The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-14
FAD AND THEORY
County Counsel John Griffin
Criticises Methods Of
Promoting Teachers.
SYSTEM A HARDSHIP
Tells Board Of Education It's
Plan of Examinations
Is Not Fair.
DRIVESTEACHERSAWAY
New York and Brooklyn Have
Secured Some of Our
Best Instructors.

Mr.. John Griffin, counsel to the Board
of Freeholders has sent this letter to the
Board of Education
March 12, 1902.
To the Honorable the President and
Members of the Board of Education,
Jersey City, N j.
Gentlemen--I had occasion recently 70
examine your system in the promotlot;
of teachers, and was rather surprised
when / learned the situation of affairs
TIE system is as follows; The record or
the teacher is taken, she then submits 20
an examination, and If her record and ex-
animation amount to seventy-f1ye per
cent she obtains a certificate which en-
titles her to teach a higher grade.
The record is made up in the following
manner: The principals of the schools Ill
which she mas taught certify monthly as
to her proficiency as a teacher If this
record is excellent she is marked one hun
dred per cent; if it is good she is mark
ed eighty ninety per cent; but what
ever her record may be it is reduced to a
percentage.
The teacher then submits to an exani-
nation before the Board of Examiners,
composed of the superintendent and GER
tain members of your Board, her per-
centage on this examination is then add
tal is divided by two. and the result is
the percentage upon which her right to
the certificate is based.
In the examination the teacher is called
upon to answer questions on the new fads
and theories in the art of teaching which
have come into existence within recent
years and which probably may be dis
cardeG later as useless.
These new fads and theories are at the
present time Taught to young ladies' to
qualify them as teachers, and they, no
doubt, although inexperienced in the art
of tc2ching, can readily pass a brilliant
examination on the subject, while teach
ers VINO have taught for years and have
acquired the art from practical expert
lrx4l = es,1f1 r4r.1
they study for the sole purpose of passing
tho examination This they can readily
do, but it might be conceded that after
they have studied the subject, for the
better -aaEa4i1ied than they wsre before
This system certainly works hardship
on the experienced teachers, does not
serve any public good, Is an unfair test,
places theory on the same level as prac-
.tice and only operates to give the mex
sperienced teacher a better chance in the
race for promotion.
To illustrate: A teacher who has taught
twenty years has a record from her prin-
cipals of one hundred per cent, she
studies for the examination and obtains
only forty-nine per cent. Now, adding
the record and examination percentages
we have one hundred and forty-nine per
cent, divide this by two, and we find that
her average is seventy-four and half
per cent. This does not entitle her to a
certificate, although her record as prac-
ticai teacher IS one hundred per cent.
On the other hand, take the case of a
young lady inexperienced, who has
taught say two or three years, fresh from
the study of all these fads and theories.
The principals under whom she has taught
give her a record as a teacher of only
sixty per cent, she submits to the ex-
animation, and obtains ninety per cent. /;
1t viii be perceived that her average on
theory and practice would be seventy-five
per cent. Under the present system this
inexperienced teacher would be entitled
to certificate, and the experienced one
would not; the inexperienced teacher
would be promoted over the head of the
experienced one. Such a result shows
how vicious the system is
1t must also be borne in mind that the
best educated teacher does not always ac-
complish the best results, for she may
be poor disciplinarian she may not have
the faculty of transmitting her ideas in
such form as to be comprehended by the
pupil, may be wholly lacking in the art Of
teaching, may be SO constituted and her
temperament be such as to make her ut
terly unfit to teach. On the other hand.
her less educated sister may possess ali
the attributes that go to make up a good
teacher, she has the qualities which en-
able her to command and discipline a
class without effort, to explain things. so
clearly and lucidly to the children that
they can readily grasp the subject, and
her temperament is such that she is
naturally qualified to be a teacher yet
she, under the present system. would be
practically disqualified.
While the examination is one of the
evils IN the SYSTEM the greatest evil trans
pires after the examination.
When the teacher takes the examina-
tion she is informed by the superinten-
dent that she has either passed or failed
II the teacher who has failed feels that
she has been unfairly marked in her ex-
animation and applies to the superinten-
dent for the papers, in order to verify the
markings they are refused her. and she
is Informed that she has no further re-
dress in the matter that the markings of
: the examiners are final
was not aware that in the opening of
the twentieth century star chamber prac-
tices had been revived and least of all.
did expect that such would be the case
IN our educational SYSTEM, which is sup
posed to be enlightened
The refusal to furnish the papers is bad
both for the examiners and the teachers;
1t creates spirit of distrust in the minds
of the teachers, and places the examiners
under the suspicion that they have been
unjust and unfair in the examination
The teacher naturally thinks that If the
questions asked were fair, the markings
fair, and no other person skilled in the
art would mark her higher why should
her papers be refused 1er2 This may lead
her to the conclusion that there was fraud
practiced in the markings perhaps she
was not a favorite with the examiners.
that the examiners were afraid to furnish
a copy of her papers lest they might dis
close the fact that they had been unfair
and unjust. Is such a Conclusion I'M
natural?
1t also puts your superintendent and ex-
aminers in disagreeabIe light before the
public. because unless they have the pow
er to furnish the papers to the teacher,
they must rest under this irnputation of
unfairness.
The modern American idea is that there
should be publicity in everything touching
public affairs the public has right to
know what its servants are doing. But 1t
Is not necessary to publish the questions
and answers in the newspapers: it Is suf-
fcient to furnish them to the party in in
terest and let her publish them II she 50
desires The board has no right to with
paid the papers from the teacher. The
right of a teacher to her certificate, If she
Ii entitled to 1t, is just as sacred as the
compel the delivery OF the certificate the
teacher has d remedy at law. But teach