Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-06
END IRREGULARITIES
IN TEACHERS EXAMS
state School superintendent Name
Committee to Report on
Matter.
CONSIDER COUNTRY
WORK
subject OF Ono and Two-Room Build
lngs Arouses Interesting Discus
sion Mt Conference at Chamber of
Commerce Auditorium.

virginia assembled in Richmond yes
t"rday for n three day conference. with
view or mapping out plans for the
coming session and exchanging prac-
'tcal ideas for the welfare of schools
throughout the State. The meeting
was called to order at 10 o'clock in
the auditorium of the Chamber of
commerce. by President C. Is. Bowry.
OF Burkeville. who subsequently yield
'd the chair to State Superintendent II.
&. Stcarnes.
AT the morning session more than
.orty superintendcnts were in attend
nee. Many others who had been de-
'ained by their commencement exer-
uses or by county board meetings
Viii reach the city to-day. The cntirc
Stht or the Department OF Public In
struction was also present
REMOVE TEMPTATIONS
FROM EXAMINATIONS
After brief prayer by SupcrIntcn-
cent Il. l.. Darst, of Pulaski. and the
appointment of the usual committees
me visiting educators took up the
regular program.
The first subject considered How to
irevent Irregularities in the Conduct
~ the State Teachers Examinations ?"
elected long discussion. Supcrin-
'endent +. B. Fitzpatrick. Of Bristol
though emphasizing the marked i'm
brovement in the examination return.
II to-day. stated that the board OF
Examiners occasionally came across
eases In which the applicants appar-
entity had had improper access to text
looks. He advised his associates to
pay such strict attention to tho con-
duct OF the examinations az to remove
All possibility Of temptation.
Superintendent Bowry dwelt on the
Importance OF careful grading and
likewise commented or the great i'm
ProVement in the papers now received
superintendent w. t. Rcnnolds in
addition TO urging the utmost care in
grading the papers by the superintend-.
ents and their assistants. suggested
mat palms should be taken to have
The applicants seated Mt such distance
from one another as to avoid all pos
sihility OF irregularities. Inspector e.
T.: Worrell emphasized the Importance
"f having the departments forms
properly filled out and suggested other
measures that would remove the pos
, Sioility OF collision or the suspicion
OF irregularity.
Other speakers who participated in
The discussion were Superintendent F.
i west, 5. L. Scott. II. 4. Dobie. +. II.
Wheatlcy. L. W. Lewis. L. l.. Darst and
T. ". Martin.
DISCOURAGE ApPLICA NTS
WHO ARE LACKING
1t developed In the course OF the
discussion that many OF the applicants
Hho take the uniform examinations arc
poorly prepared and that hence there
: n considerable proportion OF fall
Lrcs In order 10 obviate the unueces-
AIRY work which falls on the division
upcrintcndentS and The Department OF
'ublic Instruction by the efforts OF
these ncompctcnts. - was suggested
hat some restriction bc placed on those
,aking the examinations Al the in
.tnncc OF Superintendent Martin, the
.uperintcndcnts adopted resolution
declaring that IL was the sense OF the
body that some means be devised by
which the number Of applicants for
lie uniform examinations lie limited.
superintendent Darst then moved the
.ppointmcnt Of Il committee Of five TO
AXE the matter under consideration
md report back with recommendations
~ members Of this committee. the
chair appointed Superintendent L. NJ.
Martin. J.. l.. Darst. G. g. Joymcs and
l. II. Stephens and Inspector l.. L.
Worrell.
/, IS the wish OF the Department OF
public instruction and Of the division
supcrintcndents tina, as many we'll
qualified applicants as possible shall
AXE the uniform examinations. but
there 10 a decided opinion that hut
scant encouragement should be given
those whose lack of education and
training forcdooms them TO failure.
The superintendent next took up
ardizinE the One and Two-Room Coun-
~ Schools" Superintendent Paxton.
the first speaker, particularly en-
rhasized the need for good teachers.
Let US he sure" said he, that the one
,nom school is not a one-horsc school"
'rhe subject was further discussed by
superintendent stephens. who also urg-
cd high ideals. both in the matter of
teachers and equipment Inspector j.
II. Binford. who has devoted much of
his time to the Standardization OF the
one and two-room schools, quoted sta
tistics showing the excellent work now
being done in some of these diminu-
tive temples of learning"
CHANDLER ADVOCATES
USE OF REST TEACHERS
Dr. j. a. G. Chandler. of this city.
who stated that he had been particu-
larIy impressed with the recent i'm
provement of the one and two-room
schools. advised the superintendent to
provide them with the best Of teachers.
1t was his opinion. however, that 1t
would be wiser not TO build more of
this class OF schools than was abso-
lutely necessary, although those actual
~ In existence should be carefully
uurtured
State Superintendent Stearnes insist
ed that they should he made as good
as possible. "In fact he said, ''let
us make every school of every kind
as good as we can. The more standard
one and two-room schools we have
The smaller will he the number neces-
sary" He declared that in this particu-
lar branch of educational work the
division superintendent should enter
upon his business with missionary
spirit: moreover, he maintained that
there should be nc conflicts and no
antagonsms in school work of any
type.
The subject Of one and two room
schools brought up the question OF
consolidation, and there was a free
interchange of ideas rs to the re-
suits which had been accomplished
in various communities by tho merging
of smaller schools into larger ones. It
was the consensus of opinion. rs Super
intendent West tersely put It, that the
one-room school will abide until the
end OF time, and that the school au-
ihoritics must give 1t a share OF at
IGNITION equal to that bestowed on the
;wo-room. graded and high schools. 1t