Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-13
ATTENDANCE RECORDS TO GO?
New Teachers Certitication Law
Boosts Summer School.
Conference Friday and Saturday on
"Vermopts Rural ProbIcms'--Jn-
ion Superintendent Consider
spelling and NocabuIarics.

The effect of the new teachers ccrtif-
cation law is already seen in the attend
ance at the summer school Of the I-nver
sity of Vermont. BY far the largest pro-
portion of those enrolled are teachers.
Monday and Tuesday saw 23S actually
listed, and this number does not include
music pupils and a certain number of
union superntendents who may attend.
The 60 superintendents in town are here
for another purpose, but some of them
are expected to stay over for the school.
President Guy Potter Benton and Prof. j.
T.. Messenger head of the school, say
this years enrolment will reach 800, the
largest of any summer session yet.
Some of the union superintendent were
free to say that the new law would he the
making of the summer school. There are
5000 public school teachers in the State af-
fected by the law, which requires their
attendance at the school. These teachers
are of three classes, those holding proba-
tionary or yearly certificates, those hold
ing qualification certificates of live
years and those with life certificates.
The first class In order to adj
vance to the second must attend at least
one term at summer school the second to
advance to the third at least two terms,
preceding their applications for advanced
certificates. There Is every inducemcnt
for them to do this The prohatoners rrn
have their certificates renewed only twice,
each time for a years period and the
holders Of qualification certificates are liza
BILE also to lose their certificates unless
renewed in the new way. Each town in
the State receives rebate, to be added
to the teachers minimum weekly wage of
eight dollars, of two dollars i'm the first
class, three in the second and four in the
third class per teacher. The new law in
cludes a special provision aprropriating
the funds necessary.
sUPER1NTENDENTS CONFERENC f.
Tuesdays conferences of the union SUI
rerntendents took up again the subjects
OF Monday. spelling and arithmetic. The
sessions were held i'm the Williams Sci
enCe hall. At the nine O'Clock session
substantial agreement was expressed 10
the proposition of Commissioner Milo b.
Hilegas that use rather than discnln-
airy value should determine what words
and what problems and processes should
be selected for teaching in the elementary
school"
During the second period Commissioner
1iillegas reviewed the more important in
vestigations that have been made regard
ing the vocabularies used by children and
adults. These Investigations included one
by Eldridge, who tahulated the words used
in 80 articles in 16 Sunday newspapers
and one made by Ayres who tabulated the
words used in a large number of business
and friendly letters. The general conclu-
sions reached by all of these investigators
is that small number of words perhaps
| 80, constitute a large part of the ordinary
| writing vocabulary and that seven -eghths
of the writing vocabulary was composed
of less than 800 words.
1t was agreed that the school.
should make sure that these very com
mon words are learned before they
deal with the more uncommon ones.
The commissioner described an in.
vestigatiOn of his which showed the
method of forming a course of study
in spelling. The work to be under.
taken in the formation of such {
course during the next year wa,
briefly outlined 1t includes a study
of the words giving difficulty to chill.
dren, and careful tabulation of tn,
words used by the editors and CORE
spondents of the Vermont news
! papers.
| The afternoon session was conduct
ed by r. G. Reynolds of Montpelier
executive clerk of the State board o.
education. He considered the new
methods of certification OF teacher.
and answered such questions as wer,
asked by the superintcndents
vERMONT's RURAL PROBLEMS.
A conference on Vermont's rura
problems will be held at the William,
Science hall Friday and Saturday un.
def the auspices of the university anC
School of Agriculture. in co-operatior
with the State board of education, tn,
Vermont Bankers association and tn,
State Grangs. The program follows:
FRIDAY. JULY IA.
200 p ma. w. Hewitt member
State board of education, presiding
Topic. "The Rural School prohlcm,'
Dr. Milo L. Hllegas. State commits
sioner of education, DR. L. Burnham
director rural school department
Kalamazoo normal school. Kalamazoo
Mich.
500 p m.--Dr. j. l.. Hills, dean Col
lege of Agriculture. presiding. Topic
| The Rural Organizations Problem,
| w. n. Cady, master State Grange
Middle bury. DR.. a, L. Canoe. professo
agricultural economies, Massachusctt
Agricultural College Amherst, Mass.
Dr.. Carl w Thompson. rural organi
cation service, Washington, ID. c.
SATURDAY. m v X
900 a. NH. G.. Woodruff, presi
dent of Vermont Bankers association
Barre, presiding. Topic. "Thc Rura
Economics Problem" Charles p. Hol
land, president Plymouth Count!
Trust company. Brockton, Mass, Or
| G. G. GrOat professor of economics