[PHASE I]

Colonization to the Mid-19^th Century:  A Local Prerogative

          From the 17^th to mid-19^th century, teacher certification in the USA was a responsibility vested with local church ministers, and after independence, the elected local town committees. This was the same for Massachusetts – by the 1647 General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony, ministers of the local towns were entrusted with this responsibility.  This authority later shifted to the local elected townspeople by the 1789 Massachusetts Law (Sharpe, 1984).  In the tradition of federalism, local autonomy over teacher certification held sway till much of the 19^th century.  Education was seen as a purely local affair, the exclusive prerogative of the local community.

          Teacher certification was base solely on an oral examination or personal interview.  Although there were general criteria like: the “capacity to govern a school, moral character, and academic attainments” (Kinney, 1964, p. 40), practices varied widely across states, and selection standards were not rigorous.  Certification provided a general authorization to teach all subjects.

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