The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-05
NEW Law is BETTER
THE ONE PASSED BY THE LEGts-
LATURE CONCERNING CERTI-
FTCATION OF TEACHERS
0 SAYS SUPT. PAR

He Has Made a Months Trip Around
ti,e State Inspecting the Summer
SchOOIs-Thinks There Has Been
Some Improvement in the Quality
Of instruction This Year-AI
Teachers Are Doing Their Best.
S S. Parr, superintendent of the ST.
Cloud schools, was in the city yesterday
after a months trip around the state in
specting the summer schools. Mr.. Parr
visited schools at Faribault, Lake Crystal,
Window, Worthington Pipestone, Lake
Benton, LIE Sueur, Owatonna, Austin,
Tracy, Blue Earth, Winthrop, Granite
Falls, Morton, Winona and Wabasha,
and reports that in every case the ses-
sions have been uniformly successful.
There has been an Improvement in the
quality of the schools this year. said
Mr.. Parr to the Clio be. This is quite
noticeable to me, as 1 have in the past
Travelled around the state a good deal.
l found every teacher engaged in the
summer school work doing her best and
marked improvement in those who at
tend the schools. The summer school
work is certainly great thing for the
teachers of our city and country schools
1t enables them to spend month in very
profitable study fitting them for better
work in the educational field The inter
change of ideas upon subjects of live in
terest to them as teachers cannot out be
beneficial. The conductors of the schools
are carefully selected from the leading
educators OF the state, and [ think that
our summer schools will compare favor
ably with those of any state in the I'm
ion, and are far ahead of many of the
states
The new law upon the certification Of
teachers, passed by the last legislature,
is exciting a great deal of interest among
the teachers in every locality. There is
no doubt about its being great improve
ment over the old law and will unques-
ticnably be popular after it is thoroughly
understood. If the new system can be
installed without too much opposition, it
will prove one of the best laws in the
United States. The law taking the issu-
ing of certificates out of the hands of
county superintendent and imposing the
authority with the state superintendent is
sure to insure a good class of teachers.
NO teacner can secure a certl1Cate eX-
cept on his or her merits. While 1 do
not say that certificates have been issued
to undeserVing teachers, there is a chance
under the present law for faVoritism on
the part of the county superintendent
with the new law all this is done
away with, and the marking of the pa
pers rests solely with the state superin-
tendent The county superintendent how
ever, passes upon the teaching ability of
tho applicant and character but further
than that the matter is taken out of the
hands of local authority and put under
the state department. The examination
ages by the state superintendent, and the
papers are corrected by numbers as the
name of the examined does not appear.
The county superintendent gives each APP
plicant a number, and when the papers
are corrected by the department of public
instruction it is in ignorance of the name
of the person examined. The new system,
working on its merits cannot fail to be
very satisfactory to ali and patterned by
other states. The state superintendent
of public instruction sets a date when
examinations are to be held all over the
state. The questions are then opened,
the examinations held, and the papers
sent to St. Paul for examination.
LAS far as L have been able to learn
the plan has been favorably regarded,
as much as is known of it, but as the
practical working of the system has not
yet been demonstrated, many are waiting
to witness its operation"