SPECIAL MEETING

HELD AT MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., JULY 10, 1902

SECRETARY'S MINUTES

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1902

The Department of Superintendence met in the Lecture Room of the Law Building of the State University at 2:30 o'clock P. M., and was called to order by President Charles M. Jordan, of Minneapolis.

President Jordan announced that a letter from Superintendent Easton, of New Orleans, conveyed the information of conflict between the Mardi Gras and the regular date for the meeting of this department as announced to be held in that city, and of the difficulty of securing guarantees of satisfactory entertainment for the department at that time.

The question was raised whether there should be a change of the date or of the place of meeting. By vote the president was directed to appoint three persons, who with himself and Secretary Shepard should constitute a committee with power to act on the question of time and place for the next meeting, and with authority to change either the time or place, as the interests of the department might direct.

The president announced the names of President Edwin A. Alderman, of Louisiana; Superintendent Alfred Bayliss, of Illinois; and Superintendent Charles R. Skinner, of New York, as members of the committee.

An invitation was presented for the city of Baltimore by the state superintendent, M. Bates Stephens, and the city superintendent, J. H. Van Sickle; an invitation from Hot Springs, Ark., was presented by George B. Cook, superintendent of schools of that city; an invitation from Cincinnati, O., was presented by Hon. L. D. Bonebrake, state commissioner of schools of Ohio; and from St. Louis, Mo., by Ben Blewett, assistant superintendent of schools, of St. Louis. All of these invitations were presented subject to the withdrawal of New Orleans from the candidacy for this meeting.

J. R. Coniff, assistant superintendent of schools of New Orleans, urged that the meeting there be fixed for March or April, so as not to come into conflict with the crowds in New Orleans at the time of the Mardi Gras festival.

There being no other business, the business session of the department adjourned.

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE

After the adjournment of the business session, Superintendent Helen L. Grenfell, of Colorado, leader of the Round Table Conference of State and City Superintendents, took charge of the meeting.

"The Value of Nature Study in Public Schools" was discussed by President Z. X. Snyder, of the State Normal School at Greeley, Colo., and Hon. L. D. Bonebrake, state school commissioner of Ohio.

Hon. Richard C. Barrett, state superintendent of public instruction of Iowa, read a paper on 'Reciprocity in Licensing Teachers."

66

Hon. Charles R. Skinner, state superintendent of public instruction of New York, presented a paper on "School Maintenance: How Best Provide For."

After a general discussion the conference adjourned.

RICHARD C. BARRETT,

Secretary of Round Table of State and County Superintendents.

J. N. WILKINSON,

Secretary of Department of Superintendence.

The committee to whom was referred the question of place and date of the next meeting of the department in February, 1903, met at the West Hotel, Friday, July 11, and was called to order by President Charles M. Jordan. After an informal discussion, the following resolutions were presented and carried without dissent :

Resolved, That the New Orleans authorities extending the invitation to the Department of Superintendence to hold its meeting in February, 1903, in that city, be given one month from the receipt of notice of this action to secure guarantees of satisfactory railroad rates and hotel accommodations for a meeting of said department to be held in that city at dates not earlier than February 20 and not later than March 9, 1903. Resolved, That in case the New Orleans authorities are unable to furnish satisfactory guarantees, the next meeting of the department be held in Cincinnati, O., providing the usual guarantees of local accommodations and satisfactory railroad and hotel rates are secured.

The committee then adjourned with the understanding that the adjustment of the questions involved in the above resolutions be left to President Jordan and Secretary Shepard, acting as a subcommittee.

IRWIN SHEPARD, Secretary.

ROUND TABLE PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS

RECIPROCITY IN LICENSING TEACHERS

RICHARD C. BARRETT, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR IOWA

This paper will deal with facts rather than with theories. In order to ascertain existing conditions in reference to reciprocal relations between states in licensing teachers, a circular letter was addressed to each state and territorial superintendent, asking for information relating to the subject. Replies were received from thirty-five states and territories.

In reply to the question, "Does the law of your state authorize the superintendent of public instruction or the state board of educational examiners, as the case may be, to certificate applicants from other states without examination upon presentation of state licenses granted elsewhere?" the following gave affirmative answers: California, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Total, 11.

The following gave negative answers: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Vermont. Total, 19. In reply to the question, "Does the law of your state authorize the superintendent of public instruction or the state board of educational examiners, as the case may be, to certificate applicants from other states without examination upon presentation of diplomas of graduation from state universities or other institutions of high rank?" affirmative answers were received as follows: District of Columbia, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Jersey, Texas, Vermont, and Missouri. Total, 10.

Negative replies were received from Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Total, 9.

In reply to the question, "Is reciprocity in licensing teachers to be desired between states?" affirmative replies were received as follows: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Total, 18.

Negative replies were received as follows: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, and North Carolina. Total, 6.

A few superintendents submitted replies expressing doubt as to the desirability of reciprocity. Their replies are as follows:

ALABAMA: "Unless there could be fixed some uniform standard of qualifications, I think not."

KANSAS: "Yes, if a fair basis can be secured. It will be difficult to enforce reciprocity, because the requirements are so different in the different states."

MAINE: "Perhaps, under certain limitations."

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."

NORTH DAKOTA: "I question the wisdom of reciprocity in licensing teachers, as between states, below that of graduates of colleges and normal schools."

NEW YORK: "Not by an inflexible rule. Authorities should make thoro investigations in each case. The spirit of the teacher and the experience period are often of more importance than the kind of diploma held."

TEXAS: "If it caused a leveling up, 'yes;' but doubt advisability as a practical question."

Among the reasons given as against reciprocity in licensing teachers are the following:

ARIZONA: "The greatest 'educational' frauds we have in Arizona are the highly certificated teachers from the states. They are probably failures at home, and obtain licenses here under our laws by reason of their holding diplomas, etc., issued under some form of state authority. All ought to be examined; and if after a year's trial are failures, the licenses should be canceled."

CALIFORNIA: "Not under the present loose way of granting certificates in many of the states."

FLORIDA: "Not until some standard can be adopted among the states which will give a uniform value to certificates. Teachers should not be afraid of an examination at any time, and the few migratory teachers are not sufficiently important to let down the bars of the profession to them."

NORTH CAROLINA: "Do not favor it for the reason it may give opportunity to immoral or otherwise objectionable persons who may have gotten a license in one state to impose on the authorities in other states. A teacher conscious of his ability does not object to being examined in another state."

The following extracts from the laws of some of the different states, together with rules adopted by the state boards of education, are given for information and comparison:

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: In the District of Columbia no person shall be appointed teacher who is less than twenty years of age, and who is not a graduate of a Washington city normal school or other approved normal school. "Graduates of other approved normal schools shall stand upon an equal footing with certificate holders, and may be nominated, instead of the highest certificate holders, at the discretion of the board of education."

INDIANA: State board of education having power to grant state certificates has adopted the following rule: "All graduates of higher institutions of learning in Indiana, or other institutions of equal rank in other states, approved by this board, which require graduation from commissioned high schools, or the equivalent of the same, as a condition of entrance, which maintain standard courses of study of at least four years, and whose work, as to scope and quality, is approved by the state board of education, shall, on complying with the conditions enumerated below, be entitled to life state licenses to teach in Indiana: provided, however, that graduation by the applicant shall have been accomplished by not less than three years' resident study, and thoro, extended examinations in all subjects pursued privately and for which credit has been given by the institution."

MICHIGAN: "The state board of education is authorized to recognize and indorse state certificates upon similar examinations to those upon which state certificates in

Michigan are granted and which are valid for life; also, certificates granted from normal schools in other states having an equal course and leading to the same class of certificate as those granted by the normal schools of Michigan. No other classes of certificates granted in other states can be recognized. Formal application must be made under affidavit accompanied with proper testimonials and the certificate of the person."

Hon. Delos Fall, superintendent of public instruction, says: "It is my opinion that certificates granted in any state by the same authority and upon the same preparation as is required in Michigan should be recognized here, and vice versa. This matter would need to be guarded with great care, and there should be a distinct understanding between the state authorities of the several states as to what certificates could and what could not be recognized. This, it seems to me, is fair to both patrons and teachers of our public schools." The statute says: "That the state board of education may, in its discretion, indorse state teachers' certificates or normal-school diplomas granted in other states, if it be shown to the satisfaction of such board that the examination required or courses of study pursued are fully equal to the requirements of this state."

MINNESOTA: "No person shall be counted a qualified teacher, within the meaning of the school law, who has not a certificate in force, from a county superintendent, at the time of making a contract for services as a teacher, or a certificate or diploma from a state normal school of Minnesota, a certificate from the state superintendent of public instruction, or a diploma from a state normal school of another state, approved by the state superintendent of this state."

Graduates from state normal schools outside of Minnesota of equal rank with the normal schools of this state may have their diplomas indorsed for a limited time as certificates to teach in any public schools in Minnesota below the rank of high schools, upon application to the superintendent of public instruction.

MONTANA: State or life diplomas may be granted to any graduate of the state normal school of Montana, or the state university of Montana, or to graduates of other educational institutions within or without the state, upon conditions established by the state board of education.

Rule 2 of the board provides: "That an applicant for a state or life diploma basing his application on a state or territorial certificate or diploma from any other state or territory shall file with the state board of education an affidavit enumerating the branches in which he has been examined in obtaining the certificate or diploma upon which his application is based, unless these branches are enumerated in said certificate or diploma, and, where possible, give percentages obtained in the different branches; and that any applicant basing his application upon a diploma from any state normal school, or who is a graduate from the classical, scientific, philosophical, or literary courses of any university, college, or institution of learning whose requirements for entrance and graduation are equal to those of the University of Montana, which is legally authorized to issue diplomas, shall file with the board an affidavit specifying the branches embraced in the course of study pursued by said applicant in said school, with a statement of the length of time occupied in the completion of the said course of study, together with the standings as above; provided, that all applicants for state diplomas must file satisfactory evidence of having taught successfully thirty-five months, at least twenty-one of which must have been in the public schools of the state of Montana; provided, further, that all applicants for life diplomas must file satisfactory evidence of having taught successfully seventy months, at least twenty-one of which must have been in the public schools of this state."

NEBRASKA: "When any college, university, or normal school shall have a course of study equal in extent and similar in subjects to the elementary course of the state normal school, and shall have full and ample equipment and a faculty of instructors fully competent to give satisfactory instruction in the branches contained in said course, any graduate from such course shall be granted by the state superintendent a state certificate of the

same tenor and effect as the certificate to teach issued to the graduates from the elementary course of the state normal school."

A diploma from a state normal school in another state, when approved by the state superintendent of Nebraska, secures to its holder the same rights and privileges in Nebraska as are guaranteed under it in the state in which it was issued.

NEVADA: "Upon presentation to them [state board of education] of a life certificate of any state or of the diploma of any state normal school, the board may grant a state certificate of equivalent grade without examination, valid for three years or less; provided that since the issuing of such certificate or diploma the applicant has been continuously or successfully engaged in teaching."

NEW JERSEY: In New Jersey the rules for examination for teachers' certificates prescribed by the state board of education provide: "The state board of examiners may indorse the diploma of any normal school or teachers' college, or a permanent certificate to teach in another state and valid as a certificate therein, when the course of study of such normal school or teachers' college or the requirements of such certificate shall be, in the judgment of said board, equivalent to those required for a state certificate to teach in this state; provided, that such other state shall grant reciprocal privileges to those holding diplomas or certificates from this state. When so indorsed, such diplomas or certificates shall have the same force and effect as if issued in this state. Normal diplomas and permanent certificates issued in states not having a state system of certifi cation, and which are, therefore, unable to grant said reciprocal privileges, may be indorsed by the state board of examiners as is herein above provided."

NORTH DAKOTA: The superintendent of public instruction "may issue a state certificate, to be valid for a term of five years, unless sooner revoked, to be known as a normal certificate. Such certificate shall be issued only to those persons, of good moral character, who have completed the prescribed course of study in one of the normal schools of the state, or in a normal school elsewhere having an established reputation for thoroness, but the superintendent of public instruction may examine any such applicant in his discretion."

TEXAS: Teachers holding a diploma from the Peabody Normal School at Nashville, Tenn., "may teach in the public schools of the state during good behavior, and such diplomas shall rank as permanent state certificates; and such teachers shall not be subject to examination by any board of examiners." Graduates from any college or university of the first class, with a degree of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of letters, or any higher academic degree, who have taught not less than three years in Texas, may receive from the state superintendent of public instruction a permanent certificate.

VIRGINIA Graduates of colleges and universities outside of the state who have taught successfully for three years in the schools of Virginia on first-grade certificates may be certificated to teach without further examination.

WISCONSIN: "Section 458c of the school code of 1901 provides that upon the recommendation of the board of examiners, the state superintendent may issue the unlimited state certificate to the holders of the diplomas of state normal schools, outside of Wisconsin, whose courses of study are fully and fairly equivalent to the courses of study in the Wisconsin normal schools, and the diplomas of colleges and universities other than the University of Wisconsin, whose courses of study are fully and fairly equivalent to corresponding courses in the University of Wisconsin. Graduates of colleges and universities must present to the state superintendent of public instruction, with their diplomas, satisfactory evidence of having given psychology and pedagogy at least as much study as is required in this state of candidates for a life certificate."

ARIZONA: Territorial certificates will be granted to holders of life diplomas and state normal school diplomas issued in any one of the United States, without examination, when such diplomas authorize the holder to teach in the public schools of the state in which they were granted, but not otherwise.