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NEW YORK: "He [superintendent of public instruction] may also, in his discretion, indorse a diploma issued by a state superintendent or a state board of education in any other state, which indorsement shall confer upon the holder thereof the same privileges conferred by law upon the holders of diplomas or certificates issued by state normal schools or by the state superintendent in this state."

OREGON: "The state board of education may, at its discretion, grant without examination state certificates and state diplomas to persons presenting authenticated papers from other states of grade and kind like those granted by the state board of education; provided, that the state board of education is satisfied that said papers were secured by passing an examination equivalent to that given by the state board of education of this state for state papers; provided, that the state board of education may, at its discretion, grant a permit for one year to persons who hold papers of the grade and kind equivalent to the state certificate, but have not had the requisite amount of teaching experience in Oregon to secure a state certificate."

RHODE ISLAND: The state superintendent writes: "No definite rules have yet been formulated in regard to exchange of certificates, but the policy of reciprocity is adopted. With the limited number of applications from without the state it has so far been deemed better to judge each case on its merits. The board always accepts a certificate from another state or other normal schools upon as just and correct a basis as can be determined. We believe in extending to other states and all reputable institutions the fullest courtesy compatible with the maintenance of our standards."

AS TO COUNTY RECIPROCITY

In response to the question, "Are county superintendents or school commissioners in your state authorized to enter into reciprocal relations with each other?" affirmative replies were received from California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia. Negative replies were received from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and South Dakota.

As to the desirability of having reciprocity in licensing teachers between counties, superintendents in the following states were favorable to the plan: Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Superintendents from Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, and North Carolina do not consider it desirable.

The following are a few of the opinions expressed in reference to the matter :` ALABAMA: "All certificates in Alabama are issued upon examination, and are valid in any county in the state. In the case of county examinations, I should think the question of reciprocity would depend upon uniformity in the county examinations."

“It is desirable, if a uniform standard of qualifications can be arranged.” ARIZONA: "No, unless the state is a very small one, and teachers and school officers are in touch with one another. County certificates have been discontinued by legislative enactment. All certificates now issued are territorial [state] certificates."

ARKANSAS: "I do not consider it desirable. It seems to me, however, that if county superintendents were required to file the examination papers of the applicant, and to keep them on file for one year, then, when a teacher desires a license to teach in another county, his papers might be forwarded from the county in which his examination was held to the county in which he wishes license to teach, in order that the examiner of the latter may grade the work for himself, and yet the applicant not be forced to a re-examination."

COLORADO: "Superintendents may recognize first-grade certificates issued in other counties by what is called a 'like-grade' certificate, good for the same length of time for which the original certificate was issued. In case of an emergency the law states that county certificates issued in this and other states may be recognized by indorsement

good until the next regular examination. Such endorsement cannot be repeated or extended.'"

"Some form of county reciprocity seems necessary, but there should be uniform examinations thruout a state when such reciprocity is made legal."

FLORIDA: "All county certificates are issued upon questions uniform for the state. All except the third lowest grade may be transferred by mere indorsement of the county superintendent. While this is quite necessary it breaks badly into the standards, because the grading is much more rigid in some counties than in others."

"I favor a state grading committee, issuing certificates good thruout the state." INDIANA: "No reciprocal relations between counties. Each teacher may send his manuscript to the department for examination. A license issued thereon is valid thruout the state."

IOWA: In Iowa the attorney general recently rendered an opinion in which he held : "It was clearly the intention of the legislature in framing the school law that every applicant for a certificate should appear in person before the county superintendent to whom application is made for a certificate and submit to an examination by him and in his presence. It is not, in my opinion, a compliance with the law to permit the applicant to write out an examination in the presence of the county superintendent of one county and forward the same to the county superintendent of another county for examination, with the request that a certificate be issued to the applicant if entitled thereto. There are many reasons which will readily suggest themselves why an applicant should appear in person before the county superintendent from whom a certificate to teach a public school is asked; and this was contemplated by the legislature in prescribing the examinations to which applicants are required to submit before receiving a certificate to teach."

MAINE: "We have no 'town system' in Maine, and each town has its school board, consisting of a committee of three and a superintendent who is ex-officio secretary of the board. All applicants must be examined by the town school board, except that a diploma from a Maine normal school or a state certificate signed by the superintendent of the schools of Maine may be accepted in lieu of examination."

MASSACHUSETTS: "We have a Massachusetts law that has never been executed for lack of office force and money. Consequently, Massachusetts has nothing of interest for you. We are pressing for a stronger law and an ample appropriation. We have superintendents now for all our towns and cities, who generally have the power to nominate teachers. They are toning up our quality; and our ten normal schools are trying to meet the demand from the superintendents. While perfecting these two agencies, we have been postponing action on our state examination plans."

NEVADA: "The standards required in the different states and the difference in grading papers vary so much that I do not know as reciprocity in licensing teachers would be advisable."

"In Nevada teachers' certificates can be made valid in all the counties of the state by applying to the state board of education and the sending of the examination papers to be examined by them."

"The same difficulty exists between the counties of the state that exists between different states. The county boards vary greatly in their gradings."

NEW HAMPSHIRE: "The town is the unit. We have no county superintendents. Each town is independent; no reciprocity."

VERMONT: "First- and second-grade certificates good thruout the state. Thirdgrade good by indorsement of county examiners."

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TEXAS: Certificate issued by any county may be valid in every county by a state board of examiners to whom the papers may be forwarded for re grading."

"Provisions for forwarding to state board the papers of such applicants in county examinations as desire state certificates in lieu of the county certificates seems preferable to county reciprocity."

Of the laws that are reported to be satisfactory in their workings, only a few may be quoted:

MICHIGAN: Three grades of certificates are granted: first-grade, which, if indorsed by the superintendent of public instruction, is valid in the state for four years; secondgrade, valid in the county where granted for three years; third-grade, valid in the county where granted for one year. The law now provides that third-grade certificates cannot be transferred from one county to another, but that the papers written for a second-grade certificate may be sent by the county commissioner of the county where the applicant has written to the examining board of another county, and if said papers are approved by said board of examiners they may issue a duplicate second-grade certificate valid in their county. Second-grade certificates are not transferable in any other

manner.

MINNESOTA: "The state teacher's first-grade certificate is valid to teach in any public school in the state below the rank of high school. The second-grade state teacher's certificate is likewise valid in the county for which it is issued, but may be made valid by indorsement of the county superintendent of any other county in the state."

"A complete first-grade certificate certifying to scholastic requirements by the state superintendent, and to professional requirements, skill in teaching, and moral character by the county superintendent in whose county the examination is held, shall be valid in any county of the state. A complete second-grade certificate for both scholastic and professional requirements, signed by the state superintendent and the county superintendent, as indicated above for a first-grade certificate, shall be valid in the county in which the examination is held, and may be made valid in any county by the indorsement of the county superintendent of said county."

WISCONSIN: "If any person holding a certificate desires to teach in any county or superintendent district other than the one for which his certificate was issued, the county superintendent of that county or district may request the county superintendent who issued the certificate to transfer to him the papers in his possession upon which the certificate was issued, whereupon it shall be the duty of the county superintendent so requested to transfer the papers, if any. If these papers and standings are found satisfactory by the county superintendent to whom they were transferred, he may issue a certificate upon them of the same grade as the original certificate and coterminous with it, or one of a lower grade to be in force a shorter time, and he shall preserve the papers on file in his office. If the papers are found unsatisfactory and the certificate is denied, he shall return the papers to the county superintendent from whom he received them."

MISSOURI: "Certificates issued in one county cannot be indorsed in another county, but one county may accept papers or grades made in regular examination in another county on which to issue a certificate."

This brief and somewhat hasty examination of this subject leads to the conclusion: 1. That reciprocity in licensing teachers between states is desirable, and that a united effort should be made to bring about uniformity of requirements and reciprocal relations. The American teacher should be so in fact as well as name. The crossing of the boundary line of any state should no longer be assumed to nullify the qualifications of the skilled teacher, the successful disciplinarian, the expert supervisor, or the scholastic fitness of men and women whose energies are devoted to the cause of education.

2. Under proper and wise regulations, teachers having obtained excellent certificates from any county superintendent or board of education should be permitted to teach in other counties in the same state, either by having manuscripts forwarded and again graded, or by the indorsement of the certificate by the county superintendent, county board of examiners, or superintendent of public instruction, or the state board of educational examiners.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

The National Council of Education shall have for its object the consideration and discussion of educational questions of general interest and public importance, and the presentation, thru printed reports, of the substance of the discussions and the conclusions formulated. It shall be its object to reach and disseminate correct thinking on educational questions; and, for this purpose, it shall be the aim of the Council, in conducting its discussions, to define and state with accuracy the different views and theories on the subject under consideration, and, secondly, to discover and represent fairly the grounds and reasons for each theory or view, so far as to show, as completely as possible, the genesis of opinion on the subject. It shall be the duty of the Council, in pursuance of this object, to encourage from all its members the most careful statement of differences in opinion, together with the completest statement of grounds for the same. It shall further require the careful preservation and presentation of the individual differences of opinion, whenever grounds have been furnished for the same by members of the Council. It shall invite the freest discussion and embody the new suggestions developed by such discussions. Any member making such suggestion or objection may put in writing his view, and the grounds therefor, and furnish the same to the secretary for the records of the Council. It shall prepare, thru its president, an annual report to the National Educational Association, setting forth the questions considered by the Council during the previous year, and placing before the Association, in succinct form, the work accomplished. It shall embody in this report a survey of those educational topics which seem to call for any action on the part of the Association. The Council shall appoint, out of its own number, committees, representing the several departments of education, and thereby facilitate the exchange of opinion among its members on such special topics as demand the attention of the profession or of the public.

ARTICLE I-MEMBERSHIP

1. The National Council of Education shall consist of sixty members, selected from the membership of the National Educational Association. Any member of the Association identified with educational work is eligible to membership in the Council, and, after the first election, such membership shall continue for six years, except as hereinafter provided.

2. In the year 1885 the Board of Directors shall elect eight members-four members for six years, two for four years, and two for two years, and the Council shall elect eight members-five members for six years, two for four years, and one for two years; and annually thereafter the Board of Directors shall elect five members and the Council five members, each member, with the exception hereinafter provided for (section 5), to serve six years, or until his successor is elected.

3. The annual election of members of the Council shall be held in connection with the annual meetings of the Association. If the Board of Directors shall fail, for any reason, to fill its quota of members annually, the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by the Council.

4. The term of service of the several members of the Council chosen at the first election shall be arranged by the Executive Committee of the Council.

5. The absence of a member from two consecutive annual meetings of the Council shall be considered equivalent to resignation of membership, and the Council shall fill vacancies caused by absence from the Council as herein defined, as well as vacancies caused by death or resignation, for the unexpired term. All persons who have belonged to the Council shall, on the expiration of their membership, become honorary members, with the privilege of attending its regular sessions and participating in its discussions. No state shall be represented in the Council by more than eight members.

ARTICLE II-QUALIFICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

All members of the Couucil shall be either life or active members of the National Educational Association.

ARTICLE III-MEETINGS

There shall be a regular annual meeting of the Council held at the same place as the meeting of the National Educational Association, and at least two days previous to this meeting. There may be special meetings of the Council, subject to the call of the Executive committee, but the attendance at these meetings shall be entirely voluntary. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting, whether regular or called; but any less number, exceeding eight members, may constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the regular annual meeting, as defined in this article.

ARTICLE IV-THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL

The Council shall, from time to time, undertake to initiate, conduct, and guide the thoro investigation of important educational questions originating in the Council; also to conduct like investigations originating in the National Educational Association, or any of its departments, and requiring the expenditure of funds.

ARTICLE V-THE APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES AND

EXPERTS

In the appointment of special committees, and in the selection of writers and speakers, it shall be the privilege of the Council to appoint such experts, whether members of the Council or not, as are deemed best qualified to conduct investigations.

ARTICLE VI-THE PROGRAM

It shall be the duty of the president of the Council to prepare, with the asssistance and approval of the Executive Committee, such a program for the annual meeting as shall realize as fully as practicable the purposes for which the Council was organized and exists.

ARTICLE VII-STANDING COMMITTEES

*1. There shall be four standing committees: an Executive Committee, a Committee on Membership, a Committee on Educational Progress, and a Committee on Investigations and Appropriations.

2. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the president of the Council and of three other members, whose terms of office shall be so arranged that one new member may be chosen each year, beginning with the year 1899.

3. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to provide an annual program by selecting, whenever feasible, subjects for investigation, and appointing committees to conduct such investigations. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to carry out the provisions contained in this constitution referring to volunteer and invited papers. *As amended at the Minneapolis Meeting, July 11, 1902 [see minutes].

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