South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-23
CONCERNING TEACHERS.


Editor News-Times:
If the teachers are going TO fos-
ter legislative enactments, they
should foster something new, some
thing progressive, and not be led
astray by camouhage; they should
not permit themselves to be hood
winked by the same old stew gar
nished with a couple of leaves OF
fresh lettuce.
The bill which has been proposed
contains nothing strikingly new; 1t
is merely the same old pill with
sugar coating of different color.
First. this bill retains examina-
tons for much the same reason that
the government retains the liquor
industry-for revenue. Or If not
for revenue, for the same reason
that when a donkey Ito use the
more polite term) balks, all h
cannot bulge him. Secondly, the
new bill retains the same old clauses
with new names and reversed mean
ing. This, most clearly is new"
though fundamentally the same.
The teacher, we believe, should
be obliged TO take only the exam
ination which would admit her 10
the profession in precisely the same
way that the doctor is, the minister
is. the lawyer is and the druggist is
OF course we realize that these
professions arc not important, since
they deal only with our health, our
morals and our lives both here and
hereafter, and other unimpOrtant
and superfluous details Of existence.
1t seems that those who have
chosen these professions need no
yearly examinations to keep their
brains primed: they know they
must keep up with their work or
fail-fail through being considered
unfit by those who do the employ
ing Should not the same apply to
the teacher?
A teacher should not he classified
Did you ever hear OF a class b
doctor. a class & lawyer. or a class
y druggist? One is either a doctor
or he is not a doctor, a lawyer or
he is not a lawyer, a teacher or
teacher good enough 10 teach
could I consider il just for some
one in class u 70 get the money
earned when / did as good or bet
ter work than she did? High class
ificatiOn made possible by years
spent in a normal school or univer-
sity. is no barometer of ones teach
ing power. In majority OF cases
il means that the individual is taken
so far into the ethereal heights of
speculative theory that she is ready
to die OF old age before she can
get back TO the firing line. Neither
is the ability 20 locate the River OF
Doubt. or the giZzard OF "A sheep a
test of ability The one barometer
is the teachers success. and this. il
anything. should determine her
salary.
The teachers have been oppressed
and are still oppressed by grafters
who make the laws. and ignoram-
uses who enforce the laws.
We are not criticizing the school
administration OF South Bend.-it is
the most worthy. the most compet-
ent and the most honorable in the
state Those at the head OF the or
ganization are doing all for the
teachers that they can. II is the
system OF state laws. made by those
who did not care or did not know
what they were doing, that is wrong
II is the duty OF the people 10 see
that these laws are remodeled-
that they are formulated 10 recog-
nize the teacher as an essential in
dividual, and not as a specimen OF
formality from which society can
not ria itself And IL The people do
not attend 20 this duty they will
suddenly ind that the trained. am
bilious and efficient teachers have