The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-06-13
For the Standard.
The Present Mode of Examinations in
Jackson County.

4AC 1GSSuG ulOuG VI GAdulndb1UuS LII
Jackson County.
With all due respect to the present
Board of Examiners as men of honor,
personally, men whom | acknowledge as
my superiors in many things, I must
confess from decided conviction of the
truth, that more judicious management
in the examination of teachers, would
most surely and certainly conduce to the
welfare of our Common Schools. In the
first place, we are not allowed as q pro-
fession, to take care of our own interests.
Men that belong to other callings, whose
labors and interests are mainly centered
in other professions, who if they at one
time felt desire to practically aid in the
great work of the teacher, have as a mat
ter of choice no doubt, listed their time
and efforts in other directions, have been,
and are called upon to test the ability of
one of the most responsible of human be-
ings. l mean to say, that men of other
professions and business, whose time and
attention belong undoubtedly to another
sphere, and to subjects other than teach
ing, are the individuals to whom the
school teacher must pay tribute to secure
a license, that he may engage in the bu
siness of his oaOn profession. Is this right
Could we not as teachers prominent in
our profession, with the same propriety
and reason, constitute ourselves mem bers
of an Examining Committee to admit
lawyers to the bar, say to man that he
is prepared to practice medicine or that
he is fully competent to enter any other
profession of which we might be the rul-
ing spirits? Why not All that would
be required to make the test, would be
simply to select some standard work re-
lating to the subject investigated, and
confne our questions and answers to the
same. OF course we could know very
little with reference to the general char
acter of our applicant; with regard to his
honor as man or his interest in the
profession, but these things need not
trouble US, if we take for example our
present method of County Examinations.
l know of no other profession, that
does not govern and control its own af
fairs. Men are selected of wide intelli-
gence to direct and control its interests
and the piercing eye of scrutiny is upon
every movement that would hinder sue
cess. Now then, let me say right here
that upon the labors of the common
school teacher of this country, may be
predicated, in a great measure, the desti-
ny of our America. Why not? Do they
not lay the foundation upon which al
most every other noble virtue and char
acteristic is to be built ? How necessary
then, that these individuals be .nen and
women of honor, of virtue and of high
moral and intellectual standing. But
how are the Examiners to know who are
men and women of character and general
preparation, unless they will step out and
mingle themselves as common laborers
in the great work of training the youth 7
The most necessary thing in my opin-
ion for the Examiners to know, is to
know personally, the man or the woman
who would secure a certificate to teach
school. Know first that they possess a
sound reputation; that they are men and
women of acceptability as teachers that
| their examples and actions are OF such
character, that the imitation of them
| by the children, shall conduce to their
general good that their influence be of
that genial kind, the effect of which,
shall be to plant sunshine in the hearts
of the children, and to make them feel.
that in the person of their teacher they
have true friend; know that they are
popularity accepted as teachers of true
merit of enthusiasm, of zealousness in
the work, and that they are successful in
| imparting instruction. For the Board OF
Examiners to know these things, is to
know vastly more of the man or woman S
ability to teach school, than can be prov
en- by submission of all the questions in
every text book in the land. do not
mean to say, that we shall discard our
Examinations, but l do mean to intimate
that they are comparatively OF minor i'm.
portance, when contrasted with a general
knowledge of the teachers reputation
We have men in the profession teaching
who have attained high eminence in
| IL. t,ol
qualified to know the competency of
| those who would also engage in the work.
These are the men we want to take charge
of our profession. These are the men we
want for our Examiners. Not, however,
| because they are men of better personal
character many times but simply because
they know more of their own business,
have far better knowledge of the sue
cess and character of their fellow labor
ers, and lastly for the reason, that they
have perfect right to demand that their
leaders be men of their own calling, and
l feel impelled to say, an equal right not
to submit to an investigation by men
whose interests and efforts belong almost
wholly to another business. have seen
practical illustrations of the Inconsistency
of our present mode of Examinations
Men have been granted certificates, that
have alleged to their good moral charac-
ter, when in reality, they were known by
their fellows, as common drunkards. engag-
ing only in the profession for the pecu-
MARY advantages it would as conse-
quence afford them, to the detriment it
may be too, and final ruin of those
brought under their jurisdiction. Yet
the Examiners have no means of KNOWN G
these things, confined as they are to the
narrow limits of Jackson, consequently
l shall not say that they have committed
a willful error, but situated and circum-
stanced as they are can never be compe-
tent judges of the teachers ability. l am
an advocate of an elevated standard. l
want men to be intellectually prepared
for the work. But am not ia favor of a
! submission of difficult technicalities CLEAN