school has developed a special fitness for aiding teachers of more or less 

 experience. Many teachers of experience who have been teaching upon 

 certificates obtained by county examination, or those from other States 

 without credentials to secure a California certificate, find here the special 

 conveniences to make up deficiencies. This school also maintains a highly 

 successful and efficient summer school, in pursuance of the same policy, 

 and does much to stimulate teachers in the service with enthusiasm and 

 the best in more modern methods. Only in the Los Angeles school is a 

 kindergarten for training kindergarten teachers, as the demand for them is 

 limited and chiefly confined to that part of the State. The San Francisco 

 school Is the center of the most densely populated region of the State, dotted 

 by well-equipped high schools and near the universities. It therefore is not 

 required to give attention to academic scholarship and throws Its emphasis 

 upon the practical training in the preparation for teachers in the large city 

 school systems, by which its graduates are almost wholly absorbed. 



CALIFORNIA'S INVITATION TO THE 



N. E. A. 



By ALFRED RONCOVIERI 



THE Importance of the coming convention of the National Educational 

 Association to this city and State should be far reaching in its bene- 

 fits. To Superintendent Langdon and myself the pleasant duty was 

 assigned last summer of visiting Asbury Park in an endeavor to pre- 

 vail upon the delegates of the National Educational Association, who 

 met in that city, to choose San Francisco as the scene of their meet- 

 ing place for 1906. We were not unsuccessful in our quest, and now it is 

 my earnest hope that our mercantile and industrial bodies will join hands 

 with our educational friends in extending a hundred thousand welcomes to 

 our coming visitors, as well as unite in making their visit a memorable one. 

 The honor of entertaining such a distinguished body as the National 

 Educational Association is an enviable one. It should therefore be our aim 

 to make the period of the stay of the National Educational Association in 

 our city a gala one. Many distinguished educators will be numbered 

 amongst our guests. The giants of the American educational field will 

 be in attendance, to say nothing of the 25,000 teachers from all parts of 

 the United States, this latter number representing the 450,000 teachers 

 and 18,000,000 pupils of this country. The impressions formed by these 

 teachers will be disseminated through many a memorable interview upon 

 their return to their Eastern homes. No better advertising medium for our 

 State and its interests could be devised. An army of 25,000 educated 

 thinkers, the people to whom the safety of the American public schools is 

 entrusted, will become enthusiastic promoters of our Golden State, pro- 

 vided our people have the enterprise and spirit to properly entertain them. 

 There never was such an opportunity presented before, to spread the facts of 

 our marvelous State through the agency of such intelligent and progressive 

 representation. It is the maximum of opportunity, and should not be 

 neglected or overlooked. 



That our coming guests should be favorably impressed, should be our aim 

 and ambition; it but remains upon our own exertions and labors that this 

 accomplishment can be attained. With every natural advantage and re- 

 source at our command, the greatest success should crown our efforts. Our 

 people have ever enjoyed a reputation for hospitality. In fact, this char- 

 acteristic has become proverbial. We should be anxious that our fellow- 

 citizens of the remainder of the United States should share in our bounty 

 and become fellow-participants in the blessings and privileges showered 

 upon those who reside within the confines of Cod's footstool. Ours is no 



11 



