New-York tribune., 1899-06-23
uR sKINNER'S STATEMENT
-,rr SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC IN
sTRUcTIoN CRITICIsEs LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.
SUPERINTENDENT MAXWELL PRESUMED
,ox THE STATES PREROGATIvE-pis-
ELIMINATION BETWEEN STUDENTS
OF COLUMBIA AND ST.
FRANCIS XAVIER.
MAXWELL PRESUMED
FRANCIS XAVIER

OF COLUMBIA AND ST
FRANCIS XAVIER
,,A.nv June % (speciaD.-The attention Of
s,os r Skinner the superintendent OF Public
Ch..,,on was called this morning to an article
ss.n appeared in a New-York newspaper with
..n,ce 70 an alleged discrimination on the part
-. Department In the issuing OF licenses 10
..xe graduates who have taken special course
y aucation during their senior year. The especial
.. cited was that OF students OF ST. Francis
w.r,sr College. The charge In effect was that
-. Department had Disseminated as between the
.naents Of Columbia University and ST. Francis
80 and secondly that the State Department
O. O. otteu1pting 10 exercise authority vested by the
S.-ter OF Greater New-York In Superintendent
,,xxeu with reference 10 the licensing OF teachers.
Mr. skinner, IN reply TO this statement. declared
,Aa, the very clause In the charter which was
o,es as sustaining superintendent Maxwelfs
~ss,ion distinctly provided that the powers OF the
poors OF Education and OF the City Superintendent
,.u be subject TO the requirements OF the State
-noal laws in force when this act takes effect or
,sst may hereafter be enacted"
:, other words Mr. skinner said the regulations
.-..c-,bed by the city authorities are in addition
:, and supplementary to the preliminary State
,ations Therefore the States regulations
.,s, first be complied with. and. secondly, the
Gtys
REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW.
s,,erintendent Skinner then added: The news
,.nsr article also entirely misapprehends the
s.,s and the nature Of the certificates In
op,stion The State law requires that no person
sh.i be employed 10 teach in the schools Of any
4v IN the state who in addition to the required
academic prepa aration has not graduated from
s-hool or class for the professional training Of
teachers having course OF study OF not less than
,bir,y-eieht weeks approved by the State Superin-
,sndent OF Public instruction.
aIn order TO lessen the time in which graduates
.op colleges might be prepared to enter the teach
na profession this department authorized year
.ro the introduction OF course in education es ar
.,ionel study In the senior year OF such colleges
a. chose 10 avail themselves OF the opportunity.
The course required preliminary examination In
,s-,an subjects the pursuing Of the professional
course during the year. and a final examination on
,he history Of education and the principles and
nbnosophy NJ education Both examinations. as well
ss the classroom work formed an essential part
o. the course Of study approved by the State su-
psrintendent
Among the colleges which have adopted this
course are Cornell. Syracuse Columbia. ST Francis
Xavier Manhattan Hamilton. Barnard College of
the City # New York. New-York University and
Teachers College After completing this approved
course successfully. d graduate was eligible 10
teach In any city Of the State subject 10 the fur
ther local regulations of that city
In the special case to which reference was made
we were Informed some time ago that the candl-
dates for this professional certificate would not
take our fna examination IN the history or eou-
ton !rasmuch as Superintendent Maxwell had in
formed them that he would consider the ufhe h
course as rnceting the conditions Of the law, and
that instead Of taking the state examinations @ Salo
purely piece Of presumption on the part of
Superintendent Maxwell as he assumed thereby
IN rass upon the approved course Of study,
eroratiye which the law especially gives 70 me
s'ate Superintendent. A person cannot In any wise
/ o deemed 10 have finished successfully the APP
Troved pedagogical course unless he has com
F Sna s S Ss %Gh dpon rs sheS Pf' hs IS M
rartment judges the successful completion OF the
course by the candidate
TIE LOCAL REGULATIONS
With the local regulations which Superintendent
,iaxweH Prescribes the State Department has sb-
so,u,tiy nothing tc do and II he chooses 10 give
ac6ii,na' examinations It is a matter which does
rot concern Us. He is. however utterly in the
wrong to attempt substitute mis- examination for
the prescribed by the State Superintendent.
T1e point which have been overlooked
eii les and philosophy Of education Is integral
part 0f the prescribed course, and that no person
therefore have complied with the requirement OF
the laW-CAapier l0l Of the Laws Of lSS-unless
he has taken said examination.
In reference 10 the statement that dscrimina-
llon has been made between the candidates of ST.
only 10 say that II is absolutely false. our posi-
tion on every institution taking the approved
course In education Is outlined above. without
exception. Misrepresentation this latter point
may nave arisen from ne fact that Columbia INT
eligible take the Anal examination this but
Xavier reported fourteen students who we're e
gibe and Manhattan reported three.
we regret any hardship that may have been
Xavier but II arises entirely from their reliance on
that local examina tion might be substituted for
requirement OF the law
nX-J
There has arisen serious controversy between
Charles r skinner State Superintendent Of Public
Instruction. and William II. Maxwell City Super
ntendent of Schools. 10 the examinations which
must be passed preliminary to the Issuance OF H.
censes teach the public schools of this city.
The city charter provides for examinations to be
held under the direction Of the City Superintendent
and for the issuance Of licenses to teach ia the
city schools and provides that no person shall
teach in any public school in the city who has not
such license except herein otherwise provided,
nor shall any unlicensed teacher have any claim
for salary"
The exception is the right TO accept graduates Of
Institutions which have courses Of study approved
BY the State Superintendent. ST. Francis Xavier
college Ia this city. j. one Of the schools having
skinner and last year Dr. Maxwell accepted the
graduates OF that school and issued licenses 10 them
exsrInaiion 'Tbis Tear sixteen graduates Of the
81 Francis Xavier College took Or. Maxwelps
e1A'4.at4ui, ana were lOu D9 lNAt lAeg ROuiu
ho be required pass the examination Of the
STATE department. because they had been graduated
" course approved by the State Superintendent.
NOV Nj Skinner has forbidden DR.. Maxwell TO issue
,eenses 20 the sixteen graduates OF St. Francis
AaFler College because they had not been required
70 pass the examination OF the State Superintend-
ehts department. DIT Maxwell has referred the com
mlnicg tlon Of Mr.. Skinner to the Committee On
Bylaws and Legislation OF the Board Of Education.
snG the committee will make report 10 the Board
Of Education
Dr Maxwell yesterday declined to talk about the
sontroversy when he by a reporter Of
TIE Tribune caying that ne had passed II TO