The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-01-20

came to this county and took the
examination. He was not entitled TO
a first grade certificate, but on his
promise to the county superintendent
| that he would come back in October
! and finish the examination, the su-
! perintendent, without authority of law
issued to this man a certificate of
the first grade, when he was en-
| titled, according to the county su-
! perintendents statement to me, to
second grade certificate This man
! took the certificate, went to another
county. and had it endorsed. That
! party was elected county superin-
tendent the next sFing. There have
been numerous complaints from coun-
ty superintendent in adjoining coun-
ties that when teacher fails in
| their respective counties, at the next
examination period he would go over
to the county where this man was
superintendent and get a first grade
certificate, so back to his own county
and the county superintendent is
compelled under the law to endorse
that certificate, even when he feels
in his own mind that the teacher
Is incompetent.
| Last October woman who was
running for county superintendent in
| the western part of the state and who
| had previously failed to get first
! grade certificate, went more than half
way across the state TO take the eX-
animation under this same person re
ferred to above She took the eX-
animation in october, returned home
and on Sunday following the eXami-
nation she exhibited certificate OF
| the first grade. II was noticed by
some that the certificate, according
to its date, was not yet valid. ! was
called upon to make an investigation
and by inquiring found that the
superintendent issuing the certificate
was out in the campaign and that no
certificate was to be issued for some
time. The time designated was after
the close of the campaign.-thls same
party being a candidate for state Of
fice,-yet two days before that time
one OF the certificates that was op-
posed to being issued at this time,
was being used for campaign pur-
poses in the western part of the state
have mentioned only cases that !
am positive about.
believe that the county superin-
tendent of schools ought TO be man
or woman of high integrity and ] do
not believe that any person who
secures certificate upon which to
run for county superintendent in
this manner should be qualified to
issue certificates for teachers to
teach school.
As for the graft referred to, the
present state board of education
charges no fee whatever for the is
suance of state certificates and in my
recommendations recommended that
sufficient fee be charged to pay
a competent set of examiners to eX-
anime these papers without reference
as to who the parties may be- I be-
lieye that my recommendation on this
point is a protection to the county
superintendents honesty and integ
rity | believe it is a protection to
the teacher who is loyal and true to
his profession. | know it is a pro-
lection to the school children of the
county who ale so fortunate as to
have a good county superintendent,
devoted to his duty, with the deter
minaton to have nothing but the best
grade Of teachers, and | feel sure
that II | could talk with you per-
sonally that | could make this ques
tion palmer than | can in this letter
| am sending a copy OF this letter
to The Ardmoreite, not for the pur-
pose of having them publish it, but
since they have published your arti-
Gle, that they may look over my
article and make such editorial com
ment as may seem to them to be
the best in the premises.
Very truly yours,
R. II. WILSON.
| Oklahoma City, Jan. 16, 1915.