Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-12
STATE CERTIFICATES
Senator Warren of Marion
County Explains the Pur-
pose of the Bill
LESS TIME TO EXAMINATIONS
County Superintendent Would Be
Given More Time in Which to Visit
and superntend the Work of the
Rural schooIs-Many Amendments
Offered.
by Ora williams.l
.cial to 1imes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Feb. Ex-senator War
rem, of Marion county, said today that
the purpose of his school bill for state
certificates for teachers had as it's
prime object making the county super
intendents, really superintendent in
greater part of their time to routine
work in their offices and with the ex-
animation of teachers. '"This bill will
abolish county certificates and there
will be nothing but the state certifi-
cate good in any county in the state.
At presen@the county superintendent
time is taken up very largely with the
work of examining teachers. He is
required under the law to hold exam
nations once every month. With the
work of preparing the questions and
marking the papers and the other Of
fee work he puts in the greater part
of his time and never sees the schools
of the county. This bill will take all
that out of his hands and he viii have
all his time to give to the schools.
This bill in fact is drawn as direct
benefit to the rural schools of the state
and will be the best thing possible for
them The city schools have their city
superintendent who never has to eX-
anime teachers, but devotes his at
tention to looking after the organiza-
Of ho IF thiC hill
the county superintendent will be able
hereafter to do the same by the rural
schools of the state. The bill mas the
support of State superintendent Riggs
and of O'Connell, president of the
State Teachers Association, and every
other prominent educator of the state,
including President Seerley. of the
State Normal. If it is not passed the
educators Of the state will be turned
down fiat but it will pass by at least
ten votes"
When Senator Warren had a. similar
measure up two years ago State SUI
.perintendent Barrett made an investi-
cation and found that the county SUI
perintendents were devoting from one
third to one-half their time with the
work of examining teachers. A pro-
vision of the bill now before the sem
ate requires that the county superin-
tendent shall visit every school in the
county at least once during the school
year and every time a majority of the
directors request it. That this may be
done he is allowed a maximum Of $40
q month for livery hire or travelling
expenses in visiting the schools.
Many, Amendments.
BY vote OF the senate Saturday the
Warren school bill for state certificates
for teachers was made special order for
Thursday following the Lewis bill con-
corning the quarterly statements of
banks. Every attempt possible was
made to attach all sorts of amend
ments to the Warren school bill. A
number wanted the bill amended so
that a teachers license could be- re-
voked by a county superintendent if
the teachers after making contract
to teach should violate the contract
and refuse to teach because she was
able to get more money at some other
school or for other reasons. A number
Of senators who had held positions on
school boards were especially insistent
in favor of this amendment, claiming
it was great embarrassn to the
school boards to have teacher re-
fuse to take school the last day or
two before the school opened and they
claimed that for a difference of IS or
so month in salary teachers should
not throw up their contracts. Senator
Gilliland and others championed the
opposition and claimed that under the
amendment If it prevailed no teacher
could apply Tor more than one school
and where there were twenty or more
applicants Tor a school as there is
sometimes, but one could get the place
and the others would be thrown out
of positions Just as the school year
was about to open. Senator Gilliland
claimed that under the present salar-
les teachers should have all the adj
vantages in their favor and that the
directors could easily select another
teacher from the other applicants.
Senator Hayward has introduced bill
providing for employment offices in
cities Of the first class, which is all
cities of $4,000 or over. These en-
ployment bureaus are to be under the
direction and supervision Of the COM
missioner of labor Of the state. The
bill provides that the rooms must be
furnished by the county or city and
the persons In charge are to be paid
from the fees Of the office and in no
case is the wages Of the superintend-
ent to exceed the fees. In the larger
cities the superintendent shall receive
a fixed salary and all fees in excess
are to be turned into the state treas
ury. The fees charged sof persons
wanting positions are ten cents for
temporary positions and fifty cents
for permanent positions.