The weekly tribune., 1894-10-12
TAKES A NEGATIVE POSITION
County Superintendent Stephenson
Refuses to Grant Those Special
Examinations.
He Implies That the Positions of the
Misses Gallagher and Others
Are Vacant.

The statutes Of Montana require all
teachers in the public schools to hold
certificates Of good moral character ant
competency, and provide that il dis
trict engages teacher that does moi
hold such certificate the apportionment
Of funds for that district shall be with
held. In order to determine who are
entitled to certificates examinations are
held by the county superintendent al
stated times.
Aug. last an examination was held in
the Whittier building. Supt. George
Stephenson was too i'll to attend and bis
brother, Sam Stephenson, now superin.
tendent, presided, announced the ques
tions, and collected the written replies,
which, he says. his brother graded.
At meeting of the school board on
September ID Misses May and Margaret
Gallagher, teachers in the city schools,
appeared for themselves and others who
did not secure certificate, and stated
that Sam Stephenson had told them that
they might solve their problems il arith-
metic at home, the hour being late; that
they did 80, and he refused to receive
the solutions; that he aleo told one of
the ladies that he would not count one
misspelled word against her, thus en-
ablil g her to pass IN that branch, but
that he did count said word.
Mr.. Stephenson said afterwards, in
conversation with a TRIBUNE reporter,
that he made no such promises, and that
the county superintendent graded the
papers.
October the school trustees adopted
a resolution calling upon Sam Stephen
son, now superintendent, vice George
Stephenson, resigned, to grant special
examinations to those who failed in
August. Yesterday Mr.. Stephenson filed
the following reply:
To the school board of District No. l,
Cascade county, Gentlemen: l have re-
ceived copy of the resolution passed at
your regular meeting Of October 6, re-
questing me to hold an examination to
ready to hold special examinations for
any person whom you may elect to fill
vacancy who has not certificate and
who has not had an opportunity to take
regular examination. But l respect
fully decline tg hold any special examin-
alton or to issue any certificate to those
teachers who failed to obtain certificates
from the county superintendent at the
latest regular examination on Friday,
August 81, 1894.
As to the legality or fairness of that
examination there can be no question |;
but il any should arise, the proper pro.
cedure would be for those teachers to
take an appeal to the state superintend-
ent Of public instruction. Not long
since that official sent q communication
to the county superintendent instructing
him to hold ibut four regular examin-
ations each year; to grant no certificates
to applicants falling below 60 per cent in
any one branch; and not to permit any
applicant who failed to pass Q regular
examination to be again examined until
the next regular examination, and to
hold special examinations only for the
purpose of filling vacancies that occur
between regular examinations. look
upon these rules as perfectly just and
we'll founded, and II they are carried out
they will have much to do with remedy
ing the abuses heretofore existing. And
while we have a state superintendent
who Is putting forth his efforts for the
upbuilding Of the interests of education
in this state, and who is chosen by the
people and placed in authority over the
different county superintendent Of this
state, / deem it my duty to pay him due