The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-20
cERrlFlcATIoN OF TEACHERS

IDENTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
At a meeting of the teachers OF
Is Scott county held at Davenport on Tue
18th inst. a resolution was passed ask
ing for essential modification OF the
section of the proposed new school
law dealing with the issuance Oh
teachers certificates. The following
is nronosed as a substitute for Sec
tion "a of the bill as it is now before
the legislature:
section "a. l. The first grade uni
form certificate shall be valid Tor
neriod of three years. At the close OF
said period upon proof OF at least Two
years of successful teaching the etats
Board of Education shall renew sala
certificate for a subsequent perlou oi
three years. At the close OF salo periou
of renewal, upon proof OF nVe years
lsuccessful experience in teaching I'M
der this class of certificate, SAID Ger
ltificate shall be validated for lie.
"2. The second grade UNIFORM
county certificate shall be valid Ior
period of two years. Sald certllcale
shall be renewed twice upon PROOF OF
successful teaching. and at the close
of the second period of renewal upon
proof of five years successful teach-
ing under this class of certlhcate, sala
certificate shall be validated Tor NE.
"3. Each application for renewal OF
first or second grade uniform country
certificate shall be accompanied ps
such proof of successful experience as
the State Board of Education may re-
Iouire The provisions of this section
Il
shall apply also to all first and second
grade uniform county certlncates
valid at the time of the passage OF
this act.
at is also requested that the pro
visions of any section in conflict with
1.-THE foregoing substitution for Sec
Ition "a be changed to agree there
with"
In asking the members of the legis-
Ilature to consider this change IN the
hin in question the teachers OF Scott
county in a brochure just issued call
their attention to the point that whlie
circumstantial and minute provision
lis made for the certification OF those
who shall apply in the future for GER
ltifcates, those now teaching are
IGNORED as to the renewal of their per
mits beyond an indefinite suggestion
Ior possibility in Section % that Ger
Itifcates now in force may be rene"
led bv the state board of education un
der such conditions and regulations
las they may prescribe" The belle
&c EXPRESSED that the teachers of lowe
are entitled through fitness in scholar
ton to duty and value to the state t
better recognition at the hands OF tn
Legislature. It is not possible. it i
: declared, for them to be content Wit
a position so indeterminate and dc
pendent before the law.
This uncertainty as to granting an
:. securing permission to teach pei
= meates the whole certification sectio
of the proposed law. The very flu
list of subjects for examination is II
definitely heightened by the words
"and such other subjects as the stat
" board of education may deem nece
sary" Further. the renewal of frs
~ and second grade uniform county ce
tifcates is not provided for "a re
IGNITION of scholarship, profession
Y shirt and satisfactory service, bl
~ such certificates are made grudgingl
1t renewable without further examin
W tion provided the applicant sha
show by examination or otherwise
etc. Scott county teachers believ
NJ and many persons who are not teac
Ut ers believe with them that the ado
IN tion of law providing for uncerta
is permission to teach continuously, IL
es dependence of such permission upe
!, the shifting requirements OF boa
III whose membership Is subject
ln- change. providing for continued al
DC permanent deprivation of profession
es standing under the law, will rend
teaching unattractive, cause maj
engaged therein to seek other oco
ie- cations and repel those who shou
ne take UP this work which must
lar maintained and efficiently done
Oh Iowa Is to remain in the van OF intel
10 gence.
a The bill in its present form tax
he excellent care of the college gradua
ers For him an unlimited life certifics
lse is placed within easy reach But su
ur- graduates are given employment
The the high schools and that teachi
force makes but 8 per cent CT To-
teachers. The remaining 90 per &c
mt is composed of the common and or;
NY ed school teachers. Scott cour
cts. teachers make no protest against
on treatment accorded the college graz
des ate by the bill before the general
be sembly. but they point out that in
of number of states life certificates {
has given to the graduates of high scho
ray who have supplemented that schol
can ship with normal training for {
+ a year: that in one state no certifica
ing are required: that in several sta
ark the whole matter is placed in
his hands of local school boards prac
bot ally providing life certificaticn; t