Smyrna times., 1911-01-18
STATE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
WANT MORE UNIFORM LAW
WITH RESPECT CERTIFICATES
AND TAKING OF EXAMINATIONS
Principal Earhart and Vice-PrincipaI
Miss Laura Lefty, of Smyrna, join
State Teachers in Movement

"'oo -eN' " -Cttf, VI smyrna, Join
State Teachers in Movement
Principal L. B. Earhart and Vice
principal Miss Laura Lefty of the
Smyrna High School, attended on
Saturday the first annual meeting of
the Delaware Association of Prin-
cipals and High School Teachers
held in the Dover High School build
ing at Dover. A. 7. Hoover, super
intendent of the Milford Public
Schools, presided over the meeting.
Those eligible to the newly formed
association are all public school
principals in the State of Delaware.
outside of the city of Wilmington,
who have three or more teachers in
their schools, and all High School
teachers of the same territory.
One of the most important matters
that came before the meeting was
the drafting and reading of a set
of resolutions opposing the alleged
unsatisfactory conditions governing
school teachers existing in this
State. The resolution petitions the
Legislature to make a temporary
ruling on matters pertaining to the
examination of teachers until a new
school code can be drafted. The
resolution read as follows: Whereas
the present laws relating to the GER
fication of teachers in the State of
Delaware are antiquated, unfair in
their operation and liable to gross
abuse. and whereas arrangements
have been made and notice of the
same has been given in the institute
manuals pointing to general violation
of the spirit and intent Of one of
these laws, whereby that element of
the teaching force of the State,
which is the best trained education
ally, is to be forced to undergo a
meaningless and absurd examina zion
in the following June; therefore be
it
Ask Legislature to Amend Conditions
Resolved, That we, the principals
and high school teachers of the State
of Delaware, at a regular meeting
held at Dover, January IA, 1911,
join in asking the present State
Legislature to take immediate action
to remedy the present unsatisfactory
conditions. Resolved, That, until a
general code embodying the latest
educational thought can be formu-
lated, we request temporary legisla-
tion covering the following points :
First that Delaware recognize at
their face value the State certifi-
Gates of other States having a min
imum school term of seven months.
Second. that all graduates of reput-
able colleges and normal schools of
good standing be certified without
examination, providing their services
as teachers are acceptable to the
boards employing them. Third, that
teachers holding the professional or
first grade certificate who have
taught ten years, five years OF which
service shall have been rendered in
Delaware, shall be relieved of furth-
er examination. Resolved, That IN
our judgment no system of certifica-
tion is of professional worth that
does not provide method whereby
any teacher may in a reasonable
number of years, by giving salts
factory evidence of good scholarship
and by successful professional work,
be relieved entirely from the neces-
sity of taking examinations. This
right of the teacher is recognized II
over thirty States of the union
We, therefore, recommend the en-
acting of a law creating properly
guarded life certificate. Resolved
That these resolutions be printed
and copies sent to the members o.
the State Board of Education, mem
bers of the State Legislature, to th'
presidents of the boards of education
of the incorporated schools and t.
the press OF the State.
Interesting and Instructive Program
Addresses were made during tn
course of the convention by prom
inent members of the association
The program was as follows: lin
provements in Our School Curricu
la" Horace G. Hastings, Delmar
Modern Languages in the Hig
Schools" Nellie G. Davidson. Mil
ford; "The Certification of Teacher
in Delaware, rs. F. L. Fogelsanger
Georgetown; Physical Examina
tion of Pupils" George s. Messer
smith, Lewes; 'Our Compulsor
School Law and the Graded Schools,
M. L. Hydorn, Frederick; Englis