Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-08-13
About the Certificate Law.

severe fire because of the new law
relating to teachers certificates.
We do not know to what extent he is
to blame for the alleged shortcomings
of the present measure, but a great
many people are convinced that some
one has blundered.
The more we think over the matter
the more we are compelled to admit
that, though some features of the law
are admirable, much of it is execrable
and some one will, if we mistake not
the temper of an aroused people, pay
the penalty with his job.
To understand the devilish adroitness
of the new law it is necessary to go
back to the basic principles of our
common school system.
Our present common school system,
imperfect perhaps in it's details, is the
best system the world has yet been
able to devise. It is our pride and
boast that it s.holds above the cradle
of the poor mans babe the perpetual
star of hope" 1t guarantees to every
child common school education no
matter what his race, color or previous
condition.
Our system is based upon the idea
that the state is acting in its own
interests when it educates the citizen,
for no nation can long endure if ignor-
ance is dominant.
In republic, particularly, an edu-
Gated citizenship is absolutely essential.
1t naturally follows that anything
that will facilitate the giving of
common school advantages to every
child is blessing, and that everything
that abridges this condition is detri-
ment.
Our whole common or public school
system is based on the idea of giving
to every child, not college education,
not high school education, but a
common school education.
There must be line drawn between
what the public as a whole is to pay
for by taxes wrung from industry
whether or no, and what the individual
is to pay for as an individually his own
behalf. This line has been drawn in
the country at the country school and
in the city at the high school. The
farmer is to be taxed to maintain the
country school and the resident of the
city is taxed to maintain the high
school.
| If either the country pupil or the
town pupil desires more advantages
than his own schools afford he mus
pay for it out of his private funds.
These are merely elementary state.
ments of fact, necessary to consider
alton of the present law.
Briefly, all applicants to teach in oul
country schools as well as our higl
schools, must submit to an examination
and this examination is forwarded tx
Des Moines where it is taken in charge
by the State Superintendent and handed
out to readers of his own choosing fol
purposes of marking, and upon this
marking alone the qualifications of sale
teacher are judged.
| We are ready here and now to brant
that situation as a blunder and one tina
the people will overthrow before long
| if the entire legislature must be change,
to do it. 1t is an outrage and al
| injustice and carries with it it's owl
defeat.
| If it was intended to make of tn
State Superintendent an autocrat witt
unlimited power to vent his own swee
will when and where he chose and t
build up for himself machine that i
well calculated to keep him in powe
indefinitely, then the law is decide
success.
If it was intended to construct al
educational oligarchy of the favore
colleges in the good graces of the Stat
Superintendent and guarantee to tn
students of these favored colleges tn
certainty of all the good position
because of the certainty of their obtain
ing good certificates, then indeed tn
law is a success.
In the meantime there is grea
shortage of teachers in Iowa and it i
the country districts that have to suffer
Those to whom our common schoo
system guaranteed the most it cal
deliver the least.
An experience of years in the schoo
room and for short time in the offic,
of county superintendent has taught u
one lesson thoroughly:
An examination is not test of tn,
qualifications Of teacher.
A county superintendent who know
every teacher in the county more O
less, who is familiar with the worl
done by each, more or less, who know
the reputation of each and the abilit,
ofgeach to teach school and get along
with the pupils, such county superin
tendent is worth more than all tn,
state superintendent in Christendon
who know no teacher personally ane
who have nothing to guide them but al
arbitrary examination that can, Il
best, have little bearing upon the
common schools.
The examination could be passed by
a common crouch who would be utterly