Department of Public Instruction. STATE BOARD OF EXAMINATION. On the first day of the session of the Institute, May 4th, the State Superintendent, who is ex officio Chairman of the Board, appointed the following County Superintendents members of the State Board of Examination: A. H. GOODRICH, County Superintendent of Placer County. The Board invited the following teachers to assist in the examination : GEORGE W. MINNS. ELLIS H. HOLMES.. THEODORE BRADLEY. THOMAS S. MYRICK.. D. C. STONE J. B. MCCHESNEY. .San Francisco High School. The examination was conducted in writing. The following sets of questions were used: Arithmetic, 15 questions 100 credits; Geography, 10 questions 100 credits; Grammar, 10 questions 100 credits; Algebra, 15 questions 100 credits; Natural Philosophy, 10 questions 50 credits; Physiology, 10 questions 50 credits; History of the United States, 10 questions 50 credits; Definitions, 25 words 25 credits; Spelling, 25 words 25 credits; General Questions, 15 questions 100 credits. Two hours were allowed for writing the answers to each set, except Spelling and Definitions. The papers were designated by numbers, the corresponding names being held by the Chairman, and unknown to the examiners of the papers. Each answer of applicants was carefully examined and credited according to its merits, and the results transferred to a tabular statement. The work was completed June 10th. State educational diplomas were issued to those whose papers were credited higher than seventy-five per cent., and who had been engaged in teaching at least three years. Certificates of the First Grade were granted to those who passed higher than sixty-five per cent.; of the Second Grade, fifty per cent.; and the Third Grade, forty per cent. State Educational Diplomas-valid for six years-were issued to nine applicants, as follows: T. C. Barker, of San Francisco; Stephen G. Nye, of Centreville; Bernhard Marks, of San Francisco; T. W. J. Holbrook, of San Francisco; Joseph W. Josselyn, of San Leandro; Thomas Ewing, of Cacheville; William K. Rowell, of Brooklyn; Cyrus C. Cummings, of Vacaville; Edward P. Batchelor, of San Francisco. Certificates of the First Grade-valid for four years—were issued to the following applicants: Mr. Azro L. Mann, Marysville; Miss H. C. Belcher, Marysville; Miss Mary C. Burlingame, Duroc; Mr. Wm. R. Bradshaw, Nicolaus; Mr. Robert Desty, Shasta; Miss Mary A. Casebolt, San Francisco; Miss Frances Lynch, San Francisco. Certificates of the Second Grade-valid for two years: M. Cornelius Ralph, Sonora; A. S. DuBois, Mormon Island; Nicholas Furlong, Marysville; Miss Almira Sweetland, Petaluma; Miss Mary E. Jewett, Marysville; E. J. Schellhouse, Michigan Bluff; William H. Hobbs, Yuba City; Miss Mary A. Salisbury, Mountain View; Truman F. Bacon, San Francisco, State Normal School. Certificates of the Third Grade-valid for two years: Frederick N. Pauly, Long Bar; William C. Dodge, Sonora; Horace Richardson, San Pablo; Wm. B. Lawlor, Prairie City; Laura T. Fowler, San Francisco; John E. Morrison, Alamo; William T. Elliott, Stockton; George W. Moore, Santa Rosa; Harriet Truesdell, San Francisco; Delos J. Van Slyke, Millville; Henry P. Stone, Soquel; Edward S. Brooks, Marysville; Mary E. Noyes, San Francisco; Sarah J. Casebolt, San Francisco; C. L. Hyde, Marysville; Henry Coley, Jackson; Mary A. Buffum, San Francisco; John C. Shipley, Windsor, Sonoma County; M. C. Baker, San Francisco; Albert Wakefield, Chico. Whole number of certificates granted: State Educational Diplomas, 9; First Grade Certificates, 7; Second Grade Certificates, 9; Third Grade Certificates, 20 total, 45. Ninety-five teachers registered themselves for examination; several withdrew, and others were compelled to leave the city before the close of the examination, so that only seventy-four completed their papers. Of this number thirty-one were rejected. Undoubtedly some who failed to receive certificates would pass an examination conducted orally; but the papers of most furnish conclusive evidence of a very low grade of attainments. Many of the papers of those who have received certificates give evidence of progressive scholarship and skill in teaching. It it to be hoped that some who failed this year will try it again next, and win a certificate of the very highest grade. TEXT BOOKS-Adopted by the State Board of Education, for use in the Public Schools of California, in accordance with the provisions of section fifty of the Revised School Law: Arithmetic.-Eaton's Primary, Eaton's Common School. Geography.-Allen's Primary, Cornell's Primary (succeeding Allen's), Warren's Intermediate, Warren's Physical, Cornell's Outline Maps, Cornell's Map Drawing. Grammar.-Quackenbos' English Grammar. Readers.-Willson's Series, Willson's Charts. The Board recommend the following additional books: Quackenbos' Natural Philosophy, Quackenbos' History of the United States, Hooker's Elementary Physiology, Calkin's or Sheldon's Object-Teaching. Remarks. The law requiring uniformity in text books takes effect on the first of September, 1863. The series of text books recommended by the State Teachers' Institute, held in San Francisco, May, 1863, has been adopted by the State Board of Education, with only a few slight modifications. The State Board do not intend that the adoption of a uniform series of school books shall involve any unreasonable expense on the part of parents; the whole design of the law is to save to the State some thousands of dollars annually. They therefore recommend that wherever a good series of books is now in use, such as Sargent's Readers, Thompson's or Colburn's Arithmetics, Cornell's Geographies, or Greene's Grammar, the trustees take advantage of the proviso, and ask to be exempted by the Superintendent of Public Instruction; but whenever new books are to be adopted, they must conform to the State series; and in schools where there is no uniformity whatever, the trustees are requested to enforce the adoption of the State series. Sudden changes of books are not recommended by the State Board; let County Superintendents, school teachers, and trustees act with good judgment, and the law will be found a salutary one, which will result in the permanent good of the schools. The importance of a good series of text books in school cannot be over estimated. The flippant remark that it matters not what book a good teacher uses, will not stand the test of a sober second thought; as well say that a good soldier can fight as effectively with a shot gun as with an Enfield rifle. The adoption of a uniform State series of school books will add greatly to the efficiency of the Public Schools of California. LELAND STANFORD, State Board of Education. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, May 15th, 1863. APPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS. It is particularly desirable that County Superintendents, when sending for teachers, should specify distinctly and positively what the requirements and circumstances are by which we are to be governed in selecting the candidate. Applications are often sent in this form :— "Please send us a good teacher for our school, to begin immediately; salary, $75." This is indefinite enough to puzzle the sharpest in deciding on a journey of a hundred miles. It is not stated whether a lady or gentleman is wanted; whether for primary, mixed, or grammar class; whether that salary includes board or not; how large the school is; how advanced the pupils are: all which details are important to know, both to the teacher in going a long distance at his or her own expense, and to the person engaging such teacher. Let the statements be made so clearly that no mistake can be made, and no doubt may arise in sending a teacher. Again an application is often received at this office for a teacher, and the situation is filled at home, before it is possible to send one, without a word of explanation. Such things tend to create distrust, and disinclination to pay any attention to applications. The first request should be so explicit and full that no further correspondence need be had on the subject; and a specified time should be given to fill such request before filling it from any other source. PETITION FOR STATE SCHOOL TAX.-In accordance with a resolution of the State Teachers' Institute, the Superintendent of Public Instruction has prepared the following form for a petition to the next Legislature. It is hoped that school officers and teachers will be active in procuring signatures in their various localities. Blank forms can be procured on application to County Superintendents or to this office. To the Honorable the Members of the Legislature of the State of California: WHEREAS, We believe that it is the duty of a representative government to maintain Public Schools as an act of self-preservation, and that the property of the State should be taxed to educate the children of the State; and, whereas, the present School Fund is wholly inadequate to sustain a system of FREE SCHOOLS, we, the undersigned, qualified electors of the State of California, respectfully ask your honorable body to levy a Special State Tax of half a mill on the dollar, during the fiscal years 1864 and 1865, the proceeds of the same to be disbursed in the same manner as the present State School Fund. Resident Editors' Department. EASTERN EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS.-In California we cannot get along with these journals, because we are so fast a people that two months back seem to place us among the antediluvians. Think of depending on the Atlantic Ocean for daily fogs, or eastern cities for daily papers-we who have fresh fogs and fresh morning and evening papers every day for ourselves! As teachers of a particular section we need, moreover, our own organ to let our distant brethren know how our work is going on, as well as to keep up the flames on our hearthstones for the general comfort of the family. Neither can we get along without these journals, for in them the real life of the educational world is visible-its aspirations, methods, experiences, hopes. The living teachers of the East will recognize and appreciate our peculiar position; and we know their organs, the monthly educational journals, will welcome us from the Golden State, and bid us God speed in the common cause. Standing out here upon the Pacific strand, and working so well as we may in the forming years of the commonwealth, our hearts in unison with all the true and noble of the nation in these sad days, we think of the starry flag and the homedays at the East that the flag made safe in the olden time-of the loved scenes and the loved ones now saddened by the sounds of civil war; and we pledge our brethren there, as we speak to the various "Teachers," "School-Masters and "Journals of Education" of New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other States, that here the nation shall still live, if earnest effort in behalf of the public schools will make the future safe. We hope that all our teachers will take first their home organ, THE CALIFOR NIA TEACHER, and then we hope they will all take at least one of the Eastern journals. We shall give details of price and address of each in due time, when our lists are perfected, and then our readers may act accordingly. NEWSPAPER EXCHANGES.-Our prospectus has been sent to all the newspapers of the Pacific Coast. From many of them encouraging words have already been received, and to these papers we would return our thanks. We shall hope frequently hereafter, when our exchange list is perfected, to notice in the various journals of the State the interest which public schools in their localities have excited; and shall do all in our power to aid them along in every effort to advance the true education of the people. A good newspaper is really |