Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-11-07

| would have had good opportunity
| to correct errors and to offer such
suggestions as would cause the appli
cant, if possessed of any natural
qualifications for teaching, to i'm
prove; the second is, that such q
course would not have led teachers
and school officers to suppose that
certificate can legally or RICH fully
be granted to an applicant without
an examination, or even when the
applicant has been examined and fail
ed except in case Of a scarcity Of
teachers. Ii is thus that the true
course has been departed from; and
superintendents, teachers, school
officers, parents and the former sys-
tenn of superintendoncy, are all to
blame for the present state Of these
matters; but we have learned by
experience, and let MS profit by tie
knowledge thus obtained.
This practice of granting "local
certificates" should have been stopped
on the very day that it was found
that there were enough qualified
teachers to supply the schools OF the
county yet it was not stopped. but,
up TO the summer of 1870, it seemed
rather to be on the increase, and /
found that, at the unanimous request
of the school board, the practice of H.
censing those who had had little or no
examination, and those who had fail
ed in the public exaninations,-ha
become so common that it was look
ed upon as right, and found that
/ could not discontinue it at once
without much opposition but | told
teachers, school officers, parents and
all concerned that the practice is
UrORg, that it Injuries our schools and
all their interests, and keeps them
from improving and becoming what
they should be /; and that they must
expect me to stop it, tor so | shall
do. During my first year in this Of
flee, upon the unanimous request of
the school board in each case, grant
cd few certificates Of one term TO
persons whom | had not examined.
(yet they had been examined and had
passed" before my term of office
began), and upon such requests |
granted local certificates to many
who mad been examined by me and
failed. Last Spring, upon such re-
quests, | granted several limited GER
tlilcates Tor the summer, to persons
who failed IN examination but told
them ''ior the future, please do not
ask lit, for | cannot, shall not grant
certificates to- any who cannot pas
for third grade certificate, so long as
there are enough qualified teachers in
the county to teach the schools. We
can blame no one in particular for
this state of school affairs, nor can
we charge it 10 either the present
orthe past system ofsuperintendence,
but all In common are to blame the
old system and its administrators
for not leaving us teachers of higher
standing, the new or more particu.
larly it's administrators, for not in.
ducing and compelling the teachers
TO improve faster than they have
done, school boards and parents for
aiding those who are not qualiged to
teach in procuring license, teachers
for receiving anything less than q
third grade certificate, and for desir'
ing school boards and others to ask
the superintendent to grant them q
certificate, and for getting them &c
oppose the action OF the superintend.
ent in attempting to Withhold license
from the undesorving, &c., &c.
! feel that | am deserving of cen.
sure for every "loca certificate" OF
permit" that have granted and !
hope TO be no more unworthy in that
direction, except in cases IN which /
khoU the applicant to be at least a
third rate teacher, and able to take 8
third grade certificate But still
am receiving many OF the above
named requests" | connot grant
them because there are enough quail.
fed teachers in the county to fill all
the places and many 10 spare, and ]
have long ago given my word that ]
will not do 80 and | made that re-
solve and declaration tor good pur.
pose, that Of eleUating and improving
our public schools. At another time
| want to make few suggestions in
relation to 'small schools" and "large
schools