The  office  of  the  Superintendent  of  Schools  should  provide  adequate
and  prompt  attention  to  the  needs  and  also  the  demands  of  the  public.  This
function  seems  to  be  fulfilled  in  Alton.  Among  other  items,  the  Superin-
tendent gives  his  personal  attention  to  cases  of  serious  infraction  of  school


discipline  and  to  the  applications  for  working  papers.  It  is  worth  a  great
deal  to  the  City  of  Alton  to  have  the  children  leaving  school  receive  the
personal  care  of  the  Superintendent  in  each  individual  case,  for  thus  the
law  is  upheld  and  the  best  interests  of  the  children  of  the  community  safe-
guarded.
The  office  of  the  Superintendent  should  constitute  a  court  of  appeal
and  a  source  of  sympathy,  justice  and  inspiration  to  all  teachfers.  No  school
system  can  be  healthy  unless  the  members  of  the  teaching  corps  find  an  open
door  and  a  sure  welcome  in  the  Superintendent's  office.  Every  such  teacher
must  leave  his  office  feeling  that  she  has  had  courteous  sympathetic  hearing,
real  justice,  and  helpful  advice,  and  so  must  bear  with  her  a  feeling  that  she
will  come  again  and  all  the  more  easily  next  time.  This  function  seems,
to  be  fulfilled  in  Alton.
