Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26
EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS
Will Not Be More Frequent or More
Severe under New L,w-Object Of
the Act Is to Make Law More
Uniform-The Law Has Been
Much Misunderstood.


day called upon the Hon. Walter f.
Hanger, state superintendent oil educa-
| ton, to obtain his views upon the law in
question. Mr.. Ranger was very glad to
make n statement as he Is daily in re.
ceipt Of letters from teachers in different
Parts of the State containing inquiries
as to whether they must take a special
examination to comply with the new law
| Some Of tho letters received by Mr.
Ranger which were shown TO the news
paper man give evidence that the law Is
| very imperfectly Understood III some
| quarters.
| This bill. which was enacted into law,
| was reported from tho committee on Cd
| ucatior of the House as a substitute bill
for several others that had been intro
duc6d, and although superintendent
| Ranger was consulted in regard to tho
measure and gave it his approval he is
not responsible for it as some persons
seem to believe.
| In response to tie newspaper mans
questions Mr.. hanger made the follow ing
| statement.
| Press comments and the correspond
ence of this Office indicate good deal
Of existing misunderstanding about some
changes in the laws governing the licens-
| ing Of teachers made by the general
assembly at its recent session Among
| other misconceptions an impression has
gone abroad that n law was passed re-
| quiring all teachers in the State to be
rc-examinod in April No such law was
! P"Sseu' III 'ru'" no c,i''iso "n1 me- ~
tho school laws regarding the time. place,
method. or character of the examinations.
| Another mistaken notion is that the
new law requires an 'cdc " 10 ~
ahmed more ifequently' On 'he coh'fa ,
certain changes VIII fcSs'h ''e 4e-
| quencN OF examinations alecuhs teach-
ers as a whole. Under the present sES.
tenn in operation for twelve years and
more, only holders oil lower Srade GER
| tincatoS are required 10 take examinations
every year or two; and they are at lpertY
to win first grade or life ccrtiicate'
First grade certificates are good Tor hve
years; and two such certificates and two
hundred weeks experience entt'e the
holder to lf" certificate.
Again the belief is current TO som" eX-
tent that radical and sweeping changes
were made in the laws of certihcatlon OF
lteacherS. 40 rascal. ana out IT," import
ant changes were made. Inc general SNs-
TEN of examination ana ccrthcatioh OF
teachers has remained the same Tor sew
eral years.
I'm" changes IN the Ia w were inc result
or sincere efforts, MAD" III response 10 ur-
gent demand 10 increase tne ncXiplllty
ana lporaity Oh inc system Oh 'er'iltatloli
ana proNlde LOT the convenience Oh teach-
erS' without lowering t"e sta'iudru ot
tcachihg qualincatiors'
one important cn"HSe IL 'l'e proN'SI'l'
1or ISSUING u SI''IiI 'r'pilu Srdue ce' ''ii-
cate without examinations 10 t'achetS OIL
reCrht sU'o'SSlu experience VINO nave
holu mrs. or StcoHu srauo ce'ti'lva'to"' OF
lcluN"iruI c'ru'Icd'o,l III ot''r ''ut'S'
vi" 'Ie ms nc! ot me c"Se REQUIRES
"I9 lt"' i"t t'c l'lSt ''iHe' SlNc9 ulScit-
''"i' ~ outlining "i'4''i9 " iH9'' 'c''
S"les Wt'N""' PNdi'li'l"ll"H' us ann Is 10
hSc' IN, neon. e'''tioe ot ,'"'''ors anu
9V'N"' 'i''' 80" ~ ass W I"N9 '"sds'
"ct''N '''u u "'o'' u'lcccSShiN 'NPchscs
anu -
. IU,'1'',u i,'H WI! l'""a',H o"llN oiilcilce
| ~, VI i''! H"'I"lV'' '"O''rr9 Ne"liH.
! h't"t' '''P't.i't N'"'St, VI SI'i,'ld'
| PUP - Wv 'N''uSl"'I o' 'I' lhINHeSe
,;,,.,, ,, ,'''' 1871 r.'''.L 'ol
.'tIuouH .I"i'''' ''ir.,, u."'c. ~ .i.S aH
| , ~ w "'I ~
| "fd' ~ '''' u
~ III on "."o''' an "'r iaM pro
| N'"'' '''t 'Vt ''Icd,' VI 'tc Hf Vt
-ueu.' "a - W. ,',i,' ~ w ~ ''"iN El''io
~ eN"''.','', '''.' .i,,' w a T.,
81 WIZ - r"i'l|E Vu !l'',l"',"SlH III we
"a ne ''''o"l' S''''' '''ii''' III i"'cs uuti!S
suCn o"''iiIuouS c,"i'.H '"V"., 10 s"l'-
s"oru Tue staIuatu o. tedc.lins' IL was
,nousl' WIS., 10 ilH!'t 'tc "pP',,auoil OF
tncSt prov !sIo!'S 10 'e'oiI'rH no,u'lS ms .
sra"c cei ''I'V",eS % StVoI'u Sr'ue sr"iitcd
ON examination furthermore such law
grade cNruHcatlon ana prompts teach
ers OF INST grade ccrtlilcatlon 10 remain
longer III ono place 10 increase the
length OF service OF higher grade teach
ciS Ill the same sCnooI was confeSS"t
object OF the law TINS law VIII probably
AFFECT several hundred teachers.
And yet it was lust this change and
MISUNDERSTANDING incident to 1t that have
caused most or tn" adverse criticism that
has been expressed. Holders OF third
grade certificates and of second grade
certificates obtaincd without examination
have previously had continued certitica-
ton under continuous employment in
graded schools. Under the new law they
are placed in the same situation as all
teachers OF their class throughout the
State Fly provisions made for the con-
veniencc Of n larger number this small
class of teachers perhaps ono siXtieth
Of all. Is REQUIRED to have now certinca
ton for the spring term 1t was hardly
roroseon that many would be affected. for
II WIS not slpnosod that many teachers
~ these grades were employed in Graded
schools Dut some Of these are provided
| for IN other sections on1 are nor ro-
ouircd ia no cvamiuod nj nrcsent.
"To oxtnnd the nnnlication Of this law n
third cradn teachers is NOT consistent with
rho Old law which providcs that No tooch.
Or sb,u have more Than two third grade
onrtiicntne Tbis evidortI. n,,ans maj a
t,,cber nust attain 10 a higher stand.
ord thon thnt Of third Grad. If bc is 10 20.