The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-03-12

School Affairs.
Columbus, O.,-(SpeciaD - Parents
and educators who have looked upon
the school system Of Ohio as a model
can hardly help being shocked at the
admissions of Senator William II.
Meek, made before the investigating
committee of the legislature.
Many teachers entrusted with the
training of the boys and girls of Ohio
have been granted certificates to
teach not because Of merit, but be-
cause the state examiners, for rea-
sons known only to themselves. have
seen fit to issue certificates when the
applicants fell below the required per
centages in examinations. Teachers
who stood as low as 20, 10 and even
zero in some studies have been given
certificates to teach in those studies.
1t is a condition that appeals strongly
to every father and mother.
Senator Meek. himself an examiner
for ten years, confessed that had taken
part in these gross irregularities and
announced that the examinations
were worthless. The investigators
will hold anOtner session Monday Up
to date the following facts have been
brought out by the testimony of Sen
ator Neck. and they show the people OF
Ohio, who are interested in the edu-
cation of their children, the condition
as it actually exists:
He told the committee that many
persons who had fallen below the
minimum had been granted certif-
Gates In the 1900 examination 81
per cent of the applicants fell below
the minimum and that was an average
examination.
"How did they get above it them"
asked Judge Miner, attorney for the
investigation committee.
Meek said that an applicant must
average so per cent or higher in all
the studies and must not fall below
60 in any one study.
"What would be the sense in having
a GO per cent rule, if the average is
to determine" asked Judge Dever, Of
the committee.
Judge, tc he honest with you, while
we have written rules we never fol
low any rules at all 1t is always
fixed up to correspond to the rules"
And You joined with the rest in
fixing it up"
81 could not help myself We al
ways raised them to GO per cent or
more 1t would mean a personal
break between the examiner and my
self if | did not do it,"
Senator Beatty inquired about
"pull" and Senator Meek answered;
The state examination has been so
conducted that we might just as well
have gone over the list of applicants
on the first evening before the exami-
nation and picked out what men were
considered good, Indifferent and bad
and so on. The closeup pretty near
ly corresponds with the first evenings
talk about the applicants. Many of
those grades that | gave so in were
20 or 30"
In answer to question of Mr.. Lit
tie. of the committee. he said
I'VE go over the list and mark
some o. K and some NJ o. X. means
not that they are going to get a GER
tifcate Int that there is nothing
against them. NJ means we do not
know anything about them and there
fore they must go upon merit"
Suppose an applicant is examined"
asked Judge Miner. and you are
satisfied from the grades he makes
before you that he ought not to have
a certificate, isn't it your sworn duty
to simply refuse to sign his certif-
cate?"
well, | explained the other day"
"Just answer the question: Isn't It
your duty"
"I suspect it is true"
"What is the object of the eXamina-
tion if your examination does not cor.
respond with the work?" asked Judge
Miner.
I'VE might Just as well not go
through the examination"
"You learned they were doing this
as cariv as 1900 and vet YOU have
continued to mark them 50 when they
were low. right up to the present
time?"
yes"
when Won suspected others were
boosting grades, why did you not
leave them exactly where they were?"
asked Judge Devcr
The average was over So
mere Nou'u not oe .ne same ma
u'iit' VI ''I o'''"7' ".'.'7 "pove oV,
+horo would ha :, ,o, n,o,.Laa +ton,
5O or 20"
"Tf Won had been sitting on the ey.
amining board for ten years you