Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-02-18
State Educational Convention.

1
In pursuance of a call. a convention of the
teachers and other friends of education, of
the State, assembled in Grafton, Friday jan
uary 3lst. when, amoug other business, the
following resolutions were adopted:
Resolued, 1. That the local school lew
should be made by the Boards of Education
! of the townships districts respectively as
representatives of the authority of the PEG.
pie"
hesozced, 2. That the qualified voters of
each school sub-distriet should elect one Com
missioner of Education whose duty it shall be
to attend the local educational affairs of the
sub district; that the several Commissioners
OF the sub>districts should together constitute
District Cor Township Board OF Education.
whose duties it shall be to employ teachers,
determine salaries, lay and apportion the
| district levy. and to superintend aud control
the educational affairs generally.
Resolsea, 8. County Superntendentss should
be continued and elected by the voters of the
| county
Reso1ped, 4. That to improve the ouaii6ca>
tons and increase the efficiency of the Com
mon School teachers. Teachers Institutes
should be established and maintained-on in
| each Senatorial district-to be held under the
| instruction of competent professors for one
month in each year, for the sole purpose of
training the teachers in their art
Resoioed. 5. That it is important to estab-
lish intermediate or High Schools. at least
one in every county.
Resoiced, 6. No person should be employed
to teach in any of the free schools of the
State unless he holds a teachers certificate.
which should be only valid under the follow.
ing provisions-Teachers' certificates to be of
three grades viz:
lst. Professional certificates to he granted
by State Board of Examiners, composed of
three members. one of whom shall be the State
Superintendent of Schools. and the other two
professional teachers to be appointed nv the
Governor. Professional or State Certificates
should be valid in any part Of the State and
during the life of the teacher, unless sooner
revoked.
I'd. Institute Certificates tn he granted at
the clos" of each Senatorial District Institute
by the Board of Instruction Of each Institute
and only tn the nn,ils of the InStitute
Sd. County Certificates TO be granted upop
public examination BY the Board of Exami-
ners, composed Of the County Superintendent
and two experienced teachers to he appointed
by the County Court or Board of Commission
ers Such certificates to be valid only in the
county tor which they are issued and for the
remainder of the school year in which thew
are granted.
The Certificates of each grade should show
the degree of proficiency in each branch of
study prescribed by law.
R"soired, I. That our system of Public
Schools is distinct department of the State
administration, and as such is entitled to the
individual support of the school fund; and
that all efforts to divert that fund to the sup
port OF other than properly organized free
schools should be prevented by law.
Rcsoloea. 8. That it would he we'll to pro>
vide in careful manner for determining the
text books of our schools, aud that uone but
those prescribed by law to be used in our
schools, and that these be furnished at reasou~
able rates.
ResoIced. s. That we deem it advisable to
avoid radical or violent changes in our school
laws.
SETTLEMENT OF THE RAILROAD OUEs-
TON the difficulty that has lu,eIy sprung
up between a portion of the stockholders OF
the w. y y. Railroad and the nanas cment
OF the Company, was brought to u satisfactory
conclusion in Richmond last week.
The settlement, we understand vas ems
tlrely satisfactory to al! parties and it seems
to us must have sautary influence upon the
prospects of the road
Ii the work is completed to Winchester
within the next three years, no Question will
ever he raised as to the Stote's Interest: as il
would never have been mnoted had there been
even reasonable prospect of its energetic
prosecution IRON its present terminus And
II the agitation of the subject at this time.
mas tended to awakeh u deeper interest n the
work, and give to it renewed impetus in its
westward course, all must admit that it has
accomplished a great gnod.
1t is to be sincerely hoped, now that the
matter has been adjusted. satisfactorily to all
parties, that each will put his shoulder to the
wheel and labor with one accord in push
this great work onward until it accomplishes
It's grand mission on the banks of the Ohio.
L"e<h"ry Mirror.
ORGANIZATIoN OF THE COUNTY CoyRr.-
The Presiding Justice, Moses S. Grantham,
Esq, opened the County Court promptly at
II o'clock, on Monday. Present the follow.
ing Magistrates {: Charles Stuckey, G. U.
Thornburs, Joseph Hollis, Jacob Stuckey,
| John p. Heartfelt James w Tahler Ioba &