Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-28
Graduates of the Normal School.

To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
The text of the opinion rendered by the as
sistant district attorney in reference to the in
tent of the law of the legislative assembly of
the District Of Columbia giving the prefer
ence to the graduates of the Washington
normal school is deserving Of some public
notice. The law in question was introduced in
the council by me while member of that BODY
and the purposes of the act were then fully
explained. The Washington normal school
was established to give to the advanced grammar
pupils 1--WE had not then high school In name,
but the advanced grammar pupils pursued high
school studies) professional training for serv-
ice in the primary schools Of this District
Three classes Of certificates were then and are
now issued to successful candidates for teacher
ships-the first enables them to teach the first
three grades; the second. the first five grades,
and the third, the first seven grades. Teacher
ships in the eighth grade and high schools were
and are now given a specia Examination, and
1t has been the unwritten law of the board that
graduates Of colleges should he selected when
possible and the opportunity presents itself)
tor the eighth grade and high schools. The frst
seven grades were held to be filled
by normal pupils as they qualified,
as follows To pass the examination for
admission to the normal school was equivalent
to irst-class teachers certificate. Gradua-
ton was equivalent to a second-class certif-
cate, and after teaching one year and demon
strating ability to govern and instruct
school," upon the recommendation of the su-
perintendents the board granted q normal
diploma. which was equivalent to third-class
teachers certificate, and which was also re-
garded as ample qualifications to teach in the
first seven grades. The pupils having gone
through all the grades Of our schools and be-
come familiar with the system and discipline
and having been professionally fitted to teach
in our schools were required to promise at
least two years service as teachers in the pub
lie schools of the District of Columbia il their
services were needed. The graduates Of our
normal schools are specially prepared to teach
in the schools Of this district the same as the
cadets OF West Point and the naval academy to
enter our army and navy as officers. All
things are not equal, therefore, when others
not professionally fitted in our normal schools
are appointed to the places that rightly
belong to them. There was and is another
equally important reason for giving the prefer
ence to our own normal graduates, viz: Pupils
who were bright at studies and showed great
aptitude to teach were encouraged to remain
in the schools and their parents had reasonable
and just expectations OF their employment as
teachers should they thus qualify themselves.
The normal schools have served as healthy
stimulus to pupils OF the high schools. The action
of the board, SO far the colored normal
graduates are concerned, is unjust to them and
injurious to the schools discounting their own
professional schools and allowing individual
preference to supplant what a fair interpreter
ton Of the law shows ia a violation Of the law
! and the spirit and intent of the rules of the
| board made and adopted to carry out the law
| and does q wrong TO many parents who have
contributed to the support of the schools and
made great sacrifices to keep their children in
the schools. The purpose and intent Of the
law are to secure to our own normal graduates
teacherships in the first seven grades Of the
public schools.
Ex-MKMBKR OF THE COUNCIL, DC.