The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-23
ONE CENT.
TEACHERS CERTIFICATES.
Interesting Paper Read Before the County
school Directors

TEACHERS CERTIFICATES.
Interesting Paper Read Before the County
school Directors
The following interesting paper on the
question Of should the System Of Marking
and Granting Certificates by County Super
intendents be Changed 2" was read before
| the meeting Of the school directors of Schuyl
kill county, held at Pottsvlle on Wednesday
last, by School Director A. J. Gallagher, Of
town:
! The work of holding examinations and
granting certificates to teachers is a very
important part of the administration Of our
common school system, and the manner Of
doing the work has great deal to do with
, the success or failure OF many schools. Henos
any system OF method Of holding examina-
tions and granting certificates to teachers
should be made and calculated TO do the most
possible good for the schools, by meeting the
wants Of the teachers profession and the
demands of the present advanced condition
of education.
The present system of granting certificates
does not meet these requirements 1t WAS
inaugurated with the common school systen
in 1854, and was calculated to meet condi-
tions and circumstances which have long
since disappeared with the gratifying growth
of our people in intelligence. 1t is not in ae
cordance with good management OF good
common sense to allow ourselves to be gov
erned in this important matter by legal
provision thirty-iour years old, made to
govern an infant school system which has
now grown to sturdy manhood
The great defect of the system is that it
gives to one man full power and discretion to
make a standard of qualification for teachers
and to issue certificates according to his own
judgment with scarcely any legal limitations
and without any recognition of the rights OF
applicants. Under the system there is the
gravest danger to the welfare Of the schools
and an actual temptation to County Super
intendents TO use their authority in this re-
I spect for ther own personal ends.
Should man become County Superinten-
. dent who is a little INSCRIPTIONS, who ia .
politician and who places his personal in
terests OF his desire for success in getting re-
o elected above the welfare of the schools,
, any one can see at glance how, under the
+ present system, he can lower the standard Of
o. the teachers profession by granting certif-
Gates to unworthy applicants and so inhict
incalculable injury upon the schools
q The welfare of our schools is dependent
q mostly upon the teachers and the welfare of
q education throughout the state depends
o chiefly upon the teachers profession. No
h one is allowed to teach in the public schools
of our state without having passed an ex-
n minaton and having been granted .
q certificate. So we find that the granting Of
n certificates gives us our teachers. Now no
a one will dispute that our schools are entitled
O. to the best talent and material for teaching
that can be secured and since it must be
s secured through system of examining and
= licensing, there is no doubt whatever but
n that such system should be as perfect as
T. possible and best calculated to secure the best
talent and merit for the teachers profession,
. because in no other way can the welfare Of
our schools be subserved and in no other way
q can we meet the demands Of educational
Y progress.
1t seems TO me that there is not much diff
2 fculty in the way Of constructing system or
e method Of licensing teachers which win be
up to the requirements Of the times. Such s.
f system should not be in the hands of one
d man 1t shond be made so as to make the
e. standard of qualification as high as possible
y It should be absolutely fair aud just to ali
i and should contain provisions for satisfying
any one who may suspect unfair treatment
a and the redress Of any injustice which may
+ have been doae
/ have not investigated the matter very far,
1 but I lind that there Is an excellent, fair and
successful system in vogue in the City of n ew
q York, and the method of the United States
, Civil Service examinations is a model of fair.
ljust and honest examinations, at least in its
Z construction; and ! believe in its execution
also Using the Civil Service method as "a
p model, l hink an intelligent committee
could easily form an admirable system for
% our county or our state TO supplant the pres
a ent one and to my mind such work is one
" of the most necessary aud would be one Of
"a the greatest reforms which it is practicable to
a make at present
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