Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-08-11
THE COMMON SCHOOLS.
County Examiner CiIley Discusses Va
rious Features of the Law.

County Examiner CiIley Discusses Va
riOus Features of the Law.
To the Editor of the Free Press:
Having read the recent communication OF
your Charlotte correspondent, | also wish
to submit to the public some suggestions in
regard to our common schools.
Your correspondent says ''Since the pas
sage of Act No 8, in 1888, we have had
more trouble in finding teachers than ever
before" 1t is true that the execution OF
that law closed the school house door against
some wholly unfit to enter it as teachers
but not single school in Chittenden county
was necessarily deprived Of teacher by the
operation Of the law. There were teachers
enough to supply the schools of the county,
and were obtained without special difficulty
by all who earnestly sought them. Again,
eve have had no better schools Posi-
bly, that is true. ! do not profess positive
knowledge or all the schools of Charlotte
either before or since the passage of the act
referred to, but | do Know that within the
last three years there have been some excel
lent teachers employed in those schools, and
from personal examination | know the
schools were excellent Even "a person
who lives in an extreme corner of the coun-
ty" may know so much of the schools of
Charlotte, at least, Again, "Above all the
management of our own affairs has to too
great an extent been taken from u.s.
This taking of management of affairs from
the hands of the people is charged upon the
supervisor Under the law of lSSS. | most
earnestly protest against any such charge;
there is no foundation for it, either in law
fact. The supervisor had no power or
desire to NEEDLE with the rights Of Char
lotte or of any other town in regard TO
schools or any other interests, But the
change from supervisor to examiner, and
the restoration OF the town superin tendent
Is not entirely satisfactory to your CORES
pondent since "lhe result is that the SUI
perintendent can visit schools and can grant
three permits year, but beyond this towns
are helpless as to the management Of their
own school affairs That is a mistake.
The superintendent can grant three permits
zach term of school. or three times as many
permits as there are terms of school, one,
two or three, in town during the year.
But the "Helplossness of the towns as to
the management of their own school affairs
must be charged upon the examiner, Of
course. And yet he has no more to do with
the enlargement OF SCHOOL affairs in a
town than has any other man in the coun-
ty. Oh, yes he has, because circum-
stances may be such that individuals can
not attend the public examinations OF the
examiners, and private examinations have
been refused, etc.
The law provides for public examinations
in the spriag and fall Of each year. and pri-
vate examinations nave never been refused
those necessarily absent from public eX-
animation.
There is therefore no reason why any
person in this county should seek EN-
ployment as teacher without a certificate,
If able to pass successfully the examina-
ton required by law.
But Notwithstanding the imperfecton Of
the law, and the encroachment Of super
visor" and "Examinern upon the rights
Of the people in regard to the management
OF their schools, there is yet hope for us,
since the assurance is given that every town
in Chittendon county is capable of manag
ing its own aiiairs-and there is no doubt
of that-and that Clown superintendency,
pure and simple will give us good schools. "
Such, of course, as we had before the pas
sage Of Act No. ., in 1883.
Now, Mr.. Editor wish to say one word
of the school law of 1885, and it is simply
this In my judgment that was the best
school law Vermont ever had, and | base
upon the teachers and schools Of the State.
| have been acquainted with those schools
to some extent for more than 40 years and
never before had | seen SO much enthusiasm
in teachers, so much devotion to their work,
so earnest labor for self Improvement and
for thorough qualification to teach as dur
ing the short life of tho law OF 1883, and
never before was there SO much ground of
hope for the elevation and excellence of the
schools OF Vermont confess that when
heard 30 much fault found with the law In
those days by those who knew little OF the
law and nothing of is good results. felt
like saying to them, as now feel like say
Ing to the same class, as Job did to his
friends on certain occasion, "No doubt
but ye are the people, aud wisdom shall die
with you.n
j. S. CILLEY,
County Examiner.
Jericho, Aug. 3, 1892.