Milford chronicle., 1911-12-15
Communicated
THE NEW RULING ON
TEACHERS CERTIFICATES

ware was a laDOred effort to Justify the
existence of a very unsatisfactory endu-
cational document
No dilfculty would have been expert
enced in securing a committee from
either branch of the State Legislature at
its last session that could have drawn a
bill for certifcation altogether fairer
more iudicious, and certainly not less
progressive than the instrument that the
present State Board has published. That
such a ruling could be adopted by the
board is sufficient proof that so import
ant matter as the certihcatiOn of teach
ers should not be entrusted to a small
body of men unchecked by law and in
different to the sentiment of those most
concerned. The teachers certificate
should be issued under an act of the
State Legislature. His status should be
determined by law. not by the whims of
individuals who are bold to advance plans
and theories in educational affairs that
they would not entertain for an instant
were they in possession of wide intorna-
ton on the subject President Butler
speaks of worthy men who would not
dream of handling a physical or other
scientific problem, but who for some re-
condite reason face the equally difficult
problems of education without atremer.
The objections to this scheme are both
general and specific. Its chief evil lies
in the fact that it attempts to maintain
81 stem of constant espial over the teach
ers's intellectual life. Even a school
teacher may reach point where he
should be beyond the interference of ex-
amining boards, where he has the right
to be judged by his work and not by his
skill in a guessing bee. But our present
board evidently believes in this nonsense
and insists in haling before its examin-
ing committee every so often all the
teachers good, bad and Indifferent, to
test them in educational theory and prac-
tice. An efficient superintendent can
tell more about a teacher's professional
alertness in ten minutes i'll class room
than this precious examining board can
determine in so many hours by eXamina-
tions in textbook theory, and the judg-
ment of the average local board will be
worth a ream of answer papers in decid-
ing whether a teacher knows his business
or not. The present State Board is not
qualified for the task that it has set be-
fore itself If it were, it would not claim
the privilege. 1t would know better. If
this were good practice, one might eX-
pect that the able presidents of State
boards in progressive States would advO-
cate the policy. Men of the scholarly
attainments of Commissioner Draper, of
New York, or DR.. Schaetfer, of Pennsyl-
yania. would be likely to have recon- ]
mended this system, had they considered
il an ideal way to raise the status of the
teacher. But strange to say they have
not done 50, and a State certificate in
=. nj
tached and remains valid so long its
holder is efficient, as determined by the
local boards employing him. 1t is recog
niled that a system of endless espionage
IS a degradation to the teacher, and, as
a result an injury to the educational in
terests of the State employing such tactics. /
Specifically the objections to the ruling
are many and only few need be named |
It ignores the certificates issued by other
States having a higher educational stand |
ard than Delaware, a thing so ridiculous |
as 10 need no comment II does not take /
into account the status of successful /
teachers of long experience, who, i'll |
States where the rights of teachers have /
been properly slfeguarded, would now
be holding per uaneut certificates. This
IS such a hlgraut Violation of common |
himself on record as advocating some re-
ruling on this matter Again, it assumes
the right to examine college-hred teachers /
and the graduates of normal schools per
iodicallv at tile boards pleasure As has /
been said State boards of high profession /
al standing do not do this, and it is no |
disrespect to inquire why the State Board ,
Of Delaware thinks il is warranted in I
taking such stand. However it has |
been suggested by "A member Of the /
present board that this will be used only |
in certain cases. He explains it thus :
Mr. or Mr. y will probably only be |
asked whether they have read the pre- |
$ ribbed books, but Mr. L, who is a college .
graduate. but who in the judgment of
tile board is not up to the requirements, |
will be thoroughly tested. Thus already .
the ground is being prepared for a crop
of educational abuse to be reaped later /
on unless the rules are changed. And /
ihis leads to another objection, namely |
that the State Board assumes to know |
local needs better than the local boards /
an assumption altogether at variance with /
American ideals in school as well as in 1
other affairs The claim that the local |
boards do not know whether their teach !
ers are efficient or not is simply an im /
pertiuence Again, it fails to provide !
ior a life certificate. for the so-Called per- /
maueut certificate that must be kept
sweet by periodic examination is an in
suit to the intelligence of the teachers of
the State Only nine States, including
Delaware, fail to make provision for the
life certificate In most States the life
certificate is attainable by all teachers
irrespective of their scholastic training.
1t is regarded as the proper reward by
the State to the industrious, successful
and experienced teacher. And lastly,
the ruling is most unsatisfactory because
IT leaves everything unsettled. After
spending pages in telling the teachers
how they are to be qualified, they are
quite playfully told that the State Board
reserves the right to change the require
ments for certificate at any time Thus
the tenure of their certificates may turn
upon the toothache or, per adventure,
the crouch of an aggressive member of
the State Board. Such benign attitude
on the part Of the State to the teachers
Is of course very conducive to the de-
velopment of professional spirit among
she latter.
It was said at the institute by the de-
fender of this sweet system that the
-,,afftods of other States were carefully |