The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-07-29

rants to persons who do not have
certificates registered with county
superintendent within 10 days of
the beginning of school. Just because
there is reasonably alive human
being in the classroom is no sign that
individual is a teacher. We realize
that few certificated teachers, I'M
fortunately, are not good teachers,
but it is an established fact that all
good teachers hold ertificates-any-
one who attempts to teach without
certification is disobeying the law,
and by example, teaching bad citizen
ship TO her pupils :"
Following lengthy discussion of the
teacher shortage problem facing many
rural districts, the committee issued
six-point set of policy regulations.
These are:
/. Minimum requirements should
not be lowered for regular or
emergency teachers. Experience show
that lowering standards decreases
rather than increases the supply of
teachers.
2. Montana salaries are lower than
the national average. Many of our
qualified teachers are leaving to take
positions in nearby states at con-
higher salaries. The town
schools are recruiting the qualified
rural teachers to fill these vacancies.
8. Rural schools must compete with
town schools for qualified teachers.
Higher salaries for rural teachers will
in part for the incon
yenience of living in an isolated rural
area. The committee points out that
he recognized satisfaction and pleas
Ire of living on a ranch as family
init is considerably different from
living alone in tiny, lonely, isolated
eacherage.
A. Rural teachers should have more,
lot less, professional preparation
han town teachers because the rural
eacher does not have the other ia
ilities and professional opportunities
valuable to teachers in multi-class-
DOM systems. In addition to being
classroom instructor frequently for
IL eight grades, the rural teacher is
community leader, !
playground supervisor, nurse, librar-
an, cook, janitor, sometimes even a
US driver.
5. Rural school enrolment is de-
reasing and consideration should be
iven, wherever feasible, to the con-
olidation of school districts recogniz-
lg the factor of distance and poor
pads still makes some three or four
upil schools necessary, particularly
Eastern Montana.
6. The quality of education offered
, rural children must be on a par
, least with city and town schools.
good qualified teacher is the most
nportant factor in achieving this
andard. To provide less is cheating
lie rural child-as we'll as the tax
ayers. Also, in fairness to the hun
eds of fine teachers in rural schools
no have diligently upheld profess
onal standards through attendance
summer school and extension
the standards cannot be low
ed.
Members of the certification COM
ittee which met Monday are: Mrs. !;
la Kyler, County Superintendent
jefferson County; Mr.. D. d.
ooper, Executive Secretary, MEA,
elena; Mr.. Duane Taft, Chairman
eacher Education Committee of the
University System, and Director of
eacher Education, Northern Mon
a College, Havre; Mr.. Harry Cloke, !,
lperintendent of Schools, Brown
g, Montana; Mr.. Sam Kahn, Direc- !:
r Teacher Placement Division, Mon
ma State Employment Service, Hell
Ia; Mrs. Winnafern Moore, Rural
hool Supervisor; Mrs. Esther
.hmidt, Director of Teacher Certifi-
ton and Miss Mary Condor, State
lperintendent of the State Depart
ent of Education, at Helena.
Extensive studies are being made