The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-02
A Preliminary Meet
ing Yesterday.
FORMER EDUCATORS COMBINE
COMPLICATIONS OF THE SAL
AIRY PRoBLEM.
Litigation and Confusion Will Neces-
sarily FOLLOW in the Path of
Reform in the School De-
partment.

The School Department is once
more in a condition of comparative peace.
The transfers and general changes or
dered under the scheme of reorganlza-
ton have been carried into effect. All Of
the later acts of the last Board of Edu-
cation, with the exception of those relat-
ing to vice princpalships, have been nulli-
fed The board has dismissed forty-four
teachers from the department and has
placed thirty-one more on the unassigned
list without pay. In all 135 changes have
been made in transfers, degradations and
dismissals. The Board of Education gives
its promise that not the slightest tinge Of
favortism will mar its future action. The
changes that have already been made are
exclusively upon chronological basis.
EavoriteS have been ignored and teachers
have had all an equal show.
The board now declares that future
promotions in the department will be
made absolutely upon a chronological
basis. The name and the date of each
substitute and unassigned teacher are
public property. When promotions are
announced the public will be able to de-
termine for itself whether or not the
board keeps its promise and promotes
teachers according to the date of their
appointment to the board.
Teachers that have been dismissed will
fight in the courts for reinstatement.
Many that were degraded in rank will
also institute legal proceedings to recover
the positions taken from them.
A preliminary meeting of deposed
teachers was held yesterday afternoon at
the Longworth Hotel, 532 Geary street. 1t
was determined by those present to test
the authority of the Board of Education
in court. Great reliance will be placed in
the decision of the Supreme Court in the
Kennedy case Efforts will also be made
TO establish the contention that the last
meetings of the last Board of Education
were legal. AT these meetings many reg
ular teachers were elected This election
has been set aside by the present board
and the courts will be asked to decide the
issue.
When teachers were called upon yester-
day to give up their classes many refused
TO DO SO. This step was taken simply to
gain the technical advantage of legal re-
sistance to the action of the board.
When the cases are heard in court note
OF this fact will be made and considered
The salary problem in the department. is
sun one or extreme complication. The
School Directors cannot legally reduce
the salaries of teachers regularly en-
ployed. This obstacle has been overcome
however, by Withholding from each
teacher certain percentage Of her sal
airy. The money thus withheld will never,
IN all probability, be repaid and will rep
resent practical reduction in salary.
Rumors have been ahoat that the board
intends to retain 20 per cent of ali sal
aries Tor the rest of the fiscal year. This
OF the board. 1t is expected that salaries
Tor this month will be paid in full
AT the next meeting of the board the
scheme of retrenchment and reform will
be carried still further. Useless vice prfncI-
pals will be removed and a considerable
saving effected. 1t is not likely that sew
ING teachers will be disturbed, although
the rule OF economy may result in the
abolition of the department of sewing
After these changes have all been made
the Schoo! Department will then be. 1t is
Denevea IN normal condition, with
proper relation existing between teachers
and pupils. AS the need for teachers in
creases new teachers will be taken from
the roll or substitutes. AS vacancies oc-
signed lists.
If Superintendent Webster, when he en-
tered into the work of Strengthening out
me School Department, had any concep-
uon OF the task before him he is an Off
cal or no little courage. If he had not
worked out the problem of reclasslfca-
ton of schools, teachers and pupils in
advance, with the solution clear before
MIN when he blue-penciled the first insti-
tuition or educator into nothingness he is
he use 1IH q modernism DO up against it." All
the entire population reaching to the
farther bounds of the neighborhood. are
protesting. Every teacher of a lost class
IleInOTldllZlnR
individual members of the Board of Fdr-
cation for revision. The roads of ali com
plants end In the Superintendent office.
ana all day long the anterooms of that
apartment hum like hive. The visitors
Sit In line, as 1t were, and from time to
time they are admitted to the place of
appeal;
The Mission commercial class difficulty
that threatened to assume huge propor,
lions, seems to have worked itself out
TO an easy solution All the pupils may
twenty-five of them have signified their
intention of taking up an academic
course in that school.
The three commercial class teachers of
the Mission High School present another
question for the readjusters to Consider
Irhese teachers are e. ]. Gallagher, Mrs
Director Regain. They being High
School teachers. cannot well be placed
unless some educators of the same grade
10 be an able educator and may find a
place somewhere. Mrs. Spencer and Miss
teacbars Dein emf cobbsidered only special
The building committee of the board
was told yesterday by Chairman Hol-
desired $1,000 worth Of repairs must be
trimmed down one-half before the
want" will even be heard. About 500 900
go out of the budget of expenditures II
Will only be on a showing of absolute
n. ne 6Gn If the building committee gets
has consulted with Building inspector
George Walker and his lowest estimates
only will be accepted
The question Of the Normal schoo,
diplomas is yet in an unsafe condition.
The Board of Education in leaving the
school standing TIL June to be supported
by the contributions Of the, pupils. is
determined to consider 1t as a private in
stituton consequently the certificates
of graduation will have no legal value "a
teachers credentials. This fact has been
denied but will be found correct notuItb
standing
The Teachers Annuity Society meet
yesterday afternoon at the Girls High
School and decided not to raise he
monthly tax on members consequently it
so cents for the evening educators. An
nuitants after thirty years service as
teachers or school officers will receive a
pension of $50 per month, evening teach
ers. Of course. receiving a sum in pro
portion to their half payments There is
in the annuity fund about $4,000 and In
the permanent fund nearly $4,000.