The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-14
EXAMINATION
OF TEACHERS
IS POSTPONED
The Board Fixes June
"a as the Date.
HEAD AND WEBSTER DIFFER
ABUSES IN ISSUANCE OF
SPECIAL CERTIFICATES.
Instructors in Special Lines Must
Procure Licenses From the
Board of Examiners in
Order to Teach.
HEAD AND WEBSTER DIFFER
ABUSES IN ISSUANCE OF
SPECIAL CERTIFICATES.

The Board of Education held a special
meeting last evening and extended the
date for the semi-annual examination of
teachers from March "a to June "a. At
the last regular meeting Of the board a
resolution was introduced which provided
that all teachers in the department who
are holding regular certificates and
teaching special subjects should appear
for examination on March "a and secure
a special certificate permitting them to
instruct classes in special subjects.
President Bergerot, at the request of Dr.
rectors Eells, Brandenstein and Stow,
called q special session of the board to
consider this resolution During the two
hours debate the subject of special
teachers was gone into in detail, and
Superintendent Webster and Director
Head became somewhat acrimonious in
exchanging their views.
When the resolution was taken up Dr.
rector Head offered an amendment ex-
tending the date on which the board of
examiners shall meet to examine appli-
cants for teachers certificates. He de-
sired the extension, he said as matter
of justice to a number of teachers who
have been teaching special branches. 1t
looked like taking snap Judgment to or
der an immediate examination when some
OF the department employees might be
rusty.
President Bergerot called attention to
the sections OF the Political Code gov
erning the actions of city school boards,
and said the signing of warrants for sal
aries where the teacher did not hold GER
ti itcate to teach a special branch was
could be legally held responsible for mon
ey thus Illegally paid out.
me members of the board were salts
fed that a teachers regular certificate
was good only for branches of study
enumerated in section 1865 of the Politf-
cal Code, and that instructors in other
Superintendent Webster emphatically
and vigorously opposed an extension Of
the date on which examinations are to
be held. He maintained that any teacher
in the department who could not at
any time pass a satisfactory and rea-
sonable examination in his or her par
and should be discharged. He said it had
been the practice of preceding boards to
order special certificates issued for per-
sons who were incompetent and then
placing these persons on the payroll. He
stated further that he had made par
ti3l examination of certificates on file and
This he had stopped by refusing to per-
NIT any special examinations. The SUI
perintendent criticized Director Head s
position, and made some. caustic remarks
which the latter resented. Mr.. Head de-
clared that the Superintendent had signed
warrants for these special teachers al
luded to, and, according to his own con-
tention, his acts in doing so were illegal
The Director thought 1t very strange if
the Superintendent knew of these abuses
that he had not informed The board long
before
Other members of the board partici-
pated in the discussion, and as their re-
marks indicated they were in favor Of ex-
tending the date for examination, the
Superintendent bowed to their wishes.
He. commended, however, before the vote
was taken that the law requiring semi
annual examinations is explicit, and as
the last examination was held in Sep
TENDER, the board could not legally defer
the next examination until June. The
board interpreted the law differently. II
was agreed that the statute did not state