Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-02-08
school TEACHERS DeNOUHCs THE
school BOARD.

CV0OVI 0VHUV.
one Of the most peculiar outcroppings
of the reduction of teachers salaries is
the relation which the Teachers FEEDER
alton and its leaders now occupy to-
ward the Board of Education.
Hardly had the decision Of the board
to reduce salaries become public than
the Federation Immediately sounded Il
call to arms. the object being to ut
once declare war upon their employers.
Just where the thing Is going to end.
IL these fire brands are not suppressed.
cannot he even guessed at. but It would
seem the least that may be expected
II the humiliation of the entire Board
of Education for Its audacity In daring
10 interfere In any degree or to any
extent whatever with the regal preroga.
tives of her majesty. the schOOlmarn.
II any of The Eagles readers imagine
that this is ovcrdrnwing the picture. n
glance at the following extracts from
Il prOnunciamcntO Of Miss Margaret
Haley u day or two after the action of
the board will convince them of the
contrary.
blow which they planned to strike the
schools" says Miss Haley. land 1t IL
only the beginning. They have struck
at the efficiency and the vitality Of the
schools. They wanted to dcvitulize
them. to disorganizc them. That In
l,.t, la, a..
More than ever before they recognize
where Is their mortal enemy. and they
feel that they have to crush the schools.
Or the schools will crush them
Now mark you. Miss Haley. and the
Federation over which she wields nb.
solutc control. In this statement mp
parently blame "thc corporations and
not the Board of Education for 1.-THE
blow" which she says has been struck
NJ the public.school system. But read.
ing between the lines, Miss Haley ana
the Federation, of which she Is the
mouthplecc, say as plainly rs language
can speak by Inference that the School
Board In this regard was simply the
tool Of the corporations and therefore
the instrument that actually struck the
school system the fatal blow"
To thinking people the question nat
urally arises, does the Board of Educa-
ton realize the full force ana meaning
of the tremendous accusation levcled
mt its head by an organization com
posed Of It's own employees, ana IL 1t
IL n N "a Ii
But this Is not all. Here Is another
extract from Miss IIaley's statement:
1.-THE schools have made an attack
on the Vested Wrongs. The Vested
Wrongs recognize the schools now rs
being their enemies, and feel the ncces-
sity for striking this blow. II is not Il
secret blow at all. 1t is not necessary
to strike secret blows. They have
struck mt the teachers to discourage
them. And IL j. one more blow for uni
formity.
What Is going 10 he the outcome of
all this: To what j. 1t most inevitably
leadingi
'They are going 10 reduce the schools
To a dead level pf mediOcrlty. But
they are not acting with any regard to
health any more than To mental attain
ments and progress.
They are crOwding the children sin
~ and seventy In Il room. And, what
Is more, people who have brains enough
to go into any other profession are go
ing to leave the teaching profession"
In other words, the Board Of Educa-
ton. according To Miss Haley il the
medium or vehicle through which the
Vested Wrongs" get In their diabOlical
work against the school system. This
leads To the inevitable conclusion that
If the accusations of Miss Haley and
the Federation are true. II behoOves
the public To call upon the Mayor for
the immediate discharge of every mem
her of the School Board. There Is no
other way by which the great public
school system can be saved from de.
structlOn II what the Miss IIalcys of
the Teachers Federation charges is
true.
Citizens of Chicago interested in pub.
lie educational matters naturally won.
der whether or not the members of the
School Board will continue 10 sit pa
tiently under such an imputaron as
this.
Perhaps they will resign.
Here Is more Of the same character:
They (the members of the Board of
Education have said to the teachers:
You have no reason now TO come and
ask again for an increase Of salary"
Subsequently, and In the absence Of
reporters, one Of the corporation rep