The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-11
SCBDDuME Ms ARE QUllD
STATE FEACUERy READING era.
GLE EXAMINATIONS HELD.
Many MeuAers Fail to Attend, Rat
zeAlOas YouAG Women FROM the
Country Are On Hand Promptly
work the OrxantsasAon In D0ing.

The annual examinations OF the King
Ing Circle were held in thu library rcNA
Of the court house yesterday. under rAe
supervision % County SupsFlnt endens We
J. Meredith About twenty teachers srene
the day in puxzlinS over the Lat OF s,iaa-
cSsionAi csaunarums proroundei in tho
printed list furnished from ths state head
quarters Of the organization The c!rcla
has rs active members In King county.
hut thare are several good reasons why
SO few took The examination yesterday and
these were thoroughly explained BY Super
tatsnden; Meredith.
In the first place. the circle IL a purely
private organisation. existing among the
schso, teachers OF the state and those as
psrsag to enter their ranks. teacher who
has obtained a state teachers ccrtincate
can receive no benefi; frosn attending The
examinations though a great many such
teachers read the course rel.gioasly every
year for pleasure and educational profit.
They were absent yesterday. Then. 100.
tais 10 ths season OF the year when the
great majority ~ the teachers In ths city
schools. who constitute q large percent
age Of the membership OF the circle ara
absent from The city on their summer vsea-
tsons. and are either unwilling or unable
20 return 10 he city 20 take the sxaInina.
tons The result IS that the teachers who
did take the examination were young wo-
men from the country districts or pupils
Of the city normal schools.
TT "a In tho country" said Supartneen-
dent Meredith. that we find the most d II
gent workers. In the city the teacher has
her little circle OF aoQusinianees. her 40
ciai duties. besides the care CT her school.
to occupy her time. and has little leisure
20 read the course thoroughly. She has
the public Libraries 20 go 20 when sho
needs Information. But In the country ID
Is different. I have visited many a teach
er's home wtssre the three books OF the
reading course were almost the only ones
In the house. Many OF the country MEM
bers l have found who knew each book
almost by heart. To such teachers tbs
course IL an enormous advantage.
Though a great many members OF The
circle read purely for pleasure. the result
~ this examination VIII DE properly mark
ed upon the county certificates of thoss
who take II. and when they wish 20 ba
examined fer state certificates they will
not have TO pass examinations upon sub
1ects considered by the circio In which
they have passed successfully.
'"The reading course % this year. read
last fan. winter and spring. Includes his
tory Of education. American literature
and genera, history. the text hooks being
Quicka Ecucatfonal hsfDrInerS, bTagdoI
Matthews Introduction to American Lite
erature.s and Europe in the Nineteenth
Century'-afl works OF the highest stan.
dard. The circle In King county has done
ful Justice TO the course. and I arm conf
dent we stand ahead OF all other counties
In the point OF interest taken
The list OF examination questions Was
prepared by County School Superintendent
Taite of Tacoma. general history; County
School Superintendent Br.ntnah- Of olyme
pIa. educational reform. and County Super
intendent MEREDITH. American literature.
From fifteen 10 twenty pointed question:
are asked on each subject. II would mako
an exceptionally well informed person urs
easy to be confronted suddenly With the
list and an impa tient interrogation.
Next year the course VIII probably cover
the subjects OF botany or zoology psycaal-
ogy and English literature. bu. no outline
has Vet been submitted.
Last fall, in preparing the course. the
selection OF book on American literature
fell 20 Superintendent Meredith. who choss
Brander Matthews work and has prepared
for the guidance OF the readers an outline
Of the subjects treated In the volume. The
outline was printed In the Northwest Jour-
nal OF Education. and submitted to- Mr..
Matthews for criticism. Superintendent
Meredith was made happy little iateP
by receiving n letter from the great liter
airy critic praising the outline III high
terms and announcing his Intention 10 have
IL printed in pamphlet form by hts pub
fishers TO accompany his book