§ 770 Duties of Commissioner of Education regarding teachers institutes. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Education: 1 To appoint a teachers institute once in each year in each school commissioner district of the State, for the benefit and instruction of the teachers in the public schools, and of such as intend to become teachers, with special reference to the presentation of subjects relating to the principles of education and methods of instruction in the various branches of study pursued in the schools. After consultation with the school commissioners, the said Commissioner of Education shall have power to determine the duration of each institute and to designate the time and place of holding the same. 2 To employ suitable persons, at a reasonable compensation, to supervise and conduct the institutes, and, in his discretion, to provide for such additional instruction as he may deem advisable and for the best interests of the schools. 3 To appoint in his discretion an institute for two or more school commissioner districts. 4 To establish such regulations for the government of institutes as he may deem best; and he may establish such regulations in regard to certificates of qualification or recommendation which may be issued by school commissioners as will, in his judgment, furnish incentives and encouragement to teachers to attend the institutes. 5 To visit the institutes, or cause them to be visited by representatives of the Education Department, for the purpose of examining into the course and character of instruction given, and of rendering such assistance as he may find expedient. § 771 Duties of school commissioners. It shall be the duty of every school commissioner, subject always to the advice and direction of the Commissioner of Education: 1 To notify all teachers, trustees, boards of education and others known to him who may desire to become teachers under his jurisdiction, of the time when and the place where the institute will be held. 2 To make all necessary arrangements for holding the institute when appointed; see that a suitable room is provided; attend to all necessary details connected therewith; assist the conductor in organization; keep a record of all teachers in attendance and notify the trustees of the number of days attended by the teachers of the various districts, which shall be the basis of pay to such teacher for attendance as hereafter provided. 3 To transmit to the Commissioner of Education at the close of each institute, in such form, and within such time, as such commissioner shall prescribe, a full report of the institute, including a list of all teachers in attendance, the number of days attended by each teacher, with such other information as may be required. 4 To present a full statement of all expenses incurred by him in carrying on the institute, with vouchers for all expenditures made, accompanying the same by an affidavit of the correctness of statements made and of accounts presented. § 772 Schools must be closed. 1 All schools in school districts and parts of school districts within any school commissioner districts wherein an institute is held, not included within the boundaries of an incorporated city, except as herein provided, shall be closed during the time such institute shall be in session. 2 The closing of a school within the school commissioner district wherein an institute shall be held, at which a teacher has attended, shall not work a forfeiture of the contract under which such teacher was employed. 3 In all districts having a population of more than five thousand, and employing a superintendent whose time is exclusively devoted to the supervision of the schools therein, the schools may be closed or not at the option of the boards of education in such districts. § 773 Penalty for failure to attend or to close schools. Wilful failure on the part of a teacher to attend a teachers institute as required, shall be sufficient cause for the revocation of such teacher's license, and a wilful failure on the part of trustees to close their schools during the holding of an institute as required, shall be sufficient cause for withholding the public moneys to which such districts would otherwise be entitled. § 774 Teachers must attend; entitled to salaries. 1 Any person under contract to teach in a school in any commissioner district, is required to attend an institute if one is held for that district, even though at the time of such institute the school is not in session, and shall be entitled to receive full salary for the actual time in attendance at such institute. 2 The trustees of every school district are hereby directed to give the teachers employed in their district the whole of the time, while an institute for the school commissioner district in which their school is located is in session, for attendance thereat and shall make no deduction whatever from the salaries of such teachers for the time so spent. § 775 Payment of expenses. The treasurer shall pay, on the warrant of the Comptroller, to the order of any one or more of the school commissioners, such sum of money as the Commissioner of Education shall certify to be due to them for expenses in holding a teachers institute; and upon the like warrant and certificate shall pay to the order of any persons employed by the Commissioner of Education as additional instructors to conduct, instruct, teach or supervise any such teachers institute. § 776 Compensation and expenses of teachers attending institute or conference. A public school teacher under contract to teach in a public school who is required pursuant to law or a regulation of the State Department of Education to attend an institute or conference held at a place other than that in which the school is located, in addition to his or her regular salary, shall be paid the sum of one dollar for each day or part of a day actually spent in attendance at such institute or conference, and ten cents a mile for each mile necessarily traveled in going to and returning therefrom. The teacher shall be paid the foregoing sums by the district in which he or she is under contract to teach in the first order drawn after the institute or conference and in the annual report of the trustees of such district the amount or amounts so paid shall be included therein and the same shall be repaid to the district out of the moneys appropriated for the support of common schools and the amount so repaid shall be apportioned and paid to such district by the Commissioner of Education at the same time and in the same manner as other public school moneys are apportioned and paid to such district. [Added by L. 1919, ch. 109, in effect March 27, 1919.] ARTICLE 31 Training Classes Section 790 Designation of schools for classes 791 Regulations for classes 792 Instruction free 793 School commissioners shall supervise and examine classes; teachers certificates 794 Teachers training schools or classes under superintendents of schools § 790 Designation of schools for classes. The Commissioner of Education shall designate the academies and union free schools in which training classes may be organized to give instruction in the science and practice of common school teaching. Such classes shall be distributed among the academies and high schools of the several school commissioner districts of the State and consideration shall be given to the number of school districts in each and the location and character of the institution designated. § 791 Regulations for classes. 1 Every academy and union school so designated shall instruct a training class of not less than ten nor more than twenty-five scholars, and every scholar admitted to such class shall continue under instruction not less than thirty-six weeks. 2 Whenever it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Education that any pupil attending such classes has been prevented from attending the same for the full term of thirtysix weeks, or that for any reason satisfactory to such Commissioner, said classes have not been held for the full term of thirtysix weeks or have been attended by less than ten members, such Commissioner may excuse such default and allow to the trustees of the academy or union free school in which said classes have been instructed an equitable allowance proportionate to the number of pupils and period of instruction. 3 The Commissioner shall prescribe the conditions of admission to the classes, the course of instruction and the rules and regulations under which said instruction shall be given. § 792 Instruction free. Instruction shall be free to all scholars admitted to such classes, who have continued in them the length of time required by the preceding section. § 793 School commissioners shall supervise classes. Each class organized in any academy or union school under appointment by the Commissioner of Education for the instruction in the science and practice of common school teaching, shall be subject to the visitation of the school commissioner of the district in which such academy or union school is situated; and it shall be the duty of said school commissioner to advise and assist the principals of said academies or union schools in the organization and management of said classes. § 794 Teachers training schools or classes under superintendents of schools. The board of education or the public school authorities of any city or of any school district having a population of five thousand or more and employing a superintendent of schools, may establish, maintain, direct and control one or more schools or classes for the professional instruction and training of teachers in the principles of education and in the method of instruction for not less than two years. ARTICLE 32 Normal Schools; State College for Teachers Section 810 Normal schools continued 811 Local boards 812 Powers of local boards 813 Bond of treasurer 814 Salary of secretary and treasurer 815 Local boards shall have management of buildings and property 816 Courses of study 817 Teachers, salaries et cetera 818 Commissioner may perform duties of defaulting local board 819 Diplomas 820 Requisites for admission; privileges and duties of pupils 821 Practice departments in Fredonia school 822 Special policemen 823 Village or city may insure normal school property 824 Expense of insurance a village or city charge 825 Deposit of insurance moneys in bank 826 Acceptance of grants and bequests authorized 827 Education of Indian youth 828 Selection of Indian youth 829 Age of youth and limit of time for support 830 Guardians of youth 831 Indian pupils on equality with others 832 New York State College for Teachers 833 Board of trustees 834 Contracts for the education of children, residing in a city or district, in which a state normal school is located 835 Industrial teachers' scholarships Normal schools continued. § 810 The state normal schools heretofore established at Brockport, Buffalo, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo, New Paltz, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburg and Potsdam, are continued. § 811 Local boards. There shall continue to be a local board of each of said state normal schools, consisting of not less |