Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-04-17
AGRICULTURE TO BE TAUGHT
A Numebr of Changes Made in the
School Law at the Last SEES
sion Of Legislature.

There are few changes in the
school law These changes were al
fected at the last session Of the Leg
islature.
One change Is in the renewal Of
certificates. Teachers now holding
first grade uniform tearchers certif-
Gates and those which expire this year
will be required to pass in the sub
ject Of agriculture. They will take this
branch in the general examinations
along with the other applicants This
examination can be taken either in
the May, july Or September examina-
lion. 1t void he better to take the
Hay examination, for If the applicant
falls in this branch at that examina.
ton he can take the other.
Those .eaehers who wish to review
the subject Of agriculture can procure
excellent text books from either Mac
Milan Company, New York; CHM &
Co, New York; American Book Co,
Cincinnati, or Prof. Noian's "One Hun.
dred Lessons in Agriculture, Acme
Publishing Co. Morgantown, w. Va
II viii be well to review this subject,
for how can a teacher pass in a sub.
jsct of which he knows nothing? All
applicants this year will be requir.
ed to pass in agriculture before Ger.
tificate will be issued. But applicants
who expect to teach in a common
school or the primary grade of grad
ed school need not pass in General
History and Bookkeeping. Only per
sons expecting TO teach the advanced
grades of graded school will be re-
CURED to take General History and
Bookkeeping.
Those certificates issued last year
and marked not good in graded
schools" will be good in the primary
grades of graded school hereafter
No teacher will be required to pass
in agriculture till their certificates ex.
pires.
If teacher takes the May exami.
nation and pays the regular fee OF
$500 and should fail to make the re-
CURED average per cent. for first
grade { 80 per cent? in at least one
half the branches, he can take at the
July examination those branches only
half, and pay $1.00, half of the regular
fee and should he fail in one half of
these branches he can take the Sep
TENDER examination, pay $100 and
take those branches in which he fail
ed up TO one half. Then, should he
make a general average of 80 per cent.
in all these different branches he can
secure a first grade certificate and be
dated July 1sts and good for five
years
| believe it would be best to take
the May examination for should an APP
plicant fail in this examination he can
take the July or September.
This new law gives a teacher a
chance to obtain a first grade certii-
cate, for it has been noticeable that a
teacher generally fails in one or two
branches in an examination and not
in the whole eleven branches. 1t en-
courages diligent work.
No certificate will be recommended
for renewal unless the holder thereof
shall have attended district teacher S
institutes and read at least two books
of the West Virginia Reading Circle
books for last wear, and the applicant
can tell some points learned from
reading said books.
The applicant will receive just what
Tvs papers merit and nothing more
Heretofore the State Superintendent
has had to pad" some of the papers
Chat is to raise the applicant in GER
| tain branch to allow him to receive a
certificate). This will not be allowed
but the county superintendent may
grade the applicant on basis of 20
per cent. in theory and art of teaching
on what he knows of the ability of the
teacher in the chool room Later the
time and place of the May examina'
ton will be announced.
WILLIS F. EVANS.
County Supt.