The record-union., 1897-12-30

tions to teach. If am right in this con-
clusion. it is necessary for US TO deter
mine what measure shall determine the
nature Of the examinations for the three
certificates. The evidence, whether OBJ
tained on examination or on credentials,
on which certificate to teach in the
kindergarten should be granted. ought
to demonstrate that the applicant has at
least the equivalent of a good high
school education, and in addition thereto,
one years training in an approved
school for the training of kindergarten
teachers. For a certificate to teach in
the elementary schools, the academic
qualifications should be the same as
those required for the kindergarten GER
tificate, plus satisfactory professional
study or training. The high school GER
tificate ought to represent scholarship
which is the equivalent of that given
by reputable college or university, plus
satisfactory study or training equal in
value to that given by the pedagogical
departments of our best universities.
These requirements ought to be the
minimum.
1 must not be misunderstood here
/ do not claim that applicants for certifi-
and colleges mentioned-I care not
whether they We're ever inside of a high
school or college, but i do claim that
they ought, in some way or another, to
have acquired at least the preparation
herein referred to before receiving the
certificate to teach.
| Certificates based on credentials APP
proach nearer TO uniformity than those
| based on examination. In order to
secure the free exchange Of county
certificates, We ought to come as near
uniformity as the present method of
certification Will permit. The eXami-
nation requirements for all certificates
should be stated in the law, as is now
done in the matter Of primary grade
| certificates and Boards of Education
should agree upon the standards in eX
animation, and having so agreed, the
| certificates granted by one board ought
| to be recognized by every other board
i'll the State. Perhaps the present Sys-
| tenn of county examinations is not the
| BEST but it has been established by
constitutional provision, and we must
do the best we can with existing condi-
| tiOns.
Section 1915, which provides for the
granting of certificates on credentials,
ought to be amended somewhat Boards
of Education ought to be empowered to
! grant certificates on California Educa-
tional and Life diplomas. OF course,
these diplomas are certificates, and
valid throughout the State, but there
are Boards Of Education that conscipn-
tiously question this position. There
fore, to remove all doubt in the mat
| ter, these diplomas ought to be restored
to their former place among credentials,
| whence they We're taken by the Legis-
lature in 1891. | question the wisdom
| Of granting certificates on the educa
| tional and life diplomas or life certifi-
Gates of other States, as there are so
many different standards upon which
such diplomas are granted varying all
the way from no experience whatso-
ever to ten years. If this provision
is retained, it ought to be modified so
as to require satisfactory evidence that
the diplomas or certificates presented
here are the equivalent in scholarship
and experience required in our own
State for such diplomas. Nor should
certificates be granted on the diplomas
of graduation from Normal Schools of
| other States. unless such schools are
| recommended by the State Board of
Education as being of equal rank with
our California State Normal Schools.
| Some of these Normal Schools grant
what is called an elementary diploma"
! TO persons who have finished a partial
course-sorne of them, too, have
courses of study and standards of ad-
mission that are inferior to those of our
own schools. All these matters should
/ be carefully scrutinized by the State
| Board Of Education before authorizing
| local boards to grant certificates with
out examination. We should welcome
| all thoroughly prepared teachers, no
! matter where they hail from but we
| ought to guard carefully the door, and
| see that no unworthy person receives
/ the high privilege of teaching in our
public schools. The granting of GER
| tificates without examination to grad
yates Of the State University ought to
| be limited by law to such graduates as
have taken the pedagogical course. The
practice of the University. now in force.
| limits the recommendation to such
| graduates, but it ought to be made a
statutory provision, so far as full GER
| tificates to teach are concerned
| Section 1921, which provides for the
| issuance of life and education diplomas
| by the State Board of Education. ought
to be amended in such manner as to do
equal justice to all classes of success
! ful teachers. At present, ii provides
| for the granting of such diplomas only
| to High School and grammar grade
teachers, denying similar privileges to
| successful teachers of the primary
grade. Now, so long as the law has
recognized the primary grade certifi-
Gates it ought to recognize success in
| primary grade work, and reward the
worthy holder Of such certificate by is
suing State primary diploma on the
same terms that IT does the grammar
and High School diplomas. There are
IN the State to-day scores of worthy
| primary grade teachers who are COM
| pelled TO pay fee Of two dollars every
| two years to have the certificate the
| law has given them renewed. when
such renewal has been fully earned by
| earnest faithful and intelligent work.
| If by any chance-illness or otherwise
they fail to make application for a re-
newal at the proper time, their occu-
patton IS gone until they submit them
selves to another official test of their
ability to do the work they have so
successfully done for years.
Is ii not absurd? If the suggestion
herein made relative TO the issuance of
| kindergarten certificates be carried out
by the Legislature. then Section 1921
ought to provide for State kndergar-
ten diploma on the same terms as 9TH
| er diplomas are granted. Again, the
| o. S0bool lfa ap1 aJ,,oa