The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-06
EHRED'S VIEWS
ON PERMITS
PRESIDENT OF HOPE BOARD OF
EDUCATION DISCUSSED CUES
TON OF PERMITS FROM
SCHOOL OFFICERS POINT or
VIEW TO co. suPERINTEND-
ENTS.

Pres. F. w. Ehred Of the Hope
Board Of Education, said about per-
mits. from a school officers point of
view:
This is a broad subject, and one
that covers considerable ground. for
there are many matters with which a
school officer has to deal that might
be classed under the head of Permits,
The first permit that Is brought to
our attention is that granted by the
voters OF the district which permits
us to take our seat as a member of
the board of education. :
The next permit is the most i'm
portant duty that devolves upon the
board, that is the permission to select
the teacher for the school. This is
often a very difficult problem to solve.
Our citizens pay taxes for the pur-
pose OF having a good school, and it
Is due them that they should have
value received for their money. 1t is
necessary, therefore, that the school
board should investigate the expert
ence and character of the applicant,
and last, but not least, the grade Of
cert1ficate h applicant holds. I'm
fortunately, each year there are many
teachers who have not been granted
a certificate by the state department,
and these are given d permit to teach.
Our state board of education defines
this permit as a temporary license
and Is not to be considered the equiv
alent OF the second grade elementary
certificate. 1t can be issued only once
to the same person in a county with
out the consent and approval of the
board of examiners, and | am heartily
IN favor of giving IL state board a
permit to strike out the last clause.
personally, I don't suppose / have
very much right to discuss the matter
Of teachers permits from the fact
that l have had little or no experience
with them in my fourteen years of
service in educational matters in diff
ferent places. Only once during that
time have I met the teachers permit
race to face. We have in our district
W rural schools but we also have
a resolution on file which requires all
teachers to be normal graduates, and
I believe that a majority Of the school
officers agree that in an ideal school
system permits should never be is
sued. still. at times, they are found
a necessity in the conduct Of the
country and village schools, and in
many cases., teachers come from out
side the state too fate to have their
credentials certified by the state
board. and while they may be normal
graduates. 1t becomes necessary to is
sue a temporary permit for them to
teach, but I would not criticise that
action. 1t is the permit and it's COM
use that is the menace The
teacher Is the most important factor
In the school and public funds and
children should be protected against
incompetent teachers. There are many
causes for permits, and the principal
one is on account Of so many appli-
Giants falling in their examination. For
the year ending June 80. 1913, in, this
state there were 4,067 applications for
the different grades of elementary
certificates, Of these 400 received first
grade certificates, 1906 received Sec
ond grade certificates and about 40
per cent Of the total number failed.
Some Of these no doubt are now
teaching On permits. What is he
trouble? Surely it can't be said that
u state board is prejudiced. for
these applicants come from all cor
ners of the state, and we certainly do
not want to admit that our norrnaIs
n high schools are lax in their
methods of instruction, another cause
for permits is on account OF local con-
ditions. d.
Very little information Is available
on h rural school problem, from the
fact that our United States Bureau of
Education classes as rural, schools in
cities and towns of $500 population.
or less.
sit is true that in some localities