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

in other states professional life certi-
ficates are given teachers of long ex-
perience, and that those. who have
borne the burden and heat of the day
in Iowa and have served faithfully in
the ranks are entitled to the cordial
championship of the members of the
| legislature Additional facts and ar
guments are submitted as follows:
The state of Iowa licenses twelve
classes of her citizens-doctors, law
yers, veterinary surgeons, nurses,
osteopaths, peddlers, saloon keepers
and school teachers. One class is
Those paying annual fees are the
lequine physicians wandering healers,
tpeddlers, undertakers, druggists, bar.
keepers, and school teachers. With
/ all due respect to their companions
in this unhappy coterie, Iowa teachers
would like to be translated to the en-
inence occupied by the other liberal
professions. If te ching is a profes-
sion, and that is generally conceded,
now is the opportunity for the Iowa
Legislature to make this elemental
recognition. The magnificent state of
Iowa, with measureless resources and
Ibroad-minded citizenship does not
need the unwilling dollars wrung from
4 this underpaid and over-eXamined
I class of worthy public servants.
+ In licensing the members of other
professions Iowa has set precedent
i in exempting from examination and
fees those who had been in practice
a certain number of years immediate
lily preceding the passage of the licens-
ing act Such treatment has been
considered equitable for doctors, law
yers, dentists and veterinarians, If
you shall so deal with the teaching
profession, you will have the warrant
/ of Justice and precedent.
! 1--WE are not asking you for state
recognition of the incompetent or I'M
Qualified The teachers of Scott
county average in service more than
| eight years. They are almost without
exception graduates of high school
! of unquestioned excellence. or OF a
higher institution. They have almost
without exception taken a normal
course of forty weeks. They hold
certificates. won by examination. sat
4 isfactory to the boards which employ
them, and are giving service satisfac-
tory to the communities which they
serve They believe that when you
are ware of the circumstances you
will confirm their right to continue
this service And an equal opportun-
ity they ask for the other teachers Of
the state"
In conclusion attention is called to
the fact that at present Iowa has nc
,, provision for the state-training OF
teachers for graded and country
schools The graduates of the higher
state schools and UNCONVENTIONAL col
Ileges secure work that is better paid
: With school-rooms all over Iowa emp
ty for lack of teachers, with 5000
: other school-rooms filed with emer
2 gency material on provisional certi
t tfcates, the general assembly is asked
i to pass certificate measure that i
e a network of restriction and dis
n conference.-the legislature is asket
e to nail more boards on fence alread.
: high enough, a fence which fewe
e young people show annually any de
: sire to jump.
II
= be congratulated upon the clearness
= cogency and CONTINGENCIES of thei
l. appeal for the square deal The
s have made an admirable presentation
,fIof the matter in the interest of low
a teachers generally, and the member
r of the legislature should give 1t tn
D thoughtful consideration it deserve!
o There is no question that the propo
e ed new school law in its present forl
is contemplates rank and unwarrante
h discrimination against a worthy elias
e. of public servants. Present certific;
ton conditions are bad enough in a
ID conscience; the bill before the legi
r. lature proposes to make them sti
IN worse IF passed without matters
Ill amendment it will operare to b;
n many capable and worthy person
Is. from the teaching PROFESSION in low
tie and lessen the number Of those no
IS engaged in 1t In practical operate
st II would work real detriment to Il
ar- cause Of education in the state