The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-27

their way into our schools. True, II
would take time to do this, and the
annual expenses of the Board Wouio
thereby be increased. But 1t wound De
time and money we'll expended. "A
careful reading of the section demon
otrates that the Legislature intended
that the various credentials enumerat-
ed should be subjected to the closest
scrutiny by the members of the Board.
Why was the word may" used? Had
the Legislature intended that all should
be recognized without question, would
not must" have been inserted? 1t is
clear to my mind that the law making
body intended that the County Board
should carefully sift the credentials
presented, accepting the Sufficient ana
rejecting the insufficient.
The old Board of Examination, Its
duties and powers, are still prominent,
II not the dominant, features of the
present County Board of Education. I
take it that there are few county
boards in the State that do not regard
the examination of teachers as their
most important duty. Nor is this to
be wondered at; they are warranted
In doing so by both tradition and the
language Of the constitution. The Leg
islature has endeavored to keep pace
with educational progress by prescrib
ing additional duties from time to
time, until to-day the statutory duties
of the County Board of Education i'm
pose upon its members a responsibility
that was not even dreamed of at the
time of the adoption Of the constitu-
ton. But the Legislature has been
working along other lines in it's at
fempts to meet the ever-increasing de-
mands of logical educational evolution.
The necessity Of special training and
preparation for the occupation Cor pro-
fession, if you please of teaching has
50 forced itself on public opinion that
four new State Normal Schools have
been created since 1880, and the State
University has added pedagogical de-
partment. 1t was Stanford, 1 believe,
that inauguarted the movement on
this Coast. Berkeley was quick to
learn the lesson; and to-day all the
smaller colleges and universities on the
Pacific slope have followed in the foot
steps of the two great universities. Do
We not see in these movements the
handwriting on the wall? Is not the
granting of certificates by means of
written examinations soon to take third
or fourth rank. instead of first, among
the many important duties of the
County Board? Nay, Is not the day
near at hand-is it not already upon
US when the examining route to a
teachers certificate should be forever
closed? Let me quote from a private
communication written by-one of the
best known and most conservative
County superintendent in this State:
For the past two years I have been
of the opinion that the time has come
when We can safely depart from the
old method of qualifying teachers by
the examination process as provided by
statute. While our present system has
served a good purpose in the past, Cali
fornia has, in the my judgment, out
grown the primitive conditions for
which the system was established. To
me the conditions now appear to be
such that our State can safely say,
through its Legislature, only such
teachers as have been especially
trained for their work may teach in the
public schools of this State" The
conclusion arrived at by my CORES
pondent is one that will meet with the
hearty concurrence of all unselfsh
school officers and teachers. He fully
recognizes that the examination method
of Qualifying teachers, Notwithstanding
its past usefulness, has outgrown it.
self, and that the time is fully ripe for
radical departure. 1t is time that the
important business of teaching should
dignity itself-that it should cease to
he. 49,
sion in the true sense of the term. 1t
Is time that the intelligence of the
State should join hands with the broad
minded teacher and go bravely before
the law making body and, in the name
of the children, petition for such legis-
lation as will best conserve their edu-
cational rights. The children are the
educational wards of teachers, super
intendentsf and other school officers.
A State cannot impose a greater trust
than this Let us. then not shrink
from the sacred duty. thus imposed
upon us. w "a
To make the change herein sug-
gested tits not necessary to amend the
Constitution 1t can be accomplished
by the amendment of few sections Of
the Political Code. The county board
can comply with both the spirit and
letter of the Constitution by examining
the credentials of applicants, as that
instrument nowhere specifies the ma
ture of the examination to which APP
plicants for certificates shall be SUBJ
jected.
Two years ago, before this same body,
1 advocated annual. instead =of semi
, annual examinations. Conditions even
in that short space of time, have been
changed by the addition of two more
professional training schools and, in
order to be consistent, I am constrained
to keep pace with the Legislature in it's
evident desire to furnish our schools
with trained teachers only. The time
now. devoted to the examination of
teachers by the county boards might be
much more proftably distributed
among their other (and more importantly
duties. In addition to my suggestions
regarding the scrutiny of credentials.
q wide field of usefulness is opened up
by the section relating to the promo
ton and graduation of pupils i'll the
elementary schools. The present al
most universal practice of waiting until
the end of the year before examining
into the nature of the work done by the
teachers might be improved on In
stead of this practice. would it not be
wiser to find out early in the year
those teachers who are likely to fail
point out their mistakes, encourag e and
direct them to better and more effective
work? This can be done through the
visits of the County Superintendent and
!. Of