facIii'ies than any one else.
This is not offered nor intended as an
unkind criticism Of thc voters in these
three @ unties. These voters are SOW.
ereign. and nave the right, the un-
questioned riSht to vote for whom
they please. In all probability they
have elected men vino are just as con.
Scientious and capable "a their prede-
CessorS. hut We do very much fear
that the results may be TO deter their
successors from being as aggressive
az the future development of our coun.
try schools demand. Should il Have
such effect It NCuld be a disaster.
The purpose of this alticle is two
fold. First, To pay compliment to
these three active, cor 5cientious, cap
able and more than successful, defeat
Cd superinteuicnts and second. to
beseech. to eXhurt, to plead with their
successors not t. learn a lesson from
the defeat Of these men. but to go for.
ward in The same aggressive spirit,
utterly regardless of the matter of
becoming popular and making your re.
election at :he end Of four years sure.
We have llrcaly had Il personal talk
with Professor Shaver the superin
tendent-elect of IcSoto. and feel sure
that there will he no lct.up in him in
continuing the work to the end that
the schools If HeSoto may not retro
grade but that every aggres sive poll
cy of the old board may be carried
out, and thus give to every child Of
DeSoto the advantages of a high
school education AT HOME. Men may
come and men may go, but the cause
goes on forever.