The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-01
MANY TEACHERS
NOW AVAILABLE
More Ready for Service in Pub
lie Schools Than in Past.
Questions Asked.

Interesting facts regarding the sup
ply and demand OF teachers in the
public schools, with tho difficulties en-
countered in meeting all situations, have
been obtained by the Department Of
Public Instruction. Pursuing its pol
! ley or getting at facts with view TO
the bsst service, q questionable was
s.nt out on October Is to find put cer-
vain facts.
This year for the FIRST time the certi-
fcation of teachers in the public
sch 3ols have been placed directly under
the charge of the department. instead
OF with the old state Board of Exam
liners. Some delay ana certain
am punt of confusion in some quarters
was found unavoidable, yet it has not
been OF sufficient volume to be embar-
RAISING.
The questions asked were for the
purpose of finding out
/. How many teachers were still
needed.
2 How many emergency certificates
had already been asked for.
3. Total number of emergency GER
tiicates that would probabl. be re-
CURED.
4. The names and addresses d
available teachers still unemployed.
Ninety-six of the counties and cities
have been heard from, and the figures
given are both interesting and illu.
m!nating.
Dimculties Found.
The nlnety-siX counties and cities
report that they still need 24i white
and e3l colored teachers; that they
have asked for 1is emergency certifi-
Gates for white teachers and ia for
colored teachers: that the total num-
Der Of emergency certificates will prob
ably be e2S for whites and 2l5 for
negroes. They give the names Of ii0
white and eighteen colored teachers
still unemployed and available. Many
superintendent report that their lack
of teachers is due to the fact that per-
sons elected had jumped their contracts
at the last minute. Others report
that the fault lies in small salaries
or difficulty in securing proper board
ing place. 1t Is certainly true that
Virginia this year has sent an unus-
ually large number Of teachers to
other States. and yet there appear to
be enough left to provide teachers for
the home schools with the smallest
! number of emergency certificates ever
issued.
During the year ending June 30. 1911.
602 emergency certificates were issued
to white teachers and EST to colored
| teachers. The reports for the session
just closed are not in yet, but the
number is hardly as large as the year
before, since the number OF emergency
certificates has been gradually de-
creasing for several years. This year
it will be necessary to issue to white
teachers probably only one-half as
many emergency certificates as year
before last.
Colored Teachers.
Next year the department proposes
to take up the matter Of providing an
adequate supply Of colored teachers in
very systematic way, and 1t is be-
lieved that a plan has already been
suggested that will relieve the situa-
ton materially.
During the summer the department
handled between $4,000 and $4,000 ex-
animation papers This shows that
about 5000 persons take the examina-
ton each year. counting as two per-
sons those who try both of the exam
nations The heaviest part of this
work comes in August, but by length
ening the hours and using extra help
the papers were handled and the great
bulk of the reports sent out in twenty
five days.
The department will now put the
information secured from the ques.
tionnaire to good uss BY sending the
names of available teachers to the
counties needing teachers. and wherever
fairly decent salary is offered 1t IL
bo,ad Tho peed may he met nr0mD$lY.