Year: 1879

''Why County Superintendency Should


Be Opposed.


An Address before the Superin.
tendent's Section of the National
Normal Institute, Lebanon, Ohio
E. P. Hoover"


Objections to County Supervision
may be given under the three heads
of availability, desirability and prac-
ticability. The subject may possess
two of the three, sndyet deserve what
it has already received at the hands
of our Legislature and the patrons
of the ungraded sGhools-condem
nation.


The first point under availability
is expense. This, to me, individual
| ly, is of secondary importance, but
be assured it is not to those who
have it to bear. The proposal is to
pay to Superintendents an average
salary Of not more than One-hali
what other county officers receive,
In palmer terms, it is expected to
hire competent person, who will
travel, at his own expense, over your
county, during the most disagreea-
BILE seasons of the year, for O71e-haZt
of what you now pay the ordinary
county officers, for occupying a room
in the luxuriously furnished Court
House, and reading the daily papers
a fair part of the time. It is fact,
that all ordinarily informed persons
know, that teachers of many village
schools of Ohio receive better wages
for teaching than they would as
County Superintendents.


From the above I think that we
see the inavailability of the measure,
for the people will not willingly pay
a salary that will command the prop
er talent, and you surely would not
send any one unqualified to fill 80
important a position.


DEsIRABnITY. - All conventions
called to consider the question have
declared in its favor, is a fact which
the supporters Of the measure never
weary in prOclaiming, and it has the
same force as to declare that all per
sons attending a political convention
will vote for the candidates nOmi
mated at the convention.


The conventions called to consid
er this subject, whether State, Con
gressionaI or County, have been
machines, oiled and engineered by
City Superintendents, who have had
teachers under their charge till the
they have lost confidence in them
selves, and probably given the
Superintendent some reason for be-
lieving, as he evidently does, that
few people in the rural districts are
able to attend to their own affairs.
Supporters of the measure at first
claimed the support of the press,
but this they are now compelled to
abandon.


The State Grange declared in its
favor, they say. Having lived in a
strong Grange settlement, I affirm
that I have heard nothing but oppO-
sition to the measure from any Of
them. It is not desirable, because
it takes the responsibility from the
teachers, and puts it upon one who
only calls once a year, and with
whom the people are entirely unac-
quainted.


It takes the control of our schools
from all local authorities, and trans
fers it to one, who, from the circum-
stances, must know little or nothing
Of the wants of any particular school.
It takes control from those who are
bearing the expense, and whose chill
drtn are being educated, and gives
it to one who has no other interest
to serve than to secure his reap
pOintment or reelection.


PRAoTICABILITY.-That Supervision
is practicable in cities none deny,
but it no more follows that it would
be in the country, than that an ele-
vated railway would.


Ohio has an average of 40 sub
districts to each county, and cOntin-
ues school not more than % weeks,
if that many. So we see that the
Superintendent has one day to each
school per year, providing he loses
no time. Many schools must be Wis
tied when not more than half a doz-
en- pupils are present; some so ear
ly in the fall that the larger pupils
are not in, and he cannot form a cor
rect opinion either of the pupils or
teacher.


In cities the population is com
pact, so that the Superintendent
can visit every room once a day, if
necessary, and most likely does once
a week.


I assure you that other agencies
besides Superintendency are at work
for city schools. They receive So
per cent. on the valuation, while 9th
ers receive but 80. They have school
38 weeks per year, while we have
less than %, many of US. They have
from One-fourth to one-half mile, on
paved streets, to go; we have from
one-fourth to two and one half miles
Taking these things into eOnsidera-
ton, but little credit remains for the
Superintendent of city schools, and
much less for a County Superiuten
dent.


If the perusal of these remarks
shall induce any one to study, more
carefully, our school system, I shall
feel amply repaid for the few hours
spent in their preparation.


We insert the above, because it is
true in fact While we do not ac
cept his conclusions, we must admit
that he has made a good statement
of the difficulties in the way of
County Supervision but the true
worker in reform does not drop
his oar because of difficulties. 1t
may be that the average sub-district
official knows what is best for the
schools, but our observation and ex-
perence does not point in that di-
rectiOn.





A macmillan wau of dfscbarninn nrison-