Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-07-25
Shepherdstown Jefferson County, West Virginia. Thursday July 2 1918
School Observation in West Virginia.


Schools for South Carolina, some time
ago made a visit to West Virginia to
study educational methods, and from
long article published in the Columbia
State we take the following extracts:
A good many years ago the educa-
tors in West Virginia conceived the
notion that if the country schools were
to come up to the ctandard maintained
by the city and town schools, this would
come about only by bringing to bear
upon the country schools some OF the
principles Of organization found in city
schools. AS a result Of this notion
competent supervisors, usually men,
were employed within limited terri
tory to supervise country schools just
as supervisors are employed in city
systems. The unit Of governmental or
ganization in West Virginia easily lent
itself to such a plan. The township is
fully developed as unit Of government.
The country schools in the township
as a rule provided for the supervisor
abeut the same number of teachers as
a Supervisor usually had in the city.
These educational seers in West Virgin
ia, therefore, looked to the township
as the unit around which country school
supervision should be organized.
Eight years ago when the Office OF
State supervisor of rural schools was
attached to the State department OF
education in nearly all the Southern
States through the generosity of the
Peabody Board of Education, one OF
these State supervisors was provided
for West Virginia. During his seven
years of service he has striven above
everything else to provide system OF
country school administration as nearly
as efficient as the city school supervi-
sion as possible. He has given much
time and thought both to enlisting in
terest in township supervision and to
securing qualified persons to do the
supervisory work.
West Virginia is, therefore, one OF
the best States in the country in which
to study the effects. of closer super
vision upon our country schools. AS
the results largely Of the activity OF the
State supervisor of rural schools, 80
townships supervisors are now employ
ed in West Virginia. There are some
counties that have no supervision at
all outside OF the usual perfunctory
visits of the county superintendent OF
education. A great many counties have
special supervision in one or more
townships of the county. A few coun-
ties have complete supervision, that is,
at least one supervisor in every town.
ship for county, the townships in
West Virginia covering about the same
area as the townships in South Caro-
lima, from 60 to 80 square miles.
When West Virginia was visited re-
Gently by the State Supervisor Of Rural
schools of South Carolina and one of
South Cardinals county superintend-
ents of education, ]. E. Carroll, OF
York, the territory of six of these su-
pervisors was visited. Two days were
spent in the purely agricultural sections
of the Eastern Panhandle, the Shenan-
doah Valley region. The first day was
spent in the territory of supervisor, at
Shepherdstown, man and a professor
of education in the State Normal
School. He has been in his present
position three years. Outside of the
town where the normal school is located
the country schools are for the most
part one-teacher schools. Only two
two-teacher schools were visited in this
territory. From the standpoint OF
building and equipment the schools OF
South Carolina would compare very
favorably with those OF West Virginia.
| The more severe climate of West Vir-
ginia frequently calls for a brick build
ing where our children would be COM
| Portable with a wooden structure. The
permanency in the building material
creates the chief difference between
the buildings of West Virginia and
those of South Carolina. The three
years service of this supervisor with
| the teacher and for the children is
easily discerned when an experienced
school man visits one of the class rooms.
| The teachers OF West Virginia as a
! rule have more professional training
than the teachers of South Carolina.
, But it is not at this point that the
difference between the teaching IN West
Virginia and South Carolina is most
readily discerned. The teachers Of West
Virginia have been accustomed to
the frequent visits of an expert. His
visits bring information and suggestion.
AS a result the class room OF super
vised teacher in West Virginia is always
we'll organized and the teacher always
active in instruction and usually in ac-
cordance with the very best methods.
This condition was observed in every
school visited in this supervisors ter
ritory.
The second day was spent in the
same section of the State and in a
township where supervision was just
beginning at Martinsburg. The super
visor in this instance is well qualified
lady teacher. A teacher whose home
is in the territory supervised and who
is interested in the improvement of her
home community. This supervisor had
not had the time, however, TO organize
the work of supervision as had the
supervisor visited the previous day. II