The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-03
MUNICIPAL MATTERS,
STATUS or THE SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Few Facts Concerning the Competitive
Exas1iuafi0


We have said ON the suthority Of superiutend-
ent Rogers that in all probability the lab1rious
task Of aseettaiplng The result Of The oompeti I've
examination OF The applicants for tesoherships in
our public schools would possibly be completed
by Saturday next.
There are besides The superintendent eight
or ten persons engaged in The work, a fact which
now makes The possibility probability. Mean
while the hearts Of many an applicant will beat
with anxiety at The consequences Of tho exsuna-
tion which, We fear, in TOO many on es, may de-
prive entire b useholds Of their daily sustensnee.
But let us hope for the better.
The system for aseertaining who we're the sue
cessful candidates. although simple one, is not
generally understood By the applicants. As we
understand IL, the minimum number Of points
10 be obtained by any applicant, in whstever
grade or branch Of teaching, is seventy.
Each slip Of paper, on which we're printed The
questions propounded. In computed AZ containing
about twenty i've questions, each question being
valued at four points, making one hundred
points In ell, aud requiring, on that basis, for 9
successful examination, The correct answering OF
at least TX questions out Of the 25. Now, we
warn our our young lady friends not TO place loo
much confidence in these figures, for they are
only approximate. and would not serve as q cr-
tsrion in 'olose" cases.
We may convey some encouragement TO them
by saying that in Gases where answers TO gues
tions are not given fully nevertheless they will
be credited with go much of them as are an
swered correctly. Fer example, let take q
proposition in mathemetios. The answer may
not be correct owing TO error In calculation,
and yet the problem has been carried out In n
manner TO satisfy the examiner of the knowledge
and intelligence Of the applicant, and hence 80
much will ps placed to the credit of the person
examined.
In the same manner will comparisons be es-
tablished among tbs different applicants regsrd-
ing answers in history or geography, for exa m
pie. The more complete will be the answers The
more orefit will be given to ths applicant As
singular rs ii may appear
THE QUESTION IN GEOGRAPHY
which has caused more general pu1zling among
The applicants for The grammar grades principals
and first assis'snts) hat which required The
location of the "Huosick" mountains, known also
as the Green mountains, in Western Maseaohn-
setts. And yet there not one Of the appli-
esnts who had not heard Of the Hpesae Tunnel,
and of the Housstcbie river, which finds it's
in that range Of mountains.
References to maps and aliases, after the eS-
animation, even failed. in many cases, to locate
these mountains, whilst certain other maps aud
aliases plainly indicated them.
Trepidstion must have had g great deal 10 do
with the failure 10 answer certain questions. A
case In point: One OF our most competent lady
teachers actually located the Baksn Mountains.
Preferred TO daily in the war dispAtohes) in Aus
trial
MISTAKE,
| 1t il claimed, has been o ,mmitted somewhere in
cobnsetion with the examination which should
be iemsdisd before ths tabeau Of tbs successful
candidates is made out. We leave it,, Of course.
| to the board TO decide ms to The remedy. We
refer to the faot that some VERY few of the ap-
plioants for teaoberships were permitted 10 enter
| their names for several grades, and actually IN
| dsrwent two OR three examinations, with tbs
| reasonable hope that II they failed in one grade
| they might succeed in another The practice ia
| condemned as unfair. because il it was intended
that ell applicants should have the privilege of
| entering their names for examination in as many
| grades az they those it should have been so
| stated; whereas it was universally understood
| that they could enter for one grade only.