Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-29
TEACHERS LAW
WILL WORK OUT
STATUTE is CRUDE AND REsPoM
sIBLE FOR SOME THREATEN-
ED INJUSTICE
Controversy Begun In Davenport by
Scott County Teachers is Not Likely
to Create Disturbance at the State
Meeting.

Des Moines, Dec. 27.-The following
resolution, offered yesterday afternoon
by the Hon. Henry Sabin at the meet.
Ing Of the Iowa State Teachers asso-
citation, disposes of the Davenport ef-
fort to effect the repeal Of the new
law for state certification.
Whereas, The Thirtys1rst general
assembly passed an act radically
changing the method of certiicating
teachers and
Whereas, said law has been in of.
feet less than one year, therefore
Resolved, BY the Iowa State Teach
ers' association, that. while we ap.
prove the general principles of said
law, we realize that the law has had
no time to demonstrate its weakness
or its strength. and we therefore re-
quest the Thirty second general as
in its present form for two years, in
order that we may test it's workings,
and determine in the light of exper-
fence what points should be amended
with the view of increasing it's efficien-
cy.
Resolved. That we request the su.
perintendent of public instructions to
place the above resolution in the
hands of the appropriate committees
of the coming general assembly"
The reception given the resolution
was of a. character to indicate that it
woulu be adopted, if the author asked
1t, by almost unanimous vote, but DR..
SGbin asked that it be referred to the
committee on resolutions that 1T might
take the regular curse and come be.
fore the association at latter and
perhaps fuller meeting.
The naUanpOrt pdnnatOre also an.
peared by committee yesterday before
the legislative committee of the asso-
citation The committee heard their
statement. which was identical with
that madt through the press a few
days ego and passed tie matter over
without acton for the reason that the
Sabin resolution is pending before the
association and the legislative COM
mittee gets it's inspiration from the
general organization.
Will Not Succeed.
Educators do not believe that the
Davenport movement be success
full. 1t is raid that the persons in
terested in the appeal to the associa-
ton themselves believe that they
would better have taken their case to
where 1t could have been adjusted
without appeal to- the public and the
members of the legislature.
Harry A. Downer and Professor Mil
Ter represented. the Davenport teach
ers before the legislative committee.
Messrs. Mcconnell of Cedar Rapids,
sRiddell of Des Moines, Thornburg of
Des Moines, Main of Grinnell. Lark
of Onawa and Clifford of Council
Bluffs were present for the committee.
Superintendent Riggs was invited to
attend the meeting also.
The Davenport teachers claim that
the examination of the state board Of
examiners is of character to do in
Justice and harm to teachers who have
long been engaged in tie schools of
the state. In the appeal Mr.. Downer
said:
I'VE ask AN amendment to the law
which shall safeguard our interests.
We would like to have some point set
in the life of successful teacher
where her scholarship become mat
let it be impossible for the board to
raise any doubts of her scholastic fit
ness by denomination which may
imperil Aer employment in the public
schools. The success of teacher de-
pend only in part On scholarship"
The Politics Of the Association.
liz l5etN ollpOll controversy IuTulSuGS
about the only politics connected with
the meeting of the association. But
there are three other subjects on
which the attention of the teachers is
being directed These are:
Change time of annual meeting to
OCTOBER.
Go to Cedar Rapids next year.
Election of officers.
A large number of educators are in
terested in the movement to change
the date of the annual meeting from
the holiday season to the fall of the
year at a date when the schools are
in session and the meeting of the as.
sociaton may be sort of continuance
of the school work itself
City Superintendent Bostwick OF
Clinton is one of the men prominently
urging the change. He is the president
of the northeastern Iowa association
and the organization has gone on rec
ord in favor of the change. The Mich
igan association recently made the
change and instead of the enrollmen,
at the annual meeting being about
| 1000. as 1t had been for many years
| this year at the first October meeting
! it was over $1,000
Those favoring the change believe
that the same desired outcome will be
experienced in Iowa. The meeting
coming in the holidays and in vacation
interferes materially with the plans Of
the teachers and takes away from
them part of the time they have {
right to devote to their families an6
friends. If the meeting were fixed fol
an October date, when the schools are
in full swing and the teachers are al
work in the school room, they would
have continuing interest in the meet
ing which they do not now have
| 1t has been one of the burdens O.
the association year by year to get the
attendance up to point where som,
money might be turned into the treas
ury and there might be feeling tina
the teachers generally of the state
were getting good from the association
| If the attendance were 5000 instead
of 1000 this feeling would be satisfied.
Candidates for Presidency.
| npa of tho hoactS of tho ctafo too ~,