LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Gl FT OF Class THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SUPERINTENDENCE PREPARED AND ISSUED BY C. P. GARY, State Superintendent of Schools. MADISON, WIS SEPTEMBER, 1908. THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SUPERINTENDENCE PREPARED AND ISSUED BY C. P. GARY, State Superintendent of Schools, MADISON, WIS. SEPTEMBER, 1908. I. INTKODUCTION. It is a conviction of mine that the superintend- ents and principals of this state might in many cases, if not in most, secure much better results than they are now doing in the direction of ad- ministration and supervision. This conviction has been forced upon me mainly through observa- tion, through reports of inspectors, and through statements made by teachers who have applied for countersignature of diplomas. It has often happened that teachers who were refused coun- tersignature were amazed to learn that their work had not been wholly satisfactory. Many have told me that in the course of their first year's ex- perience they had never had a single word of sug- gestion or criticism, never the slightest assist- ance of any kind. It is safe to assume that in some cases at least these statements were much ex- aggerated if not utterly untrue, but assuming this to be the case such a body of testimony no doubt has significance when taken in the large, if not in every individual instance. If I may judge by [3] 181159 my own early experiences and by such observa- tion as I have had opportunity to make, I feel confident in saying that many young principals and superintendents feel abashed in the presence of experienced teachers and awed by the asser- tiveness of some of those who have had but little experience. Furthermore, if teachers discover that the principal is a bit timid and uncertain, they often manipulate the situation to suit their own conveniences and wishes. School boards often say that their principals or superintendents do not know, the rudiments of business adminis- tration as ai)plied to schools. This no doubt is often an expression of annoyance due to actual effectiveness on the part of the superintendent or principal in bringing about needed but unwel- come changes. Nevertheless, I think there is often ground for such statements. Lest I be mis- understood, however, I wish to say emphatically that it is not my belief that the superintendents and principals of Wisconsin are less efficient than superintendents or principals elsewhere or that they are not upon the whole a capable and con- scientious body of men and women. Passing on from these preliminary remarks, I shall take the liberty of making such suggestions in brief as occur to me. [4] II. THE SUPEEIISTTENDENT. "The superintendent has been compared to a foreman he multiplies his value by directing others. The modern city superintendent is more than an overseer; he is a 'captain of industry. He does not merely follow the direction of employ- ers. He makes regulations for himself, and often for his employers as well as his subordi- nates. He not only supplies the demand of the market, but he moulds public opinion to create demand." "The superintendent derives his power from the board, but he must be to a large extent inde- pendent of the board. The superintendent's du- ties do not end with the board, the teachers or the schools. His learning and experience, as well as his professional opportunity for social service, im- pose upon him the duty of a share in the social leadership of his city, and entitle him to the privi- leges of the highest social and intellectual life. If he accepts anything less than this he belittles his office and discredits his calling." These [5] somewhat lengthy quotations are taken from one of the Columbia University Studies.* It is not to be inferred from the last quotation that the superintendent should be a society leader, or even a "society man." But he should be at home in society and should be welcome in the best, if not the most exclusive, society in his city. The superintendent even in a small city needs to be a well-trained, gifted, broad-gauge man. The Committee of Fifteen would have him pos- sess the following six qualifications : 1. Good moral character. 2. Good physique. 3. Common sense. 4. Administrative ability. 5. Experience in school work. 6. Liberal (and proficient) education. Perhaps the above includes the following, but I should like to add for the sake of emphasis, that the superintendent should have a judicial mind, and he should be fearless and incorruptible. And if I might add one more qualification and still have him a little lower than the angels, I would say he should be so permeated with enthu- siasm that those who associate with him must be warmed by it, and so filled with optimism, or at * See Rollins, "School Administration in Municipal Goyern- ment." [6] least meliorism, that the spirit is promptly caught by teachers, school board, and schools. The su- perintendent usually has a heavy load to lift, or drag, as you please to phrase it. The sunshine of his nature must thaw out the coldness and indif- ference of others. He must be strength to the weak, courage to the timid, and an inspiration to all. "He must show breadth, generosity and fair- ness." He has large responsibilities and should be granted unstinted authority. And as Superin- tendent Draper said when President of the Uni- versity of Illinois, "He should be as secure in his position as the members of the supreme court of the state." He should only be secure, however, when he is efficient. If he is found to be cow- ardly, truckling, scheming, narrow-minded, or morally unsound, he should be dismissed. No superintendent should infer from what has been said that he is to be an autocrat or assume a lordly attitude toward the school board, the teach- ers or anybody else. Certainly if he has the mer- its he should have he will be modest and not fool- ishly assertive. He will not volunteer too much at board meetings, will not take it as a personal thrust if a board member or the board as a whole fails to see things as he sees them or to adopt his recommendations. The board has rights, duties [7] and responsibilities. The members must do their own thinking, must determine how much weight to attach to the superintendent's arguments. The man who is not willing to have his board do this would like to reduce the members to figure-heads. The superintendent should counsel with his board upon all matters of importance and should be on terms of amity with every member. If by some unfortunate combination of circumstances strained relations come about between the super- intendent and a member, the superintendent should so conduct himself as to convince the mem- ber that he is a broad-gauge gentleman, capable of differing from another without petty spite or discourtesy. The superintendent should never allow himself to get into a wrangle with anybody. Tact will generally be sufficient to prevent wrangling, but sometimes it has to be supplemented by prompt decision. To phrase the matter a bit differently, a super- intendent should be a large-hearted, free-minded, self-confident citizen of the world. He should be able to appear at ease among the best citizens of the community in which he works ; should be interested in things other men are interested in; should meet the doctor, the preacher, the lawyer, [8] the merchant of his community on terms of easy equality. JSTo board of education has a moral right to employ as superintendent of their city schools any man who is not up to this level of culture and ability. Eead Chancellor, "Our Schools," D. 0. Heath & Co.; Perry, "The Management of a City School/' The Macmillan Co.; Rollins, "School Administration in Municipal Governments ;" Fitzpatrick, "Minor Problems of the School Su- perintendent/' Ed. Rev. [9] III. THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE SUPEBIN- TENDENT'S DUTIES. More and more educational matters will come to be governed by business principles. Some good people are shocked at the idea of bringing together the words "business" and "education" ; but the fact is that if education does not become more business-like there are serious troubles ahead for the educator and for the cause of education. This does not mean commercializing education, but it does mean organizing education. From one important point of view the school system of a city is like a great manufacturing plant. It should be run with an eye to efficiency and economy. The efficiency, it is true, can not be determined with the exactitude that the effi- ciency of a manufacturing plant can be deter- mined. Who has the wisdom to determine the relative values for character-building of two dif- ferent systems or two different teachers'? Who the wisdom to determine the relative values of in- tensive and extensive study in the different grades [10] and branches ? Nevertheless, these are matters we shall know more about when we have applied proper methods of study to them as the manufac- turer applies appropriate methods to his prob- lems. The man "who superintends the business" should be an expert on the professional side, and should be well informed on the administrative side. He should know whether the pupils in every room get enough fresh air, whether the lighting is adequate, the heating satisfactory, the seating the best possible. He should know what will be done in case of fire, what fire protection there is for each school building. He should know w r ho is not in school that should be in school and why ; who drops out of school and why; tie illness of pupils and the cause (so far as possi- ble) . He should know that every teacher has an adequate supply of materials and apparatus for accomplishing the results expected of her. He should know what rooms are over-crowded and what relief is possible; what the strength and what the weakness of every teacher. He should know the kind of service the janitor gives, whether rooms are kept clean and free from dust, the windows clean, the halls and stairways clean, the rooms properly heated in due season and kept uniform throughout the day. He should know [in whether the text-books are the best on the mar- ket; whether the teachers are the most efficient to be had for the money, or whether a slight in- crease in salary will enable him to keep some de- sirable teachers who would otherwise leave, or se- cure efficient teachers in place of some who are not. He should know what children are suffer- ing from bad teeth, poor eye-sight, poor hearing, growths in the nose, cramped lung capacity, etc,, and what can be done about it. He should know how his teachers compare in the matter of effi- ciency in getting work done, in preventing tru- ancy, tardiness and absence. He should know what teachers are doing hack-work, what ones are mechanical, what ones are not working up to their full capacity. The superintendent should know whether the course of study is fitted to the 3 per cent who go to college or the 97 per cent who do not. He should know whether the schools meet the actual needs of the community or whether they have a course "borrowed" from a distant city where conditions are very different, or perchance a course handed down from mediaeval times. If the city is building school houses, the superintendent should be able to give valuable advice upon many points tending to greater econ- omy or greater adaptability. [12] The superintendent should know other systems of schools and should keep informed as to im- provements in the "educational plants" of the most progressive cities of the size of his own. A large program! Yes, and this is not an ex- haustive list of his duties as "business manager" of the system. He must not only know about these things, but he must act, and act efficiently and promptly. If his board is apathetic and re- fuses at many points to give the necessary assist- ance, he must use tact, discretion, and persistence. He may make judicious use of the newspapers, may explain the needs of the schools to leading business men, without criticising his board. He may likewise make public addresses and explain the needs of the schools, always judiciously. When the public begins to be interested and to move, the board is likely to become active. I counsel discretion and tact in these matters for the reason that in his capacity as administrator or business manager, "The superintendent is," as Chancellor says, "essentially a servant of the board." This he holds, and correctly I think, is not true of the superintendent as supervisor; that is, the superintendent in his strictly professional capacity. True it is that some of the matters men- tioned above are so nearly professional (educa- [13] tional in the narrow sense) that a well marked line can not be drawn. This is especially true in what is said as to the efficiency of teachers. Yet the relative efficiency of his men is a matter for every business manager to understand. Every superintendent might well ask himself seriously this question, "If I were managing a manufacturing plant and knew no more of the details of the business than I know of my schools, and if I were as uneconomical and wasted as much material as I now waste, and turned out no better product and no more of it than I now do, could I hold my job?" There is great need of uniform educational statistics of a kind that is vital and reliable. Only by a united effort on the part of city superinten- dents can we arrive at the essential facts. For in- stance, how can we save in expense of fuel and add to salaries ? What kind of heating apparatus is most economical, what coal is most economical? What kind of training is best for the teachers? These and many more questions of a like kind may be answered in the course of time with rea- sonable certainty, if serious efforts are made in that direction. I would recommend as a starting point a care- ful study of Snedden and Allen's School Eeports and School Efficiency, The Macmillan Com- [14] pany. There is a good chapter on the same sub- ject in Allen's Efficient Democracy, Dodd, Mead & Company. A FEW ADDITIONAL KEFEEEtfCES. Perry, "The Management of a City School," The Macmillan Company. Chancellor, "Our Schools," D. C. Heath & Company. Eeport of the Educational Commission of Chi- cago. "The Superintendent as a Man of Affairs," Maxwell. N. E. A., 1904. "The Superintendent in Small Cities," Gorton. K E. A., 1900. "School Supervision," Edson. Education, Vol. 13. "The Assistant Superintendent," Reynolds. N. E. A., 1904. "The Supervision of a City School System," American Education, June, 1906. Pickard, "School Supervision." Appleton. Morrison, "The Ventilation and Warming of School Buildings." Appleton. Briggs, "Modern American School Buildings." [15] Rowe, "The Lighting of School Rooms/' Longmans. Burnham, "School Hygiene/' Pedagogical Seminary, Vol. 2. Shaw, "School Hygiene." The Macmillan Co. Burrage & Bailey, "School Sanitation and Decoration/' D. 0. Heath & Co. Tyler, "Growth and Education." Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Strayer, "City School Expenditures." Rowe, "The Physical Nature of the Child." The Macmillan Co. [16] IV. TEACHEES' MEETINGS. Teachers' meetings are generally the bugbear of young, inexperienced or timid principals of schools. On second thought, I think I might safely make the statement still more inclusive. There are usually in a system of schools a few teachers who "know it all" and are ready to throw cold water on any attempt of the principal or superintendent to conduct meetings or encour- age the study of educational problems. There are also generally a few hoity-toity young misses who are not willing to spare the time from social af- fairs. These two classes of persons speak lightly and slightingly of the teachers' meetings, in fact, often ridicule them. The problem is one that should not be "solved by evasion." The following suggestions are of- fered in the hope that they may be of service to superintendents. SUGGESTIONS FOE TEACHEES' MEETINGS. 1. Send teachers (one or two at a time) to a good school within convenient reach, and later [17] have a report on work inspected. Teachers should observe what is to be seen in the various grades so far as time permits. They should especially note the work in such special subjects as drawing, nature study, domestic science, man- ual training, etc. The report should be sympa- thetic and discriminating. General discussion should follow the report. 2. Get some local man or woman to come in and address informally, the teachers, for, say, thirty minutes and take the remainder of the time for questions and discussion. Care must be taken not to invite cranks or hobby-riders, at least not till you are sure you want that sort of thing. The speaker should be sane, but should be outspoken and should be able to give the point of view, vaguely felt or distinctly formulated, held by the general public. Get the principal or superintendent of a near-by city, the county superintendent, a state inspector of schools who happens to be in the vicinity, the state superintendent, or any one else who may have a message, and is available. 3. Ask your teachers to go on Saturday to the county teachers' association, if you think the sub- jects announced are promising. If there is such a meeting in your city on Friday, get the board to allow you to dismiss so that teachers may get [18] the benefit of anything that promises to be worth while. Get the teachers to go, if possible, to sec- tion and state associations. If you can get the money for it and your city is of considerable size, hold a two-day institute in the fall with paid in- structors. If your city is small, try to get others to join with you, or you can join with someone else. The teaching force should have several treats of this sort every year. I am not thinking of entertainments, but of the kind of thing that sends teachers away thinking and talking and re- solving. The above suggestions and others that will oc- cur to the superintendent have nothing to do with the plans for systematic study and work that should be undertaken as a part of the year's cam- paign. Getting the teaching force under motion may be like getting a freight car under motion by steady pushing, but it can be done by persistent effort governed by tact and good judgment. The superintendent should not undertake to do it all himself. His skill is shown in what he gets others to do. Of course he should contribute an impor- tant share, and should direct the whole. He will not fail to get and utilize all the valuable help and suggestions his teaching force can give. If there are but few teachers, some of whom are teaching in the high school and some in the grades, the [19] problem is peculiarly difficult. There can be found, however, subjects that will appeal to all. For instance, the subject of habit forming and habit breaking, the cultivation of the power of forming imagery, how to secure distinct enun- ciation, how to increase the interest of the public in the schools, how to train pupils to think, etc., etc. A good general problem, and one covering a large part of the educational field, is how to make our instruction "stick," i. e., how to make it a permanent acquisition. This includes a study of memory, power of illustration, methods of as- signing lessons, reviews, use of knowledge, and so on indefinitely. When the principal of a small school wishes to take up such a subject as primary reading, for example, he should work only with the person or persons concerned. This is a tech- nical subject in which high school teachers, or up- per grade teachers are only remotely interested and there is no need of forcing them to listen to such a discussion. For general meetings general subjects should be the rule. MOEE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHEES' MEETINGS. (Upper grade teachers might well join in most of these studies.) [20] 1. Study of adolescence. G. Stanley Hall's two large volumes on this subject may be too big an undertaking but if that is the case there are less ambitious books to use as guides. Probably the best book to suggest is Hall's abridgment of his larger work. The title is "Youth." There are many articles on the var- ious aspects of this subject to be found in educa- tional and psychological journals. 2. The educational value of the different high school subjects. The books that are likely to be most suggestive in this connection are Educational Aims and Val- ues, Hanus; the Meaning of Education, Butler e These books contain chapters on other subjects relating to high school education. There is no end of articles on the topic "educational values' 7 in the educational journals such as Education, Educational Eeview, School Eeview, etc. There was for about a decade beginning about 1896, a furor of discussion on this topic. See also for lit- erature the back numbers of N. E. A. Proceed- ings, also De Garmo's Principles of Secondary Education, Vol. 1. [21] 3. Methods of teaching high school subjects. Read De Gtarmo's Principles of Secondary Education, vol. 2. Young's Teaching of Mathe- matics. Smith, The Teaching of Elementary Mathematics. Bourne's Teaching of History and Civics. Chubb, The Teaching of English. Car- penter, Baker and Scott, The Teaching of Eng- lish. Bennett and Bristol, The Teaching of Latin and Greek. Smith and Hall, The Teaching of Chemistry and Physics. Lloyd and Bigelow, The Teaching of Biology. The School Review, published by the Univer- sity of Chicago Press, is devoted entirely to sec- ondary education, and both the back numbers and the current numbers should be found in every high school for reference purposes. 4. Teaching pupils how to study. Read Hinsdale's Art of Study. For additional reading matter, see references in the book named. Cramer's Talks to Students on the Art of Study is good. For teachers of science, The Method ^i Darwin by the same author may be recommended. The above topics will suggest others. Those given illustrate general topics and special topics. [22] Most special topics are best handled with individ- ual teachers. The superintendent or principal should, if need be, see to it that the teachers are supplied with fresh professional literature relat- ing to their special subjects. A good way to in- terest teachers in books or articles is for the super- intendent to read them first himself, then encour- age, or urge the teachers to read the same, so that they may talk the matter over in detail with him. SUGGESTIONS FOE MEETINGS OF GEADE TEACHEES. It should be held in mind that a teachers' meet- ing should either inspire or give technical knowl- edge that will be useful in teaching. By inspira- tion I mean the kind of influence that causes teachers to go away with a firm resolution to do better work in one or more directions in the fu- ture. The technical knowledge may be of the na- ture of methods, of subject matter, or of knowl- edge of children and the proper function of the school in the community. Such a book as Dewey's School and Society suggests the relationship be- tween the school and the world. Such an analysis as the above suggests many topics, among which are the following. The topics may be sub-divided to any extent desired. [23] 1 . The health and growth of school children. Read Tyler's Growth and Education inten- sively and discuss the same at a series of meetings. All teachers from kindergarten through the high school ought to be interested in part or all of this book. There is much more good literature on this subject, of course, but I believe it will be found if wanted. I might, however, add Rowe's, The Physical Nature of the Child, one of the best books of its kind. 2. Departmental teaching in the grades. Eead as a basis for discussion Kilpatrick's De- partmental Teaching in Elementary Schools. (Would it not be safe and worth while to try the experiment of departmental teaching in the upper grades in a mild way?) 3. Method of the recitation. Read and discuss Hamilton's The Recitation, or McMurry, The Method of the Recitation. 4. Training pupils to think. Read as a basis Nathan Schaeffer's Thinking and Learning to Think. [24] 5. Story telling. Eead Bryant's How to Tell Stories to Chil- dren, and discuss and illustrate in meeting; the same author's book of stories for children might also be used. 6. General pedagogy. Eead Bagley's The Educative Process, and supplement it with Keith's Elementary Educa- tion, Thorndike's Principles of Teaching, Salis- bury's The Theory of Teaching, and O'Shea's Education as Adjustment. 7. Child study. Eead Kirkpatrick's Fundamentals of Child Study. Sunplement with Amy Tanner's The Child. Eead with your teachers, "Mind in the Mak- ing," by Swift. This is one of the best books of the past year. The superintendent can not af- ford to let it go unread. It does not fit in ex- actly under any heading as it is not a systematic treatise. It deals with genetic psychology mainly ; it is scientific but popular in style. [25] 8. Make a study of the best educational literature found in current magazines. Let each of several teachers report on articles of more than ordinary value. Watch for the cir- cular letter to be sent out from time to time by the state superintendent, calling attention to articles of value. 10. The methods of teaching various common school branches. See Common School Manual, also no end of good books and articles. Winterburn's Methods of Teaching might be used, or Cronson's Methods in Elementary School Studies. The following are valuable : Briggs & Coffman, Reading in Public Schools ; Smith, The Teaching of Elementary Mathemat- ics; McMurry's Special Method in History, and in various other subjects ; Chubb, The Teaching of English ; Arnold, Reading : How to Teach It ; Huey, The Psychology of Reading. 11. School management. The little pamphlet, How to Have a Good School, prepared by the state superintendent for the use of country teachers, will be found useful. In the Institute Circular for 1908 is a series of [26] questions based upon it, also suggestions for using it. This pamphlet might well occupy several meetings. Both pamphlets may be had free of charge on application, so long as the supply lasts. It would be well for all teachers to read this pam- phlet, whether it is used as a basis for discussion or not. Bach of the topics suggested above is compre- hensive enough to afford a year's solid work for a corps of teachers bent upon study. They will seem brief to those only who are of the "touch and go" variety. I shall be pleased to give help and suggestions by letter on application. Just a word of cau- tion. Go at this work enthusiastically, if at all, and take up topics in the careful, leisurely way (detailed way) that you would if you had a de- cade to complete the work. Hurrying over topics is a sure way to kill interest for the reason that nothing of value results from such a method. I have suggested books, only a few of the best, in connection with the topics. I think a book will generally be found necessary. In fact, more books than have been suggested will usually be needed. These books should be owned by the school, and should form in time a pedagogical library of respectable size for the use of teachers. [27] THE SELF-IMPKOVEMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. All study of his problems tends toward the self- improvement of the superintendent. The amount of self-improvement depends upon the intensity of the study, and the good sense that governs and directs it. Some men are capable of directing their own efforts, others are not. Capable as Dr. Harris was when he was young, he tells that he commenced psychology and philosophy by study- ing phrenology. It took him some time to learn he was on the wrong road. To-day many a man wastes his energy and goes off at a tangent be- cause he needs the directing hand of a capable guide. No man has time, at least at first, for any- thing except that which is the best of its kind for his specific purpose. I am strongly of the opinion that every school man needs a "side-line" of study, something that arouses his enthusiasm, something he is never too tired to take up. What this is must depend upon his tastes for it must be something to his liking. It should, however, be something solid, something in which there is an abundance of good printed [28] material, supplemented if possible by opportun- ity for original observation and study. Botany illustrates the type. One who so puts In his spare time will ultimately be an authority on the sub- ject of his choice, unless he fe "born'sliort" in nat- ural ability. The student should include one or two of the best monthly or quarterly journals on the subject so that he may fully keep up with the times. He will find not only new and fresh materials, but will be sure to note the announcements and re- views of new books as they appear. That broad range of related subjects included under such names as pedagogy, psychology, philosophy, eth- ics, anthropology, sociology, etc., is to my think- ing, the best for the school master for the reason that it is all related more or less directly to his work and is broad and comprehensive in scope. Perhaps I am partial to such subjects in view of the fact that they have been my constant study for a quarter of a century and more. Any sub- ject will do, but if it is not directly related to one's work there is constant need of watching so as not to let it absorb too much time and thought. I have found it an excellent plan to pick out a few of the best and most productive men and read inten- sively and repeatedly everything they produce, either in the way of books or articles. This is a [29] far better plan than to read at random whatever falls in one's way. The one produces systematic thinking, the other leaves the reader in a state of mental confusion, at least this is true if he is work- ing on a subject that is in a formative stage, as is the fact in the case of all the subjects mentioned above. One's success in such a line of procedure ulti- mately depends upon the fund of energy available and upon the existence of intellectual interests. Some men have neither ; some have one but not the other. Both may be increased, as a rule, if the proper laws are observed. If the school mas- ter is hopelessly short in either surplus energy or intellectual interest he need not expect to make his mark in the educational field. Before leaving this subject I wish to add that every school man, in my opinion, should be famil- iar with one or more of the best books dealing with the general subject of evolution. If he has not time to read Darwin, Huxley, Fiske, Wal- lace and others of their type, he should at least read with care such a summary of th$ subject as is to be found in Kellogg' s Darwinism To-day. A man who is not at least fairly well informed in this direction belongs in his thinking to a past age. My prediction is that biology is now about to make its best contributions to education. [30] V. INSPECTION. A . Things that help to make perfection. 1. See to it that teachers keep neat black- boards. The work should be neat and when work is erased it should be entirely erased, not only the words and figures should be erased, but the board should be free from clinging dust. 2. The teacher's desk and the pupils' desks should be in good order. 3. The floor should be clean and the desks and wood-work generally should be free from dirt and dust. The floor should be free from such lit- ter as scraps of paper and pencil shavings. 4. The library books should be erect on the shelves and free from dust. 5. No corner should be used as a catch-all for maps and the like. 6. All reference material and apparatus and supplies should be in good condition and easy of access. 7. Cobwebs should not adorn the corners or ceiling, or dead flies be left clinging to walls or ceiling. [31] 8. The windows should be clean. 9. The halls should have the same attention as the rooms. 10. The yard should be free from litter of all kinds and from weeds and scraps of paper in par- ticular. The fence should be in good condition, or be entirely removed. 11. The basement and the toilet rooms should be in a sanitary condition ; they should also be free from obscene writing and drawings and should be kept so. 12. The laboratories should be overhauled in the fall and put in proper condition and kept so. Pupils should be trained to clean up, and to put everything in its place when through using it. B. The more vital things. 1. See to it that you are able to account for all pupils of school age in your district or city. This is no small task in a large town or city. If you can not do it all yourself, farm it out in such way that the end may be attained. 2. Visit all new teachers, both high school and grade, the first week if possible. Talk with them about their work. Encourage as much as you think wise. The teacher who is new to you may assume that praise in some small particular is complete approval of her work. Establish the [32] habit of talking as freely with teachers face to face as you would talk about them to the board when questioned; yes, even more freely. The supervisor should in all cases of adverse criticism give the teacher the opportunity to present her ex- cuses for the conditions that are found unsatisfac- tory. Frequently she will be voluble in this con- nection. The supervisor after hearing what she has to say should make his final statement of the situation as he sees it in terms so clear and defin- ite that the teacher will have no excuse for con- cluding that she has explained the criticism away, unless she has actually done so. In the latter event the teacher ought as a rule to be able to remedy the defect promptly. The point to ob- serve is that neither the supervisor nor the teacher should rest satisfied with a mere understanding of the difficulty. The difficulty should be removed. The bearing of the principal should be cordial but dignified. There should be that in the bearing and speech of the supervisor which removes fear, but evokes respect and deference and stimulates the desire to improve. This is for many superin- tendents, especially in their early years, difficult to hit off properly. Some have it by nature, others have to acquire it, or sooner or later re- tire from the business. 3. The supervisor should acquaint the new [33] teachers with the ideals, special features, fads and the like for which the schools stand. The inexperienced teacher should have the early and faithful attention of the supervisor. I fear many supervisors make the mistake of think- ing the young teacher fresh from college or nor- mal school needs no help. She is just the one who does need help, and is most thankful for it. In my own experience as a professional trainer of teachers it was a wish often repeated to myself that I might have the "finished product" for a week or two in the fall when the conditions were real, not artificial. I was confident I could be of more service to them in the particular position they were filling than I could be in ten times that period of "practice teaching." The young teacher is plastic in the first few weeks in a regu- lar position and generally eager to learn; after that it often is a hard struggle both for her and for the supervisor to break up bad habits, or over- come the evil effects of early blunders. Some supervisors tell their new teachers they "may sink or swim" for themselves. Some do not say this, but are too timid and helpless to try to assist. Such principals ought promptly to be reduced to the ranks, or dismissed, and an efficient supervisor employed. A good supervisor can easily in- crease the efficiency of a corps of teachers by a [34] third or a half. If most of the teachers are new or inexperienced he may even double the effi- ciency. This is the chief way for him to earn his relatively large salary. If he does nothing but teach a class or two and serve as a sort of clerk the remainder of the time, he should get less not more than the other teachers. Do I hear the reply, " Yes, but what shall I do? I have had no training. I do not know how to teach elementary subjects. I do not know how to govern children. I do not know what stand- ard of order should prevail. I would cut a silly figure trying to teach teachers how to teach or govern." True, I shall assume, but what are you going to do about it? You hardly want to obtain money under false pretenses. You are paid to supervise, if not, you are (probably) paid too much relatively if not absolutely. The following I would suggest is the least you can do, if you do not wish to resign. Get the common school manual of this state and study the outline on primary reading, for example, till you under- stand it. Then see if your primary teacher is teaching in the manner described. If not, try to study her method to see if it is superior. If not, take up the matter with her. Ask her if she is familiar with the manual. If she is, talk it all over with her in detail and get her reasons for [35] using the method she is using. If you are not convinced, tell her so and persuade her or even command her to use the other method, after she has had time to master it in its spirit and details. The extreme measure should not be taken, how- ever, unless you are convinced that her method is antiquated or decidedly inferior. The spon- taneity of teachers should be carefully preserved and fostered by the supervisor, for it is a most precious quality, all too rare. But slip-shod methods, snatched up because they were the first to suggest themselves, are not to be tolerated. Teachers need the spontaneity that is the outcome of mastery of the situation. This comes only as the result of sustained thought and diligent appli- cation. In the case of the reading, to continue my illus- tration, the supervisor who is conscious of his weakness will do well to seek an early opportun- ity to see a first-class primary teacher at her work and later talk with her about her methods. The conscientious man, paid for supervising, will say to himself that he will not rest day or night till he knows how to help his inefficient teachers. Of course, I do not here refer to teachers who are evident failures. For this class there is no help, and they should give place [36] promptly to efficient teachers. He will take up each subject in detail; will study the teacher and try to puzzle out wherein her teaching and gov- erning fall short, will study books on the subjects that trouble him most, will talk with experienced and successful supervisors, will, in short, do any- thing he can think of that promises relief from the accusing conscience. The principal who is expected to teach all the time, except possibly one or two recitation pe- riods, is placed in a difficult position, unless his responsibilities sit lightly on his shoulders. His free periods are the same every day; he can at best see but little of the work of other teachers. The board does not appreciate the value of a su- pervisor, and the teachers are not used to super- vision, and perhaps resent it as meddling. Add to this the fact that the principal, if he does his duty by his pupils and the numerous subjects he teaches, must put in a large share of his time in studying. What is to be done? Frankly, the situation is difficult in the extreme, but the fol- lowing is what one man did. He was interested in the pupils the other teachers had in their rooms. He learned to know them at recesses and out of school. He talked with them at odd times about their studies and about their general interests. [37] They enjoyed having him do this for he was a man of sense. He chatted with the other teach- ers at recess, and at odd moments about the chil- dren, their studies, their progress. The teachers came to look upon him as a friend and counselor. They talked over their difficulties with him, urged him to come in and see their work and give sug- gestions. When at their wits' end they sent their worst pupils to him for punishment. He had his own classes well in hand after a few weeks and could leave them for an indefinite period if he wished. He frequently gave his pupils written work and visited other rooms in the meantime. It will not be difficult to believe that this man is to-day widely known as an educator. He had ability, interest in his work, and resourcefulness. There was no time in the program for him to su- pervise, yet the schools were admirably super- vised. In a small system the principal should know and be interested in every child. There are only two things absolutely essential to success in supervision ; namely, native ability and interest. If the interest be lacking, a fair substitute is conscientiousness. Of course, it is well if to the above may be added technical traiii- ing in supervision to begin with. [38] The supervisor will find in "How to Have a Good School," issued by this department, many of the common faults of teachers mentioned. See for instance the "Don'ts," also the "Criti- cisms," and the "Questions," all of which will be found in the last few pages of the pamphlet. Sad to relate, many principals seem interested in the high school only. They thus neglect the many for the few. Again, it is impossible to have a good high school when poorly trained stu- dents are sent to it from the grades. One of the first things for a supervisor to do is to inform his teaching force what is expected of them in the way of results. They should know, too, the rules of the game. It is needless to say that this instruction should be given in a manner not to offend or discourage the sensible but spirited teacher. "The general rule might be laid down that all instruction to teachers should deal with educa- tional principles. The instruction should be traced back to its philosophical source, so that teachers may continually receive training in the thought that all sound advice rests upon funda- mental, indisputable laws." [39] "Perhaps the chief thing to observe is the spirit of the school, its atmosphere, that psychological and social condition which grows out of the rela- tions existing, the motive and spirit of the work, in short, the life of the school, which is its real educative force. This is, of course, intangible and invisible, but it can be spiritually dis- cerned."- GILBEBT, The School and Its Life. The writer just quoted has in mind inspection in a large city where the inspector is not thor- oughly familiar with the work of every teacher. is astonishing how quickly, almost instantane- ously, a competent inspector can "size up" the work of a teacher he is not acquainted with. This is a fact teachers are usually unable to ap- preciate. The supervisor who can not ordinar- ily in five minutes or less pass fairly accurate judgment upon the general character of the work of a teacher is either inexperienced or has missed his calling. It is not to be assumed that this judgment is infallible, or that it analyzes out in detail the teacher's weakness or her strength. It does, however, enable the supervisor to sense the "atmosphere" of the room, to note the bearing of the teacher, and the general attitude of pupils. Such inspection has little if any value for the in- spector except on his first visit, and if he makes [40] this early, as he should, he will be likely to find the teacher in the process of getting her school in shape and the test can not be fairly applied. "Having seen and felt conditions of the school, how is the visitor to help the teacher? "Little can be done at the time : a word of en- couragement, a bit of praise, a suggestive ques- tion, an inspiring or stimulating remark, all aptly dropped in such a way as not to disturb the order of things. If there occurs an intermission or a brief interval between classes, a pleasant and helpful little conversation may be wedged in. The teacher should never be humiliated before her class by suggestion, criticism, or even ex- ample." "Noisy and boisterous visitation should be avoided." "If the teacher is doing badly and needs severe criticism, if she is discouraged and needs bright- ening, if the work is especially original and sug- gestive and merits further consideration and de- velopment under these and other special condi- tions the visit should be followed by the private conference/' The superintendent, granted that he has held his position long enough to secure results, makes the schools what they are. If they are dis- [41] orderly, inefficient, disappointing, the superin- tendent will be found inefficient. If the schools are orderly, the teachers happy and contented, the spirit of the schools good, the superintendent will be found efficient. True it is that a wrangling board, a board bent upon securing and keeping local teachers whether efficient or not, may so handicap a superintendent as to make his work difficult in the extreme. A good board shows its good sense and business ability by employing the best superintendent to be found for the money at the disposal of the board for this purpose, and giving him free rein to select teachers and to rid the system of inefficient teachers. The board should actually do the electing and the discharg- ing, but it should be on the recommendation of the superintendent. If he is not found to be hon- est, fearless, and capable, the board should seek another man. One of the gravest dangers in any system of schools is the loading up of the force with teachers who live in the city -"local talent." Frequently they are poorly trained or not trained at all. They generally in such cases get in through "pull," hold their jobs through "pull," and heaven only knows wheji or how they will get out. If "local talent" is to be employed at all, it should be trained and 'tested talent, so the risk may be re- duced to a minimum. [42] VI. SOME TYPES OF SCHOOL MEN WHO DO NOT STRENGTHEN THE PROFESSION. In treating briefly this difficult and delicate subject I shall describe types of men that have fal- len under my personal observation. It may chance the reader knows men who illustrate the types mentioned. 1 /V/O AAJ.Vy'J.Al/J-V/AJ.V^VA. The man who relies upon "pull" to get and to hold positions. Such men are tHeir own worst enemies. They are building on the sand when they ought to be building on the rock. It is true they are weak characters and hence unfit for the great responsi- bility of training the future citizens of the state. "Pull" is a form of graft and is scorned by all high-minded men who wish to merit what they get. The protean manifestations of this form of graft are bevond enumeration. Generally it is some form of dicker or deal by which the recipi- ent is to get something he does not deserve for helping somebody else get what he does not de- serve. [43] 2. The disloyal man. The disloyal man is generally able to manifest his peculiar traits best in subordinate positions where he is continually "knocking" in more or less subtle, or crude, ways according to his men- tal make-up. The shrewd knocker has his work down to a fine point. He speaks in praise of his superior in some minor matters, then stabs him in the vitals. An ordinary sneak-thief is respect- able compared with such a man. The thief takes only a little property that can be replaced, if need be, but the persistent, shrewd knocker can rob his superior of that which is worth more to him than all else. A still subtler and more cowardly type gets his helpers to do the knocking. It is a mistake, however, to think of the dis- loyal man as always in a subordinate position. Disloyalty is a psychological fact that is charac- teristic of a type of man, regardless of the posi- tion he holds. Men of this type are always self- ish and "small," devoid of magnanimity; always trying to magnify their own importance, con- ceited, ready to take to themselves credit that be- longs to another. Such men are never happier than when blowing their own horn, unless it be when they are saying disparaging things of other men they envy. [44] A corps of teachers can never trust out of their sight a principal or superintendent who has the taint of disloyalty in his veins. They are liable to be betrayed at any critical moment. The loyal man has ideals by which he will stand through thick and thin. The disloyal man is an opportunist, fawning when the wind is right, a traitor when the chance offers. 3. The timid man. He always wants to speak in whispers, is afraid to make any move till he is sure things are going to come out right. He thinks much of the "loaded wagon." Sometimes he really has prin- ciples, but is constitutionally too timid to express them or make a stand for them. He stands around and shivers till the storm is over. Often he has no principles, but follows anybody or any- thing that "makes a noise like success." His board or his friends never can find out where he stands till it is immaterial where he stands. 4. The bull-headed man. This type is not the polar opposite of that just described, for the opposite of timid is courageous. The bull-headed man is a man of one idea. He does not see things in their complexity and In [45] their real relationships. He is too narrow for that. When such a man gets an idea it goes to his head, and he becomes at least semi-insane, if not wholly so. One can not reason with him, for he is unreasonable ; he would go through fire for his idea to-day, but to-morrow if he by chance gets another idea the old goes to the scrap heap. A balky horse is a joy forever compared with a typical specimen of the bull-headed man. There are but few such in the teaching profession, though many occasionally suffer from a light at- tack of this insanity. 5. The arbitrary man. The arbitrary man is uncontrolled by law, des- potic, tyrannical. He is capricious, uncertain, unreasonable, changeful. He is not a respecter of the rights of others. The arbitrary man should never be confused in thought with the fearless, prompt, decisive, but withal reasonable man, the real executive. 6. The man who is "owned" The man who is owned is not his own man. He belongs to another, and he dances whenever his owner fiddles. He never knows what to say [46] till he gets the tip. When the string is pulled he jumps. If you wish to know what his master wants, watch the man who is owned. Some men are thus dominated by a powerful member of the board, some by book companies, some by other school men, some by politicians. Those who have sold themselves probably did not fully real- ize the significance of it at the time. There are fewer and fewer such men. It is to be hoped the tribe will soon be extinct. Any man who sells himself, literally sells himself to the devil. // any man should be a free man, it is the teacher of the youth of a free country. 7. The man whose special phobia is fear of losing his job. Men of this type are afraid of offending the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker. They are especially afraid of offending the board mem- bers, the most influential teachers, and the most influential citizens. A little bit of criticism drives them into a panic of trepidation. They rush around like mad to set themselves right; they run to the editors, to their friends, to the board. One would think the heavens were falling. They rattle around like a dry bean in a quart measure. [47] 8. The old fogy and the faddist. Here are contrasting types. One is wedded to the gods of Israel, and the other sets up his al- tars to the unknown gods. One is content with the old because it is old, because he is familiar with it. The other is dissatisfied with the old be- cause it is old. Whatever is old is "behind the times." "The newest is the best/' so he goes rainbow-chasing day after day and year after year. The old fogy snoozes on, too lazy to try to comprehend what the world is doing. 9. The showy man. The farther the showy man is away from home the better he shows up. When he is far away from home he seems to have the proportions of Jove, but at home, well, let the mantle of char- ity fall. I do not want any man to put on any coat that does not fit him. Notwithstanding the fact that in every line I have had real flesh-and-blood men in mind, nothing is personal. My main pur- pose is to warn young men against pitfalls, and it [48] has been the farthest from my intention or desire to wound sensitive feelings. I am genuinely proud of most of my fellow-workers in the edu- cational field. To know them is to admire them. Even the best of them doubtless have their faults who does not? but their large and gen- erous natures, their devotion to ideals, their tire- less efforts to perform conscientiously the duty that lies nearest them are the conspicuous facts in their lives. Any man who finds his portrait sketched in the preceding pages will probably do one of two things : he will be angered and will say ugly things about the man who revealed him to himself, or he will say, "It is true, but it shall not remain true." [49] VII. SUGGESTIONS TO YOUNG AND AMBI- TIOUS PEINCIPALS AND SUPEEINTENDENTS. Many times in the past few years I have been asked the question, "Do you think it is worth my while to try to qualify myself for the superin- tendency of a large city?" The question is some- times rather embarrassing, for the reason that the man who asks it is not, so far as one is able to judge, qualified by natural gifts for such a posi- tion. Sometimes the questioner is hopelessly commonplace in appearance. To overcome this handicap he must be possessed of unusual abil- ity, ability that makes itself manifest in strik- ing and original ways. One of my acquaint- ances is about the most insignificant looking man I ever saw, yet he has an international reputation as a thinker. Another man I am acquainted with is about the homeliest man I ever saw, yet he is a brilliant public speaker. Appearance is not everything, yet a man who does not impress one at first sight as a man of power, has an extra burden placed upon him in his efforts to advance. Sometimes the questioner is hopelessly com- [50] monplacein respect to his native ability. He lacks originality, lacks the power of leadership. He has neither freshness of mind nor enthusiasm. At best he is a plodder. Such a man can never advance far in the teaching profession. Sometimes the questioner is coarse-grained, lacking the finer instincts of the gentleman ; or on the other hand, he is so delicate and sensitive that he would wilt under the simoons of criticism to which a city superintendent is often subjected. A young man who wishes to become a profes- sional city superintendent, aspiring to large things, should subject himself to merciless but just self-analysis and self-criticism. If he wishes to measure himself to see if he is capable of large things, let him first ask himself, What have I ever done that is out of the ordinary? Do I possess gifts of speech? Powers of analysis? Great powers of generalization? Insight into human nature? Ability as a leader? Unusual tact and diplomacy? Unusual ability as an in- structor? Great energy and staying qualities as an intellectual worker ? Ability as an executive ? What, in short, are the qualities I possess that Tom, Dick and Harry do not possess, and are these qualities of a sort to give me decided advan- tage over most others as a school executive? [51] There are a few qualities the superintendent must possess and one of these is executive ability. I would refer the reader to the chapter on "The Su- perintendent" for further discussion of this topic. It has been truly said that the differences between men are small but of tremendous importance. But let us suppose the young man in question decides he will try to compass great things in this direction. How shall he proceed? First a col- lege education if he hasn't it ; next graduate work in pedagogy, psychology, school supervision, his- tory of education, etc. ; next experience in a sub- ordinate position under a good city superintend- ent; next a small city superintendency ; next the biggest thing he can get. This I believe to be the shortest road to his goal. There are many dangers to be met and overcome on the way. I shall point out some of these under "don'ts." 1. Don't get lazy and quit studying. 2. Don't expect anybody to boost you. 3. Go to a university during the summer and study for all you are worth. 4. Don't settle down contentedly in one place for a long time unless you and your schools are growing. 5. Don't "knock." 6. Don't neglect to cultivate the social graces. [52] 7. Don't grow careless about your English. 8. Read the best literature as a pastime. 9. Lend others a helping hand. 10. Don't worry because you are not getting on faster, and do not think your life wasted if you do not get very far. 11. Give everybody his due; be generous, and do not let the shortcomings of others weigh too heavily upon you. 12. Go to educational associations and make the acquaintance of the ablest educators in the country. Visit other schools. Read the great books of all time. 13. Cultivate constantly a prompt, decisive but courteous manner. ( ^114. Never mind about holding an office in a teachers' association. Let another hold the office unless it comes to you unsought. 15. If you fail in any undertaking, don't lose courage or whine. If you do, you stamp your- self as unworthy and commonplace. 16. KEEP ON STUDYING MEN AND BOOKS. GET IN TOUCH WITH THE WOELD AND BE A PART OF IT. "In the final analysis all great success depends upon three qualities: judgment, patience, and courage." [53] VIII. SUMMARY OF DUTIES. OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL. 1. To select teachers, subject to the approval of the board. 2. Arrange courses of study. 3. To make rules and fix standards for grad- ing, classification and promotion of pupils. 4. To assign teachers to the grades or positions they are to fill, subject to the approval of the board. 5. To inspect the work of teachers and give such commendation, help and suggestion as may seem desirable. 6. He should get and deserve the confidence of his teachers, and should learn their ideas as to course of study and other matters in which they are concerned. 7. To hold teachers' meetings. 8. To assist teachers in the government of their schools. [54] 9. To test pupils ; to encourage pupils. 10. To report to parents on progress of pupils. 11. To meet parents who wish information about the schools, or who have criticisms to offer. 12. To see that all pupils are in school that ought to be. 13. To see that schools are supplied with ap- paratus. 14. Select text-books, subject to the approval of the board. 15. To recommend the dismissal of incompe- tent teachers. 16. He should look after minute details with the utmost care, but should not neglect the weight- ier matters. He should be a field man rather than an office man. 17. To bring to attention of the board needed alterations and repairs. 18. To communicate to the board the wishes of teachers. 19. To communicate to the teachers the deci- sions of the board. 20. To defend teachers from all unjust at- tacks, and from charges that have not been proved. 21. To unify and make efficient the work of the entire teaching body. [55] 22. To assist teachers in selecting suitable books and journals for their professional improve- ment. 23. To visit other schools, attend educational associations, etc. 24. To correlate the educational agencies in the community. 25. To lead in educational progress. To point out the educational needs of the community. 26. To co-operate with and assist county su- perintendents whenever possible. 27. To address the people of his community from time to time on educational topics. 28. To make use of the local newspapers to improve educational sentiment, and to further educational progress. 29. To discuss with members of the board and leading citizens his educational plans, especially those involving additional expenditure of money. 30. To keep free from all attempts to elect his friends to positions on the board; also from petty local politics. The superintendent should be a leader in edu- cational thought in his community; should lead and inspire his teachers; should be a model of manhood for pupils and young men of the com- munity. [56] The superintendent who simply fills in a per- functory way the position he holds will never hold a better position, or at least will not deserve a bet- ter position. The only way advancement can be made is to grow too big for the position now held. This can not be done by swelling up like the frog in the fable, but by solid attainments, both schol- arly and professional, and by growth in personal- ity and executive ability. or THF UNIVER: S1L2 [57] UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW 915 t a MW 26 1918 JUL 8 192f NOV J^ 1924 SEP 14 1342 SOm-1,'15