The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1922-09-23
BETTER SCHOOLS.
A Straight Forward Talk BY
County superintendent May

Friday of the Seven County Fair has
been set aside for school day. / expect
to have speakers to tell us how to get
better schools. 1t will be holiday for
the schools and shall look for all faith
ers and mothers who are interested in
better schools to be on hand that day.
We are badly in need of better schools
in Lincoln county. Instead of being the
Banner County" in Mississippi as we
once were, we are just about at the bot
tom of the list. Our children are red
blooded Americans" and are entitled to
better educational advantages than they
are getting. AS / see 1t the greatest
trouble with our schools is local poli-
tics, petty jealousies, unqualified teach
ers. and lack of interest in educational
affairs by the fathers and mothers. The
children are reaping the benefits of the
above evils. not the people. During my
schools. I heartily endorse that cry,
but remember that I cannot make bet
ter schools alone; you must help. I am
looking to see what interest you have
in the matter. Good schools come from
wide awake people-people who will
not let politics or friendship come be-
fore the interest of their children; peo-
interest of their schools and cooperate
mand qualified teachers.
want every school to have an active
Parent-Teacher Association. as this is,
in my opinion, the avenue by which we
can secure better schools. Through this
association / expect to eliminate poll
tics, sun-down and payday teachers a
long with other evils.
Another item Of interest. The bond
ed indebtedness of our county is about
of oh -
10000 is for better schools. A differ
ence of some 925,000.O0 for things ma
terial, for my pleasure and your pleas
ure. Our children must help pay for
this. Are we helping them that they
may help themselves later? Are we
treating them square2 Good folks. Lin
coin county has reached crisis in her
rural educational affairs, and to secure
better citizenship we must come to her
rescue. We need our schools. where
practical, consolidated into a few large
schools we can secure graduate teachers
systematized work, and longer terms. In
Kinds and Pearl River counties their
boast is that they have live Parent
Teacher Association in every school and
that the rural child has the same ed
ucational advantages as those in the ci-
ties, What is the matter with us hav-
ing the same excuse for boasting? Are
love material things better? If we
want these things we can have them,
but snot by letting George do tive
must all get busy
Copiah county this year has $10S,-
G00.00 for her rural schools. Seven
months term. Twenty-one consolidated
schools headed by men and women grad
yates. Lincoln county has $75,000.00
for her rural schools. Six months terms
by the hardest. Six consolidated schools
three men graduates. One hundred
and forty white teachers. We have 800
miles of gravel roads. Good roads and
good schools go hand in hand. We have
the roads and am sure that the Board
of Supervisors viii see that these roads
will lead to the school doors. Now let's
get the schools. Are we going to wake
up or sleep on? am leaving it up to
you. Stop and think about the child
and then begin to move things.