Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-09-04
Communicated,
Incompetent Teachers.

cry year in some localities TINT then
teachers are not qualified for the po-
sitions they hold. l am satisfied,
from careful observation of tie work
ing of our schools, that these CON-
plants are not without foundation.
TO rid the schools of incompetent
teachers and fill their places with
qualified, successful instructors, will
require q careful exercise of the du-
ties of the County Commissioner, to-
aether with the corporation of School,
Directors. There has been greet i'm
provement in our schools in the last
four years, but there are still many
defects that should be remedied. Di-
rectors do not pay sufficient attention
to the grade of the applicants certifi-
cate. There are two classes of GER
tificates, with a first and second grade
in each class. A second grade, Sec
ond class embraces: photography,
Reading, Penmanship, Mental Arith-
metic, Written Arithmetic, Descrip-
tive Geography, English Grammar,
U. S. History, Civil Government,
Theory and Practice. A first grade
ofthe second class embraces the above
branches with the addition of Physi-
cal Geography, Physiology and AL
zebra. A second grade of the first
class embraces all the above with the
addition of Mental Philosophy, Moral
Philosophy, Natural Philosophy,
Chemistry, Botany, Geometry, Plain
Trigonometry and Natural History .
A first grade of the first class en-
braces all the above with the addition
of English Literature, Geology and
Astronomy. Directors should notice
carefully the standing in each branch.
These certificates, as a rule, may be
taken as good evidence of the teach
ers' qualifications in the various
branches. 1 believe, however, that
some who are incompetent to teach
schools do obtain certificates. These
certificates are of the lowest class, or
perhaps have been renewed from some
old one, or from some other county.
The standard requisite for obtaining
a second grade, second class certifi-
cate is, in my opinion, too low.
Again, incompetent teachers shun
regular examinations, and resort to
various methods to obtain certificates
on easy terms. To avoid all these IT.
Irregularities, 1 will hold a regular ex-
animation on the first Saturday in
each month, and certificates will no
longer be issued at other times or on
any other conditions than written ex-
aminations. l have eve yet had any
difficulty in getting our best teachers
to attend regular examinations.
Good teachers seldom ask to have
certificates renewed. Earnest, ener-
getic teachers are willing to work to
improve themselves and make each
certificate q little better than the one
they held before, while the poorer
classes are satisfied il they can only
hold something called a certificate,
which will enable them to draw pub
lie money. A teacher should not ap-
ply for a school until he has a certifi-
to cover the time for which he
seeks employment. Directors cannot
contract with a teacher until
his certificate is filed with the clerk,
and the teacher cannot legally draw
pay for the time taught before this is
done; yet, directors employ teachers
and often suffer them to teach some
time before they enter into a written
contract or present themselves for
examination. To show the situation
in which directors place themselve~
by doing this, 1 quote frn~ the school
page AZ.
SECTION l. No county, city, town,
school township, school dis
trict, or other municipal corporation,
shall be bound or held liable upon
any contract, unless the same shall
be within the scope of its powers, and
expressly authorized by law, nor un-
less such liability shall be upon a
consideration wholly to be performed
Or executed subsequent to the max
of the contract, nor unless the
contract, including the consideration.
shall be in writing, and dated when
made and subscribed by the parties
thereto Or their agents authorized by
.aw or duly appointed and authorized
n writing.
SEC 2. Any member OF she coun-
" court, common council, or board
trustees, or officer or agent Of any
city, town, village, school
.owpship, school district or other mu-
corporation. who shall, in his
official capacity, wlllfuily or corrpsa5- >
'ote for, assent to, or report IA ,
#, OF allow or certify foR p" .avor
my claim or demand ..lowance,
'ounty, city, toWn against the
o"ns4lp, scao" 81, village, school
n~pnicipal j, district, or other
'aicer ornoration. of which he is
r. Vi agent, or of the county
.art, common council o board oil
trustees of which he is a member.
such claim or demand or part thereof
being for or on account of a contrac,
not authorized or made as provided
in the first section of this act, shall
be punished on conviction by indict
ment, by imprisonment in the peni
Tertiary for not less than two no
more than five years, or by a fine o
not less than IN hundred nor more
than five thousand dollars, or by i'm
prisonment in the county Jail for no
less than two nor more than twelv'
months, or by both such fine and i'm
prisonment.
/ advise directors TO carefully stud.
the law and act strictly in accordanc
with the same. We have a sufiicien
number of good teachers in the coun
ty to supply all the schools. Th
number OF valid certificates in til
county, at the present time, exceed
the number of schools by about forty
five. 1 will assist directors all in III
power in any of their work and Civ
them all the information possible i
regard to any of their duties, whel
ever I am requested to do so.
GEORGE D. BOWMAN,
County Commissions
GA thing of beauty is a jawy TO
eyer.o said TOmkiDS to his landson