The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-03-22
The Teachers certIrIcation Bill.

1
Dill at it's recent session with on1v o,,c
ulSsentlng vote. He was very much
SA"1Aneu oy this result. Discussing
tne essentials of this measure and its
DEMENT'S to the peopfe of the state
Senator Oates said:
The bill to establish a state board
OF examiners and institute conductors
passed the Senate Saturday morning
IL mad previously passed the House O,
Representatives by an overwhelming
majority. The teachers of the state
nave been asking for this legtlatiou
1or standarizing their profession for
the past four years or more. A similar
OIL was passed, by the Senate, but
CaOIed without discussion in the House
Oh Representatives in 1915. The bill
comDlnes und er one. board Of six
tnree men and three women-an the
teachers institute work, the teachers
reading circle work, the teachers as.
ISOLATION work, and the certifcation,
with or without examination, of all
principals, superintendent. high
school and elementary school teach
ers, urban and rural in North Caro-
lima, except the examination and certi-
hcat1on of second and third grade
teachers, which remains in the hands
or the county superintendent, as
heretofore. ALI examinations will be
conducted by the county superintend-
ents IN their respective counties, and
the papers will be forwarded to the
board for grading. All certificates will
be valid in every county in the state.
Wise and just provisions are made
for teachers and superintendent now
In service, making valid all certificates
until the date of their expiration and
providing for their renewal with or
without examination, and for life GER
tificates.
cit is believed by the teaching pro-
fession and by others who have stud
led this question that this law will
prove to be a wise and far-reaching
piece OF constructive educational leg
islation for standardizing and protect
ing the teaching profession, for in
creasing the efficiency of teachers,
and for stimulating professional pride
and spirit. It will afford for the pro-
fession Of teaching protection similar
to that afforded to practically all the
other professions in North Carolina,
and to many vocations that are not
professions. 1t ought to give to the
children and the general public a bet
ter guarantee against incompetency
and inefficlency in the most important
work of training childhood. We be-
lieve that the teachers, the general
public and the General Assembly are
to be congratulated upon the anct-
ment of this law by an overwhelming
vote of both legislative bodies after a
continuous campaign by the teachers
for four years or more.
"Forty-five of the forty-eight states
of the Union have state boards of ex-
aminers or some form of state certifi-
cation. The law just enacted by North
Carolina will, it is believed, place the
state among the most progressive
states of the country in the examina-
ton and certification of teachers and
in teachers institute and other pro-
fessional training work.
The members of the board of exam
iners and institute conductors will
conduct all the county teachers in
stitutes, spending about thitry-two
weeks annually in this work. In this
way they will live with the teachers
that they have to examine and certi-
ficate for seven or eight months Of the
year and have an opportunity of ac-
uuainting themselves with the educa-
tional conditions and needs of the var
ious counties, and with the difficulties
under which the rank and file of teach
ers are compelled to labor. This will
keep them in sympathetic touch with
the teachers and enable them to ad-
minister more wisely and justly their
duties in the work of examining and
1t will also enable
them to plan through series of years,
4 progressive course Of professional
work for home study for the rank and
lie of the teachers through the in
,titute, the reading circle and the
eachers' association.