The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-08-30
NEW LAW is POPULAR
1t is Believed That Teachers Will
be Satisfied After New System
Has Been Given Fair Trial.

Ill reports received from over the |
state amount to anything, county SUI
perintendents at least are mailing with
joy the law which goes into effect Oc-
tober 1, relieving them of the work of
correcting examination papers of those
who apply for teachers certificates.
After that time all questions will be
submitted by the state board of educa-
ton, and the papers will also be graded
at Des Moines instead Of by the SUI
perintendents in the various counties.
The first provision of the new law will
be no innovation in many parts of the
state, as a large number of county SUI
perintendents have been using for
years the lists Of questions formulated
by the state educational board, al
though they have not been required by
law TO do so. 1t is the second essential
of the law which appeals pleasantly to
county superintendent for the re-
sponsibility of granting or refusing
certificates is lifted from their Shout
ders. The Cedar Rapids Gazette puts
it very we'll as follows:
cit will remove from superintendent
the temptation to issue certificates to
young ladies whose fathers may be in
t1uential in politics, while the young
ladies do not possess the necessary
qualifications to teach.
"In this respect the new law will be
a blessing. Temptation will be re-
moved from the weak or designing
superintendent, and the girl without
influential friends will fare as we'll as
the rich and highly connected young
lady. All papers will look alike to the
| examining board, and honors will be
distributed with equal justice to all.
In this respect, however, it may be said
| that many an excellent and high class
teacher will not always make the high
est grades in an examination. All GER
titicates issued by the county superin
tendent before October will be valid
until the date of their expiration, and
it is probably that all over Iowa school
ma'ams and masters will flock to the
superintendent like doves to the Win
dows. They will wish to put off the
inevitable day as long as possible 1t
is going to be pretty tough on some of
| the old teachers whose certificates have
been renewed from year to year with
out examination, to get down to an
swering lists Of questions pertaining to
reading, writing, music, didactics,
arithmetic, history, civil government,
political economy, physiology, gram
mar, algebra and natural philosophy.
But they will have to try when the
certificates issued by the county SUI
perintendent expires, if they wish to
continue to teach"
The new law was vigorously opposed
by the teachers of the state when it
was up for passage in the Legislature
last winter. A petition, signed by
many of the teachers of Des Moines
county, was presented to Senator Fred
N. Smith and Representative Henry
Ritter, asking them to use their influ-
ence against the passage of the bill in
the legislature. In other parts of the
state it was equally unpopular among
the teachers. Now that it is soon to 60
! into effect, there is said to be a feeling
of fear among the pedagogues of the
state. County Superintendent Howard
Mathews recently stated that he be
lieved many of the best teachers in the
county would worry about the exami-
nation next year until the institute is
over and they receive word that they
will be permitted to teach again as
usual. He does not anticipate that the
new law will work any hardships upon
the teachers, and believes that after
| they have once become accustomed to
the system it will be entirely satisfac-
tory to them. In this county the lists
of questions compiled by the state
educational board for teachers exami-
nations have been used for several
years, and these lists have always been
very reasonable, the superintendent
states. Mr.. Mathews is of the opinion
that the examiners will use the same
good judgment in grading papers as
they have in formulating examination
questions.
Under the new system the county
normal will be held as usual, the only
difference being that the papers will be
sent to Des Moines to be graded, and
certificates will be issued from the
state superintendent office.
| When woman suffers depressing
weaknesses, she then realizes how