Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-23
The Line of Least Resistance.

Action at this session on the proposition
70 establish a system OF automatic promo
lions for the District school teachers VIII
not preclude consideration later Oh "ioo
ranpe of possibilities for the general re-
organization of the schools. There Is noun
ING antasonistic to the latter project in the
nIan 70 nut the teachers on plane OF as
pured reward for faithful efficient services.
Indeed each of the pending bills outlining
schemes of general reorganization includes
q schedule of pay and annual promotions
these propositions differing only IN detaii'
In addition to the reorganization D1lls the
Commissioners have offered plan Of their
own for the pay and promotion or teachers'
so that those who favor and those VINO OPP
pose a radical overhauling of the school ad-
minisrration agree upon this single point
Nv acting now on the pay and promotlon
plan the House and the Senate Will put
themselves in the best possible position Iof
q satisfactory survey of the more comph-
Gated questions next year. IL that Is 'heh
regarded as desirable. They can theh pro-
coed carefully to examine the results Oh
wear OF work by the teachers unoer INC
stimulus OF the new pay scale. IL Is pe-
Ueyed that conditions will be materially I'M
proved. The uncertainty which now anec's
every grade OF the teaching staff, caused oy
the constant temptation to INDIVIDUALS 10
leave for other fields. will have been re-
moved new spirit will be breathed into
the school system, and 1t will bring gratl1y-
ing results.
The teachers of the schools are the 1oun-
dation course of the educational structure. II
they do good work the schools are running
their functions. II they are disheartened ana
rx1t Ia a r
fected. If they are kept on tenter-hooks of
uncertainty from year to year as TO their
future. they cannot concentrate themselves
satisfactorily upon their work. For several
wears it has been apparent to the citi-
zens who have studied the question that
discomfort was spreading among the teach
ers as they realized through the presenta-
zion of repeated object lessons that their
services were rated more highly elsewhere
than In Washington. Through their own
efforts they have provided a fund for the
retirement of superannuated teachers after
years of faithful service. They have labored
in and out of season to formulate plans for
systematic promotion. to be adopted by Con-
gress. Now their plans have matured at
least to the point of persuading all who
have observed the school question that the
one undeniable urgent necessity of the case
is an automatic plan of promotions on
basis of wise liberality. If after all these
efforts nothing is done. because of the
intersection of new and strange propositions
regarding the higher organization of the
school administration, these earnest, capable
men and women will lose heart.
The recently concluded hearings before
House subcommittee disclosed the fact that
there is no urgent local demand for general
reorganization, and that there is, on the
other hand an insistent local demand for a
pay scale which will put Washington where
It belongs in the list of cities and demon
strate that II regards the services of it's
teachers as more valuable than those of
charwomen and day laborers.