The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-18
BENNINGTON COUNTY.
Town superintendent.' Meeting.

The board of town superintendent of
Bennington county met on the 10th inst.
in Arlington. and, according to the provis-
ions of the new law, organized by appoint
ing j. Hoxie Hall, esq, president and D.
X. Simonds of the Manchester Journal,
secretary. Though, because of the bad
ness of the travel, the representation was
smaller than usual, yet the clerical, legal,
medical, editorial and agricultural profess
sions were represented in this none the less
dignifed and responsible office. Indeed,
they seem to blend well and easily together.
1t having been determined that written ex-
animation should be required, of all candi-
dates for teaching IN this county, on or
biography, grammar. ari,hmeticland geo.
graphy, the board was divided into four
committees who should prepare and report
lists Of questions, twenty on each subject
for the spring and the fall examinations.
After an interim of about two hours, the
several committees were prepared to re
port. Taking the papers seridtim they
were first read over for the sake of getting
general idea of their suitabeness and OF
their logical OF natural relation to each
other. On the second reading the form,
wording and sutabeness Of each question
received careful scrutiny, and was approx.
ed with or without amendments. This en-
tire list Of eighty written questions being
thus carefully piopounded, examined ant
approved, was ordered to be printed fol
distribution 10 the several superintendent
in the county, so as to reach them at leas
one week in advance Of the time of Tho
public examinations.
Feeling that there should he an advance
made in the standard Of qualifications fo
teaching in the county, the convention re
solved to require IN average of 20 per cen
on all the studies, and that no person fall
ing below 60 on any one topic in the wit
ten examination should receive certfi
cate, and, further, that the candidates shall
pass an oral examination satisfactory t
the superintendent. To one of the boart
this seemed too high standard for thu
town presided over ly him, but after
few words of explanation as TO the posi-
blity Of an adjustment of the matter, some
what discretionary with the examiner, III
yielded. But, really. the true principle
and that which should be approved b,
state authority is, to have different grade
of certificates, varying somewhat accordini
to the degree of qualification demanded
for any school-a higher grade of certifi
cate for larger and more advanced school
and lower grade for a lower order o
school. to at least two or three grades o
qualification. AS it is. we have to stretch
by some process, all teachers to only sucl
a slightly varying standard as is indicated
by the above named percentage.
The public examinations were fixed il
the spring for Saturday the nth day O
| April, and in the fall for Saturday the 23
| of October.
A change in the SUPPLEMENTARY of Ben
nington being necessitated by the removal o
| the present incumbent, Rev. Isaac Jennings
| of Bennington Centre, was Tuesday. elect
| ed for the ensuing year. Because of hi
| SPECIAL suitableness for the pleasant and re
| sponsible duties of this office, it is earnest
ly hoped that be will accept.
Contrary to the assurances Of the corrC
spondent of the GLOBE, the old board @
selectmen was, after hard pull on til
head man, triumphantly elected.
As our train, homeward bound, reache