Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1889-05-14
Teachers Certificates vs. SaIa-
rIeSa


Wherever our public schools Is the topic Of
conversation aud the salaries of the teachers
are named, the friends Of popnlar education
are told that you have many teachersnoW that
do not earn one-haif the pay they receive, and
ali because they arc not properly graded -
They admit, at tie same time; that there are
many teachers who do not receive one-half Of
what their services are worth, even as ordi-
narily estimated. Inexplanation Of what they.
mean by mot properly graded, we are told
thatthere are toomany number enc certificates.
Its thehope of unrayellng this complaintthat
prompts this Communication. The charge is
indefinite and no specifications are made SO as
to x the responsibility, but It's effect is serious
ly felt by the most successful teachers in the
county, apdis driving many of them out of
the school work, SO that the Board of Educa-
ton and Trustees arc compelled to adopt some
means to retain the good teachcrs. Theschool
law viii not permit the Board OF Edueaton,lH
fixing salaries to make a distinction among
teachers holding the same grade of certificate
and, hence, some Boards tx the minimum sail
AIRY for number ono certificate, claiming that
teachers known to be inferior by actual trial,
still obtain number one certificates, and are
thus classcdi With the best ones.
IS THERE A RExEDY7
Let us sec, first, what the school Law says
about examinations and certificates.
Sec. IS No teacher shall be employed to
teach any public school until he shall have
presented to rhe trustees having charge of the
school for which he applies, a certificate of his
qualification to teach said school" So
% Tho Board of Examiners shall examine
each applicant at to his competency to teach or
biography, reading, penmanship, arithmetic,
history, English grammar and physiology
|
Sec. 90. :. They shall grade the certificates
granted, according to the following scheme,
numbering them from one to three, accord ing
to the merit of the applicant. >
To otttiri q number ono certificate, the APP
pficant luist make general average ON all the
branches Of, ut least, eighty-seven per ccntum
and mast not fail below scventy-fye per cen
tu'n upon any one branchi to obtain number
two certificate the applicant must make gcn-
cral average of seventy-seyen per centum and
must not fall below sixty per centum on any one
branch; to obtain number three certificate.
the applicant must make general average of
sixty-scyen per centum and must not fall be-
low fifty per eentum on any one branch
These. are all the requirements of the law in
reference to fitness with the addition of a good
moral character and sobriety. To ascertain
the competency of tho applicants, in accord
ance with the law, the County Board of Ex-
amiuers hold annual examinations, at which
they submit to the applicants series of ques-
lions on tho several branches to be taught
generally ten question on each branch, attach
ing numerical value to each one If correct
answers are given sufficient to mako an aggre-
gate of 81 out of 100, the applicant is entitled
to number one certificate if sufficient ques-
tons are correctly answered to make an ag-
gregate of "a ont of 100, tho applicant is enti-
tied to a number two certificate, and so on. 1t
will'be noted that the same questions are given
to each applicant and the determination of the
grade depends upon the number and numer-
ical value of the questions the applicant an
s@ers more than upon 2to,0 he answers them.-
This Board having granted certificates upon
the results OF this examination, its duties end.
Sec. says. Tho Board of Education. in
determining the salaries to be paid the tcach-
crs of its district, shall have regard to the
grade of certificate, fixing to each grade the
salary that shall be paid to teachers holding
said grade, in the several sub-districts"
1t will be seen that this Board has not the
authority to fix the pay of the teacher of one
snb-district diTcrent from ono in another sub
district, though his ability aud attendance of
pupils might justify it.
JosEPu MoMuRB4N.