Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-17

that never attended the normal schools
VINO are as great teachers now, as
when they started.
Now you cannot hire any person il
cur town unless he holds that certifi-
cate You can hire no person in any
place in the State unless he holds thai
certlhcate-provided, however, that. il
person who has never taught, not
holding certificate, may be granted
temporary teaching permit for a
period not exceeding one year upon ex-
animation by the superintendent OF
schools in which said teacher is to be
employed. She can teach one year onlv
and is then to stop entirely, unless we
are TO get a teacher who has been eX-
am.ned Ey this board. She can teach
one year. and then her duties are To
cease, and she cannot teach any more
until she is examined by the State
committee: Now, is that reasonable?
Is that good, sensible bill? 1 ask you
all 10 carefully read the bill
Then you come to the $500 We have
already $500 for that purpose.
The bill further goes on to repeal all
laws and parts of laws inconsistent
ryinS $500 would carry $4,000, because
there is already $500 provided for in
the statute for the purpose of examin-
ing teachers, which this bill does not
rereal, as it is not inconsistent with
TINS act. 1t IS inconsistent, but this is
additional to it, SO that we would have
that amount of money expended. Is
1t proper to deprive the towns of this
right, and to put the expenditure of
the money which we have raised in
our towns into the hands of parties
over whom We have no control? Who
is to dismiss the teachers in the schools
where tECy come with these certifi-
Gates? Who is to have control OF
them? Who is to say whether they
are teaching a proper school, or not
I leave You to Say-under this bill. We
cannot remove them. We have nothing
To do With them. They can teach as
they please, and we have no power to
discharge them.
competent as teacher who had State
| think this is the most important
bill that we have before us. This bill
leads us to inquire whether the COM
mon schools in the rural districts shall
!,
have already done, or whether they
shall be entirely crushed out. That is
the only question this bill brings up
Twelve years ago, this same bill dc
not think there is the cross of st.
or the dotting of an 81 of difference
in that from this, was in the House
1t was teen voted down, and 1 sup
posed it would never again, or any such
radical measure as this ever would be
undertaken to deprive the rural dis
tricts and towns of the right to con-
troll their schools, hire their teachers
examine their teachers, and to look af-
ter their interests.
This bill Will take away that interest
ana lead to our schoolhouses going t.
pieces and our educational institutions
which are on the basis of our schools
will fall.
Mr.. MILLIkEN of Aroostook: Mr.
Presidents: The senator has referred tC
he rights of towns. About that l wart
to say only this: That no town has
i right to take the money of the State
aud use it in hiring teachers that are
not qualified to teach. | want to say
further That this bill, if it should be
t'llsl- eco III liit ittN, W III Ilpl prevent
towns from hiring teachers that arr
qualified to teach. The only cmergen
~ that could arise is the one provided
fDr by the exceptions.
The senator has referred 70 his town
and his town is fortunate in being an
exception in many respects to the gen
cral rule and on that point, the gen
eral principle applies that applies tc
all else, namely, that the law does not
affect those above its level. it applies
To those who are below it. The law
against stealing does not affect the
great majority of mankind who do not
care to steal; and this law, if it shall
be enacted, will affect only those towns
that now hire teachers not qualified
to teach
Now on the question, whether this is
radical, or new. In the nrst place, take
a provisional view of it. This is only
applying to the profession of teaching
what is now applied to other professions
like the law, etc. 1t is only applying to
that profession the guaranty of the
State that those engaging in it shall have
the best privileges. There is in this
case an element which does not exist
that the State pays large proportion of
the wages of these teachers. On that
phase of the question. I want to call your
attention to this: that it is simply in
line with the policy of the State in
other things; for instance, the State
road law provides that the State gives
money to the towns for the use of the
towns in making roads, and the roads
must be made to conform to standards
that will be set up by the State Depart
men. The State says to the towns, in
effect you have this money for roads
you spend it in any way YOU choose, but
your road is subject to the approval of
the State Department, and you must
ACKNOWLEDGE 1T.