Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-04-27
Pres. I J. COATES
AT CONVENTION
Feature OF Big Meeting Thurs
day Was Matter Of Certif1-
eating Teachers Rules,
Laws, etc.
One of the features of the K. E. A.

One of the features of the X. E. A.
convention at Louisville Of Thursday
was the address Of President T. j.
Coates, of the Normal school of Rich
mond, on "The New Method of Certi-
floating Teachers, which was well re-
ceived, and the purpose Of which foil
lows:
The New Method of Certifcating
Teachers
Senate Bill No. 80, the bill chang
ing the method of certifcating teach
ers, is & long step in the right direct
ion of Kentucky is to have modern
state system Of schools, such as sys-
tenn as will entitle it to be ranked
among progressive states. Under the
former, outgrown system it was i'm
possible to have an efficient school sys-
TEN; and the forward thinking peo-
Dle will never agree to go back to
the old wildcat system of banking,
and for precisely the same reason. On
the contrary, educators and state
school authorities to validate each
Otbers certificates, q general tendency
toward national certifcation. Recent
Legislation in this state empowering
the State Board Of Education to vail
date certificates of other states on the
reciprocity plan points in this direct
ion; and the comparatively new legis-
latior in this state providing that
certificates Of one county may be
validated in another county under
certain restrictions is prophetic of the
Legislation, I am now discussing.
From the tendencies shown in re-
cent Legislation in this and other
states, it is safe to predict that time
is not far distant when a way will be
found that will enable teacher certi-
ficated in one state TO teach in any
state without going through the har-
RAISING experience of passing exami-
nations. Every law that prevents OF
restricts the passing of teachers free
7 ly from one state to another, in my
judgement, is a hindrance to educa-
ton which can be and ought to be
eliminated. Whatever we may think
of the relative merits of free trade
and protects among nations, we must
admit that free trade among the
states in this Union has been a good
thing. For the same reasons, | be-
! lieve in the principle of free trade in
educational matters. The National
Educational Association and the vari-
Gus state associations should tackle
this problem and solve it.
A brief examination of the old and
the new laws may be instructive. I'm
der the old law we had just as many
kinds Of certificates, Just as many
standard OF teachers. just as many
brands Of education as VIC have coun-
ties. a first class certificate in one
county did not stand for the same
degree Of preparation that it did in
any other. The credential committees
of the state normal schools or Of !
other schools receiving students from |
many counties can testify as to the
unreliability of county certificates for
comparative purposes. I am making !
10 charges of crokedness or favoritism |
in county examination; but the very
fact that there were 120 examining
boards in the State varying degrees
of scholarship, industry, and judge
iment inevitably tended toward con-
fusion. The school varies as the teach |
ers; the teacher varies as her scholar
ship; and her scholarship varies as the
certainty and severity of the test of
examination. | am reminded at this
point that a few years ago | propos-
| ed to 4 number of county superintend-
/ ents and other educators that certi-
| fcate issued in one county be made
good in every county; and l was over
whemed with protests. It would be in
teresting if l should give you the re-
suits of that experience; but | sus-
pect it will be best to let the dead
stay dead. Under the new law all this
will be changed. This law provides
for our state certificates: a state
diploma, a state certificate, an elem
entary certificate of the first grade,
and an elementary certificate existed
under the old law, and the method OF
issuing them has not been changed
The elementary certificates of the frst
: and second grades correspond to the
:. old first and second class certificates
I it will probably be best if l shoult
say that they are to be issued in al
] respects as state certificates have beer
/ ISSUED in the past. can not believ
1 that it is worth while to argue tina
! the new law is an improvement owe
/ the old in this respect before a bod,
1 of educators. The advantage of sub
\ Istituting one trained, competent boar
] of examiners for one hundred twent
! boards is SO apparent; the econom