The herald., 1896-03-28
THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
A CLOSELY SCIENTIFIC AND ANATOMAT-
IcAL LECTURE BY DR.. JENKINS.
4 MInerity Report on Uniformity In Gram
mar School Courses and certlficatlon Of
Teachers tho Cause Of 1uch Discussion.
Local Reconstr uct ion-Finish Today

the assembly room of the normol school at
% q. m. yesterday. After two musical Sc
pupils under the direction of Mrs. j.
Powell Rice, the report of the committee
on needed school legislation was given as
follows: We find that the time prescribed
by law for change of boundary and forma
tion of new school districts does not work
harmoniously with the time prescribed for
the assessing of property by the county
assessor.
We therefore recommend that the time
for change of district boundaries and the
formation of new districts extend from the
drst day of November to the first Monday
In March of each year.
!. The report was adopted and referred
back to the same committee for emenda-
tion.
DR.. Thomas j. Bailey of Berkeley de-
stated that the child pecuiarties had re-
ceived but little study except in recent
years and in this country, and that such
study was necessary to real system Of
pedagogy.
The San Diego teachers held a short ses-
sion in one of the class rooms of the nor
NAL school.
! After short intermssion Dr. o. p. Jen-
kins of Stanford delivered a closely scien-
tific and anatomical lecture OIL the Animal
Motor. He said in part: All motor SUBJ
istance is contractile. There are no less
than three kinds of motor substance in the
human body. The muscles of the arm,
the heart and the eye are very different in
Iconstruction. The outside or skeleton
muscle contracts only under strong stimu-
lus, and it contracts quantitatively, per-
uniting all the most delicate mechanical
Operations, such as singing, playing musi-
cal instruments, making delicate machin-
9ry, etc.
4 In the embryo the little cells that are not
yet heart contract rythmically, and con-
N ~ do nYnd trbt rnfi
death of the animal. Such substances ex-
fist only in animals. The physologist ex-
periments with frogs and invertebrates be.
cause he cannot examine living muscle in
Vertebrate The muscles OF some inverte-
lbrates can be taken from the living body
and kept beating for several days by
proper stimulus. The physiologst has
lalready discovered many important facts
concerning the differences between plants
and animals.
The following were appointed as the
Committee on resolutions: Supt. Mogeau
.of San Bernardino, Prof. E. T.. Pierce of
Los Angeles, Prof. Evans of Riverside,
lProf. Riddell of San Diego, W. A. Sheldon
of Santa Paula, Minnie Cummings of
Santa Ana.
At the afternoon session the committee
ION uniformity in grammar school courses
and certification of teachers made its re-
port. 1t was very voluminous aud was
read by Prof. W. f. Bliss of Cotton. Prof.
report.
The chief points of difference in the re-
ports were concerning the certihcation OF
teachers. The majority report was in IA
vor OF disseminating the present method of
granting certificates upon examination.
and requiring all teachers to complete the
course of some normal school or uuiver-
sity. The majority report was also op.
posed to granting primary certificates.
Prof. Keller moved the adoption of the
r,,sp n,,ko IL
the motion, and an extended debate was at
once precipitated. Prof. Kirk of San Ber-
nardino, Miss Fanny Lewis of Redlands
end Miss Dole of Pasadena spoke at
length upon the minority report. As
compromise both reports were accepted
and ordered printed in the year book of
She association.
Major c. T. Meredith presented the fol-
towing minority report, which caused SO
much discussion:
As a member of the committee which has
just presented its report, wish to avail
myself of the privilege always accorded to
the minority and express my dissent from
the recommendations made in the report
in reference to the certihcation of teachers.
First-Respecting high school certificates
1would recommend that such certificates
be grouped into three classes, as follows:
(a.) Latin, Greek and English. d.
Latin, English and mathematics. (c.)
The sciences collectively. (d.) Mathe-
iAutlCo dlle1 ally tWO 6ClolCobs
Special certificates to be issued to those
who pass satisfactory examinations in any
of the above classes.
Examinations upon all to be required for
full high school certificate, and all high
schools containing but one teacher to re-
quire a teacher holding full high school
certificate.
Primary certificates should be renewed
in all cases where the holder is competent
and successful.
D.:.- IL
heretofore.
Applicants for grammar grade certif-
Gates should present satisfactory evidence
of having education equal to that given by
legal high school course in this state.
We think the old custom of semi-annual
examinations is good enough and should
be retained.
The holding of but one examination a
year would lengthen the term of the tenn
porary certificate to one year, which
would permit teachers to teach in one
county year or until the temporary certi-
ficate expires. after which the teacher
could teach in another county in the same
manner. This might cause too much NOV
ing around from place to place.
Fifteen years experience on the county
board Of education has shown me that
much of the best teaching ability is found
in persons who are not graduates from
normal schools.
As a consequence must dissent totally
from the opinion embodied in the report
just read. The examinations of persons
for teachers certificates should be abol
ished. Every position in the United States
ought to be open to competition by any
person who has the ability to reach it. We
think, therefore, that the public schools
should be open to all persons, whether
normal graduates or not. Respectfully
submitted.
asThe following committee was appointed
to select the place for the next meeting,
also officers for the ensuing year:
It. Meredith of Azusa, P. w. Kauff-
man of Ventura, L. B. Avery of Redlands,
H. j. Baldwin of San Diego, C. y. Roop of
Santa Barbara, j. W. Keran Of Orange,
Edgar Boorghan of Riverside, G. H. Chill
cote of Los Angeles.
At the evening session Mrs. Annie B.
Sloan of San Diego sang waltz sorg in a
beautiful soprano voice that completely
won the assembly.
Professor Edward A. Grfggs of Stanford
delivered very able and thoughtful adj
dress on Social Reconstruction.
He said in part: We may lift the lower
levels, but we cannot do away with varia-
tions and differences among men. All
types of morality are to be found in our
great cities. 1t Is not difficult to find some
who are ages behind the race in general.
All schemes and plans for the sudden
regeneration of mankind are doomed to
fail. The greatest Of all the plans now be-