The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-09
THE GETTING BILL.
Genesis and Anitaus of the Educa-
tionaI Measure Now Pending.

To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
Let no one disparage the educational bill
known as the Geeting bill because IL is the
Joint product of the committee on legisla-
ton appointed by the State Teachers AS
ISOLATION instead of being the creation of
the state superintendent alone. The until
cation of its many new provisions and
adapting them to so much of the old law
as is permitted TO remain show the hand OF
a master, and that hand is presumably his
For forty years every alternate session or
the association has been largely devoted TO
proposing such notifications of the school
laws as have seemed desirable from the
standpoint of the profession; but when the
Legislatures have attempted TO apply their
ideals to real life very few of them have
ever become laws. The reason is obvious.
Legislators have to deal with conditions,
not with theories. 1t is possible, for in
stance. to conceive Of a condition of society
in which the process of obtaining state
licenses, which is proposed by the bill and
the relation of them TO the SUPPLEMENTARY
of our public schools may be feasible. but
men of affairs like legislators are apt to
say that time is not now; that at present
the proposed method would be more likely
to foist upon the people a pedant whose
only qualification for the place is his certin-
cate than to give them man OF culture
and broad attachments. A man may be
well up in the speciaities of his profession
as a lawyer, doctor preacher or teacher:
and yet be quite deficient In that class OF
scholarship which entities him TO a stand
ing among literary men. Such thing has
been known as the holding OF teachers
license OF high grade by those VINO could
not be admitted into the literary clubs of
the community in which he was the rank
ing school officer: TO say nothing OF the
lnnE nj hrIC 7.
Indispensable i'm a school superintendent
the executive head of the schools OF
the city or township. AS between an edu-
Gated man of affairs with broad culture,
yet possibly deficient in some OF the tech
ncalities which the tread-mill examining
system of modern teaching has made a test
of fitness. and the mere qualifications that
are necessary TO obtain license TO teach
school. practical men Will always give
preference to the former. Take as exam
pies the superintendent We have had In
Indianapolis under the present system.
None of them was elected on his license
ripper scholars or wiser superintendent,
though not one of them held a state license
obtained through the process prescribed in
this bill. The same is substantially true of
our county superintendent. They have
been men of fitness for the place as bust
ness men as well as by learning. though
possibly not up to the standard in pedagogy
that this bill contemplates. Possibly also
in some cases politics may have played a
part in determining choice between them
and others equally qualified. but they have
been none the less efficient on that ac-
count.
A most striking example of the wisdom
of the present law was seen the other day
before the joint committee on education.
been brought up TO defend this special
feature of the bill, but he gave his cause
away the very first word by saying he
owed his place TO the pull he had upon
will admit without argument that he is
not only well qualified for his office but
able, and all who know him readily con-
cede that the board made no mistake in
selecting him. Even the guilelessness with
which he made his plea for the present
system when intending to antagoniZe II
does not bespeak unfitness for the place,
but rather otherwise 1t will be hard to
convince the Legislature that a system of
selecting city and county superintendent
which gives such men, as Macintosh
and Study and Hamilton and Busby and
the whole band of them. with rare excep-
lions. needs any radical change such as this
bill proposes, merely to put the educational
interests of the State into the hands of a
close corporations combine, as IT. Were,
such az the State Teachers Association
wants to become.
State Normal equally fatal to the
scheme proposed in the bill. He enumer-
ated several particulars in which it ex-
| failed to admit that If the State would ap-
propriate 5000 and furnish the plant for
every graduate in pedagogy that the nom
| furnish graduates who would not only be
| their equal in teaching qualifications. but
| they might at the same time acquire a
| knowledge of the liberal arts that the State
| Normal does not pretend to give. If he did
not laugh in his sleeve when putting stress
| upon the fact that every one before enter
| ing his school. contracts to teach i'm the
public schools of Indiana given length of
| time to reimburse the State. then he is in
| capable of being moved by the ludicrous.
| AS a matter of fact. persons under this con-
| tract have left the service of the State
| as teachers at every stage of advancement
| and those who have been graduated only
await a better opening to engage in law
| or medicine or housekeeping. and not once
! has suit been brought TO enforce the con-
| tract or to recover the $500 expended by
| the State i'm his her education, or any
| part thereof. No one objects TO the work
! Of the Normal. 1t is excellent in its de-
! partment. The objection to the bill is that,
| while the State makes provision for only
a handful. the bill proposes TO give this
mere handful preference in all departments
| of school work I'm the State. That looks
very reasonable to the State Teachers AS
! ISOLATION but the Legislature Is not likely
TO give the authority of law to their scheme
TO constitute 1t close corporation for
] school purposes. L. l.. SEE.
( indianapolis, Feb. =.