The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-27
WHOSHALLE EXAMINE?
A Mysterious Circular Sent to
Legislators.
IN THE NAME or CITY TEACHERS,
Opposition 20 Examlnationa by Boards
Of Kdscation shown in an Anony-
NOUS Form-The CirculsF.

A copy Of mysterious circular addressed
TO the legislature of the state of WASH
ington, !" and signed "committee of Seattle
and Tacoma teachers, /" urging the defeat
Of the pending bill providing for the exam
ination of city teachers by city boards of
education, is being circulated among
the members Of the two houses Of the leg
islature. Inquiries As to who are the Seat
tie teachers included in this committee
have been received from members of the
legislature. but no one able toimpart the in
formation has yet appeared. The circular
reads as follows:
Your attention IL hereby called to . bill now
pending before your honorable body relating to
the amendment TO section q. Of the city school
law. II the bill passes il will leave the city law
with the following undesirable conditions:
!. No examinations are required for city
z ii the board of examiners is organized, NO
standard Of excellence 10 set for teachers pro-
fciency.
8 The hoard Of examiners, If formed, 10 con-
tfoiled by two members of the board Of educa-
ton, who also appoint the teachers It is .
source of constant contention and insinuation
when patronage Is disbursed by the same power
1 II no exsminers are appointed, the city
superintendent will control the patronage Of
positions involving from $4,000 to 100000 an
nualiy This Z = power superior to our state
by the INSCRIPTIONS, who sometimes secure Z
holding in the teachers profession.
S. No studies are prescribed for q standard OF
scholarship~ An examination, according to the
proposed change, May consist of mere speci-
men OF penmanship or the spelling OF ten
. s. The GRADES Of certificates a. now estab-
hshed must entitle high school and grammar
school teacher to be qualified to teach . primary
department. This 10 professional and Il
proficient school system. A primary school be-
teacher 10 In reality specialist, rendered so by
long term Of experience and study of intricate
mo- o.
From these and other reasons the teachers Of
our city schools desire TO call your attention to
the fact that in any case involving the disburse.
ment OF $780, 900 annually, more or less, great
care must be exercised In legislation so as to
prevent Dishonest men from using their power
% selfish promotion, and to prevent honest men
from being subjected to the suspicious aud &C
cusaticns their positions will inevitably call
We thersiors urge upon you to prevent the
Is of the city school law; or II the bill is passed.
to enact more proficient law relating to city
examinations. 20 as TO avoid the above-named
criticisms.
1.-THE opposition to the pending bill is
due mainly to conflict between the city
and county superintendent in Pierce
county" said Superintendent Frank D.
Barnard, Of the city schools, yesterday.
1--WE have had no such difficulty here. /
know Of no Seattle teachers who have had
anything to do with the circular.
The pending bill simply repeats section
q of the law Of the last session. The ex-
animation Of teachers by city board is a
law now. Section q, however, provides
that no certificates shall be issued to ap-
plicants not holding certificates from the
county superintendent. The elimination
Of this provision is all that is contem-
many incorrect statements in this circular.
The first objection, that no examination OF
city teachers would be required If the
pending bill passed, is emphaticalIy not
true. The Law not only says that they
sminations shall be public. The e next
statement, that no standard Of excellence
is set for teachers proficiency, is
equally incorrect. The law says that
the examining board shall adopt